Masterpieces of Chinese Art: The History of Collecting in Japan

Buddhist Teachings for Muin Genkai, By Feng Zizhen (born 1257), China, Yuan dynasty, 14th century (National Treasure, Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki, On exhibit from November 28, 2023)

Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 8
October 31, 2023 (Tue) - December 24, 2023 (Sun)

The Tokyo National Museum holds a thematic exhibition on the masterpieces of Chinese paintings and calligraphy in its collection every autumn. This year, the exhibition focuses on the history of collecting Chinese art in Japan. Chinese artworks in Japanese collections can be divided into three categories based on when they arrived in Japan: “Old Arrivals” for objects that came to Japan before the Muromachi period (1392–1573), “Edo Arrivals” for those that arrived during the Edo period (1603–1868), and "Late Arrivals" for objects that came after the mid-1800s.
“Old Arrivals” includes stately artworks from the Tang to the Yuan dynasties (618–1368), while “Edo Arrivals” reflects the new tastes of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912). “Late Arrivals” includes traditional literati paintings and calligraphy. The works on display reflect how Japanese preferences for Chinese art changed over time.

Major Work(s) on Exhibit 26 results

	Designation	Name		Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance	Period	Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number	CMT
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	Two Sparrows and Plum Blossoms		Attributed to Ma Lin (dates unknown), China	Southern Song dynasty, 13th century	Gift of Mr. Yamamoto Tatsurō, TA-633	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	Deities		Artist unknown , China	Yuan–Ming dynasty, 14th–15th century	Lent by Reiunji Temple, Tokyo	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight	National Treasure	Summer Landscape		Attributed to Hu Zhifu (dates unknown), China	Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century	Lent by Kuonji Temple, Yamanashi	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	The Sixth Patriarch Cutting Bamboo		By Liang Kai (dates unknown), China	Southern Song dynasty, 13th century	TA-143	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
	Important Cultural Property	The Poet Li Bai Strolling		By Liang Kai (dates unknown), China	Southern Song dynasty, 13th century	TA-164	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
	Important Cultural Property	Birds on a Snowy River Bank		By Luo Zhichuan (dates unknown), China	Yuan dynasty, 14th century	TA-340	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
	Important Cultural Property	Landscape		By Li Zai (dates unknown), China	Ming dynasty, 15th century	TA-145	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Guanyin		Artist unknown, China	Southern Song dynasty, 13th century	Lent by Eihoji Temple, Gifu	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
	Important Cultural Property	The Sixteen Arhats		By Jin Dashou (dates unknown), China	Southern Song dynasty, 12th century	TA-298	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight	Important Cultural Property	Arhat		By Cai Shan (dates unknown), China	Yuan dynasty, 14th century	TA-146	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
		Cormorants and Reeds		By Lin Liang (possibly born 1424), China	Ming dynasty, 15th–16th century	TA-292	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
	Important Cultural Property	Solitary Angler on a Wintry River		By Zhu Duan (dates unknown), China	Ming dynasty, 16th century	TA-121	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight		Landscapes		By Li Shizhuo (1687–possibly 1770), China	Qing dynasty, 18th century	TA-286	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
Highlight		Four Views of the Mulan Hunting Grounds		By Qian Weicheng (1720–72), China	Qing dynasty, 18th century	TA-502	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
Highlight		Figures and Landscape	Handscroll	By Huang Shen (1687–possibly 1770), China	Qing dynasty, 1727	Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TA-206	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight		Landscape with Figures		By Shangguan Zhou (1665-?), China	Qing dynasty, 1737	Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TA-199	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight	National Treasure	Buddhist Teachings for Teki Zōsu		By Liao'an Qingyu (1288–1363), China	Yuan dynasty, 1341	Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki, TB-1175	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
Highlight	National Treasure	Buddhist Teachings for Muin Genkai		By Feng Zizhen (born 1257), China	Yuan dynasty, 14th century	Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki, TB-1176	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight		Poem in Cursive Script	Hanging scroll	By Wang Jianzhong (dates unknown), China	Ming dynasty, 16th century	Gift of Mr. Ichikawa Sanken, TB-39
Highlight	National Treasure	Volume 6 of the "Book of Documents in the Old Script"		Artist unknown , China	Tang dynasty, 7th century	TB-1572	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
Highlight	National Treasure	Volumes 29 and 30 of "Collected Writings of Wang Bo"		Artist unknown , China	Tang dynasty, 7th-8th century	TB-1203	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight		Manuscript for the Stele Inscription of the Xuanmiaoguan Temple Gate in Standard Script	Handscroll	By Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322), China	Yuan dynasty, 14th century	TB-1461	On exhibit through November 26, 2023
		Ten Poems and Five Letters in Running and Cursive Scripts	Handscroll	By Xianyu Shu (1246–1302), China	Yuan dynasty, 13th century	Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TB-1214	On exhibit from November 28, 2023
Highlight		"The Former and Latter Northern Expeditions" in Standard Script		By Zhu Yunming (1460–1526), China	Ming dynasty, 1514	Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro, TB-1217
		Poems in Standard Script		By Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), China	Ming dynasty, 1552	Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TB-1219
Highlight		Inkstone		China	Ming dynasty, 17th century	Gift of Mr. Ichikawa Sanken, TG-1455

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