Dreams in a Time of Turmoil: Late-Ming and Early-Qing Calligraphy and Painting
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Calligraphy and Paintings
By Ni Yuanlu (1593–1644), China, Ming dynasty, 1638 (Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro) On exhibit through February 8, 2026Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 8
January 1, 2026 (Thu) - March 22, 2026 (Sun)During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (around the turn of the 17th century), when the Han Chinese dynasty transitioned to the Manchu-ruled Qing, literati artists grappled with their respective inner struggles amid unstable social conditions. They sublimated these emotions into paintings and calligraphy filled with intense individuality.
This thematic exhibition introduces calligraphy and painting from this particular time period in China, focusing on materials, formats, artistic styles, and the artists' standing. It presents the diverse imagery these literati, living in turbulent times, sought to express in their works as if seeing dreams — visions of desire, fantasy, confusion, and transience.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Manuscript for the Stele Inscription of the Reconstructed Xuanmiaoguan Temple Gate in Standard Script | By Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322), China | Yuan dynasty, 14th century | TB-1461 | On exhibit from February 10, 2026 | |||
| Highlight | Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden in Running and Cursive Scripts | By Zhang Ruitu (1570–1641), China | Ming dynasty, 17th century | TB-1434 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | ||
| Important Cultural Property | The Sound of Water from the Bamboo Grove | By Li Shida (dates unknown), China | Ming dynasty, 16th–17th century | TA-333 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Miscellaneous Flowers and Plants | By Xu Wei (1521–1593), China | Ming dynasty, 1575 | Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TA-304 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Poems and Prose in Running and Cursive Scripts | By Dong Qichang (1555–1636), China | Ming dynasty, 1603 | Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TB-1397 | On exhibit from February 10, 2026 | ||
| Poems in Cursive Script | By Fu Shan (1607–1684), China | Ming–Qing dynasty, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Aoyama San'u, TB-1612 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | |||
| Highlight | Poem in Cursive Script | By Bada Shanren (1626–1705), China | Qing dynasty, 17th–18th century | TB-1648 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Poem in Running Script | By Wang Duo (1592–1652), China | Ming–Qing dynasty, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Aoyama San'u, TB-1609 | On exhibit from February 10, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Calligraphy and Paintings | By Ni Yuanlu (1593–1644), China | Ming dynasty, 1638 | Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro, TA-187 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Imaginary Journey through Rivers and Mountains | By Cheng Zhengkui (1604–1676), China | Qing dynasty, 1662 | Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TA-190 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | The Thousand-Character Classic in Cursive Script | By Zhu Zhiyu (1600–1682), Japan | Edo period, 1663 | Gift of Mr. Ikeda Daishirō, B-3355 | On exhibit through February 8, 2026 | ||
| Highlight | Landscape | By Yang Wencong (1597–1645), China | Ming dynasty, 1628 | Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō, TA-188 | On exhibit from February 10, 2026 |