Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century
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Shallow Bowl with a Deer and Landscape, Imari ware, Edo period, 17th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 8
August 30, 2022 (Tue) - November 20, 2022 (Sun)From the late 16th century, changes in society helped artisans to develop the decorative arts. In the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573–1603), samurai warlords united Japan after more than a century of fighting. The following Edo period (1603–1868) saw economic growth under a new samurai government, with merchants and other people gaining the wealth to buy art.
Potters succeeded in making Japan's first porcelain in the early 17th century. Methods for decorating porcelain and other ceramics then became more diverse, as shown by works with gold, silver, and color enamels. Meanwhile, textiles saw rapid technical advances. The loom was improved to make complex weaves possible, while dyeing became as detailed and expressive as painting.
Items like furniture and dining sets were coated with lacquer and decorated with metal powders, most often gold. Lacquer workers refined this technique, called maki–e, and combined it with new materials for more elaborate designs. Metalworkers also began using a wider variety of base metals and alloys, creating works with greater detail and precision.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Dining Trays with Rice-Farming Scenes | Edo period, 18th century | Gift of Mr. Minami Mitsuru, H-4635 | |||||
| Highlight | Book Box with Maples Trees | By Hara Yōyūsai (1769–1845) | Edo period, 19th century | H-4623 | |||
| Highlight | Fire-Resistant Wear with "Shimenawa" Ropes | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mrs. Henry, I-3686 | On exhibit from October 25, 2022 | |||
| Highlight | Water Dropper Shaped Like a Squirrel with a Gourd | Edo period, 18th– 19th century | Gift of Mr. Watanabe Toyotarō and Mr. Watanabe Masayuki, E-20611 | ||||
| Highlight | Large Bowl with Flowering Plants | Karatsu ware | Edo period, 17th century | G-5778 | |||
| Highlight | Shallow Bowl with a Deer and Landscape | Imari ware | Edo period, 17th century | G-4856 |