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New Acquisitions in 2012

  • Image of "Grapes (detail), By Motsurin Joto, Muromachi period, 1491 (Important Art Object)"

    Grapes (detail), By Motsurin Joto, Muromachi period, 1491 (Important Art Object)

    Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Rooms T1 & T2
    June 25, 2013 (Tue) - July 7, 2013 (Sun)

    For museums, the preservation and exhibition of irreplaceable cultural properties in an appropriate environment is an important task. As a national museum, the Tokyo National Museum preserves and widely displays a collection of high-quality cultural properties, which date from ancient to modern times and represent an extensive range of genres. In addition to works of Japanese origin, the collection includes objects from regions throughout Asia which also offer valuable insights into Japanese culture.

    To display the collection systematically and to explore some themes in more depth, there are areas of the collection which need to be enriched. For this reason, the museum constantly strives to increase the number of exceptional cultural properties it preserves.

    Last year the museum acquired 68 new items: 63 were received as donations, while the other 5 were purchased through funds from TNM Members donations as well as other sources. Each of these objects is of remarkable importance for the study of Japanese and other Asian cultures.

    This exhibition features 25 of these new additions to the museum collection. We hope this exhibition will deepen understanding of this facet of the museum's work while also communicating the vitality of cultures past.

Major works in this exhibition
* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
Poem of Meng Dongye, By Kusakabe Meikaku, 1912 (Gift of Mr. Tanaka Shinshu)
Characters "Ten Ka Ki Shin", By Kamijo Shinzan, 1980 (Gift of Ms. Kamijo Teiko)
The Red Cliffs (Poem by Su Shi), By Hon'ami Koetsu, Edo period, 17th century
Photograph of Chinese Historical Site, Taisho - Showa era, 20th century (Gift of Ms. Ikeuchi Setsuko)
Grapes, By Motsurin Joto, Muromachi period, 1491 (Important Art Object)
Poem, By Ike no Taiga, Edo period, 18th century (Gift of Ms. Kuse Tamie)
Tea Bowl with Brush Marks, Joseon dynasty, 16th century (Gift of Mr. Tsukagoshi Masaaki)
One Hundred and Eight Heroes from the Chinese Tale, The Water Margin: Gongsun Sheng, By Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Edo period, 18th century (Gift of Ms. Emori Sanae)