Nara National Museum Archives - Asian Art Newspaper

Animals in Japanese Art, Real and Imaginary

May 30, 2019Heather

Animals in Japanese Art. Helmet in the shape of shachihoko, Edo period, 17th/18th century, iron, gold, silver, wood, paper, lacquer, silk, hemp and horse hair, height, helmet bowl 75/8 in, Tokyo National Museum.

This Washington DC exhibition is the first devoted to the subject of animals in Japanese art, real or imaginary, in the US with works spanning the 5th century to the present day. It’s a large exhibition, with over 300 works… Continue reading →

Shinto: The Way of the Gods

April 29, 2019Heather

Kasuga Mandala Reliquary Shrine, 1479, lacquered wood with colour, Muromachi period (1392-1573), 55.6 x 39.7 x 48 cm, Tokyo National Museum (in rotation two, 23 May to 30 June). This miniature shrine, said to be an architectural representation of Takemikazuchi, the kami of the first shrine at Kasuga Taisha, was meant to contain relics of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, Takemikazuchi’s Buddhist counterpart. On the front doors are Aizen Myoo, wisdom king of passion (right) and Fudo Myoo, wisdom king of immovability (left). The side doors show the guardian kings of the four directions. The back wall inside the shrine vividly portrays a view of the landscape of Kasuga Taisha. Based on other examples, we can assume that a gem-shaped reliquary would once have been installed in the middle. Photo: TNM Image Archives

Shinto, The Way of the Gods, is Japan’s ancient belief system focused on the veneration of divine phenomena, or spirits, called kami – nature divinities of the land, sky, and waters. The essence of Shinto lies in the worship of… Continue reading →

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