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Thematic Exhibition Date : September 3, 2010  Valid until : October 3, 2010
Decorative Arts of Ryukyu
Room 15, Honkan Tuesday, June 6 - Sunday, October 3, 2010

Ewer
Cinerary Urn, Okinawa Main Island, 18th - 19th century (Gift of Mr. Tsutsumi Satoshi)
The Tokyo National Museum's collection of ethnological materials from Okinawa is mainly comprised of objects purchased by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce from Okinawa prefecture in 1884. In 1882, the German Anthropological Society asked the Ministry to collect Okinawan ethnological objects as reference materials for study. Objects which were not collected in time to send to Germany and spare samples were sent to Tokyo and transferred to this museum.

Because many cultural properties, including ethnological objects, were destroyed in Okinawa prefecture during World War II, the Tokyo National Museum's collection is among the oldest ethnological collections of Okinawan objects in existence.

Of special note are materials related to the noro (ritual officers) of Yamato-mura, Amami-oshima Island, which were donated by Ms. Yamato Yoshiko in 1998. Formerly in the care of Mrs. Osada Suma, a researcher of the Amami dialect, they are important for the study of the Okinawan culture.

This display features examples of decorative art from Okinawa, including metalwork, colorful textiles, ceramics showing various influences, lacquerware showing Chinese influences, and jade objects thought to have been used by noro.

 Major works in this exhibition

* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
Cinerary Urn, Okinawa Main Island, 18th - 19th century (Gift of Mr. Tsutsumi Satoshi)
Dogin (Inner garment), Amami Oshima Island, 19th century (Gift of Ms. Yamato Ryoko, on exhibit from August 24, 2010)
Ritual Beads Necklace, Amami Oshima Island, 19th century (Gift of Ms. Yamato Ryoko)
Hair Ornament for Common Class Women on Ceremony, Okinawa Main Island, 19th century
Hair Ornament for an Amushirare (Ritual Officer), Amami Oshima Island, 18th century (Gift of Ms. Yamato Ryoko)
 Related Events

Gallery Talk "Burial in Ryukyu Culture"
Room 15, Honkan
July 6, 2010, 14:00 - 14:30
Speaker: Hidaka Shin, Curator of Japanese Archaeology (In Japanese)


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