The ABCs of Antique Textiles: Prized Pieces Passed Down by the Maeda Clan
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Textile for an Outer Garment, with Flying-Fish Dragons (Feiyu) among Clouds (detail)
China, Passed down by the Maeda clan, Ming dynasty, 16th centuryAsian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 5
April 21, 2026 (Tue) - July 12, 2026 (Sun)Japanese tea practitioners traditionally admired imported textiles produced in countries such as China, India, and Iran. Called in Japanese meibutsu gire (“famed textiles”), they were used as mounting textiles for hanging scrolls and to make bags for tea utensils.These textiles were given names associated with their origins, such as famous temples and tea masters.
The Maeda clan of the Kaga domain, in modern-day Ishikawa Prefecture, began collecting a wide variety of these famed textiles from the era of the third head of the clan, Maeda Toshitsune (1593–1658). This exhibition features prized textile pieces passed down by the Maeda clan. It also explains the basics of appreciating antique textiles.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Textile for an Outer Garment, with Flying-Fish Dragons (Feiyu) among Clouds | China, Passed down by the Maeda clan | Ming dynasty, 16th century | TI-453-24 | |||
| Highlight | Textile with Flowering Plants, Named "Gold Brocade with Large Cockscombs" | China, Passed down by the Maeda clan | Yuan dynasty, 14th century | TI-313 | |||
| Textile with Nested Diamonds and Large Double-Vine Peonies | China, Passed down by the Maeda clan | Ming dynasty, 15th century | TI-320 | ||||
| Highlight | Textile with Dragons and Peony Vines, Named "Shukō's Damask" | China, Passed down by the Maeda clan | Ming dynasty, 15th–16th century | TI-190-36 | |||
| Highlight | Textile with Birds, Flowers, and Rabbits on Waves, Named "Wanli-Era Damask" | China, Passed down by the Maeda clan | Ming dynasty, 16th–17th century | TI-323 | |||
| Highlight | Striped and Checked Textile, Named "Mochizuki's Striped Cloth" | China, Passed down by the Maeda clan | Ming dynasty, 15th–16th century | TI-190-31 |