Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century
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Reading Stand with a Wisteria Trellis
Edo period–Meiji era, 19th century (Gift of Ms. Yano Tsuruko)Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 18
April 8, 2026 (Wed) - June 21, 2026 (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 | Incense Cabinet with Aquatic Plants | Edo period, 17th century | H-521 | ||||
| Writing Box with Gabions and Plovers | Edo period, 18th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, H-4315 | |||||
| Highlight | Reading Stand with a Wisteria Trellis | Edo period–Meiji era, 19th century | Gift of Ms. Yano Tsuruko, H-4511 | ||||
| Highlight | Formal Outer Kimono (Uchikake) with Fretwork, Butterflies, Peonies, and Wisteria Roundels | Passed down by the Kishū Tokugawa clan | Edo period, 18th century | I-1395 | |||
| Highlight | Formal Outer Kimono (Uchikake) with Pines, Cherry Blossoms, and the Yatsuhashi Bridge | Edo period, 19th century | Private collection | ||||
| Highlight | Articulated Carp | By Myōchin Yoshihisa | Edo period, 18th–19th century | Private collection | |||
| Water Jar with a Lotus | Imari ware | Edo period, 17th century | G-5854 |