Album of Antique Textiles (detail), China, Yuan–Ming dynasty, 13th–17th century
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 5
March 5, 2019 (Tue) - June 2, 2019 (Sun)
Rare textiles from China, India, and other regions were prized in Japan. They were regarded so highly that during the Edo period (1603–1868), feudal lords and wealthy townspeople who practiced the tea ceremony preserved fragments of these textiles in albums. Each fragment would be given a label and the album bound with the utmost care to be passed down to future generations. In this exhibit, we invite you to explore these small yet magnificent albums, which were viewed with reverence by tea practitioners through the ages.
Current exhibit includes:
Album of Antique Textiles, China, Yuan–Ming dynasty, 13th–17th century
Album of Antique Textiles, China, Ming–Qing dynasty, 17th–18th century