Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century
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Pillows with Mo Mythical Beasts, Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 8
November 22, 2022 (Tue) - February 12, 2023 (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 | ||
| Highlight | Boxes for the Shell-Matching Game with Scenes from "The Tale of Genji" | Edo period, 17th century | H-4612 | ||||
| Highlight | Fire-Resistant Wear with "Shimenawa" Ropes | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mrs. Henry, I-3686 | On exhibit through December 25, 2022 | |||
| Highlight | Kimono-Shaped Bedquilt with a Crane, Turtle, Pine, Bamboo, and Plum Blossoms | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mr. Noguchi Shinzō, I-4033 | On exhibit from January 2, 2023 to March 5, 2023 | |||
| Highlight | Kimono-Shaped Bedquilt with a Crane, Turtle, Pine, Bamboo, and Plum Blossoms | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mr. Noguchi Shinzō, I-4034 | On exhibit from January 2, 2023 to March 5, 2023 | |||
| Highlight | Gold Coin ("Ōban") Stamped with Diamond Shapes and Minted in the Tenshō Era | Azuchi-Momoyama period, 1588 | Gift of Mr. Ōkawa Isao, E-20084 | ||||
| Highlight | Large Dish with a Pine, Bamboo, Plum Tree, Peonies, and Phoenixes | Imari ware, Kakiemon type | Edo period, 17th century | G-4790 | |||
| Sake Pitcher with Birds and Flowers | Imari ware | Edo period, 17th century | G-5877 | ||||
| Stacked Food Boxes with Camellias, Pines, Bamboo, and Plum Trees | Kyoto ware | Edo period, 18th century | G-41 |