Bears and People: Analyzing Bear-themed Works in the Tokyo National Museum Collection

Bears have long inhabited Japan and had a connection with people as a subject of hunting. This can be confirmed from the designs of earthenware and accessories created by people who lived in the Jomon period (ca. 11,000 BC-ca. 5th century BC). This exhibition shows a range of such works featuring bears.

There are two interesting points about bear-themed works in the collection of our museum.

Firstly, the expression of the bears varies greatly depending on the works: fierce-looking bears, bears with a humorous expression, and realistic-looking bears. How bears are depicted reveals how they were perceived by the artists.

Secondly, bears were seldom featured in paintings and sculptures prior to the Edo period (1603-1868). They are not included in the twelve animals of the zodiac, either. Various possible reasons for this stir our imagination.

In addition to the artworks from our collection, this exhibition displays stuffed bear specimens in the collection of the National Museum of Nature and Science, and of the Ueno Zoological Gardens. The large fur of the brown bear as well as the fangs and sharp claws of the Asian black bear perhaps explain why Jomon people both feared and admired bears, and why warriors liked using bear fur for armor decoration as a symbol of power.

Bear-themed works are not only exhibited in this gallery; some are also on display in other galleries in the Honkan (Japanese Gallery) and Toyokan (Asian Gallery). Please enjoy searching for "bears" in the galleries.