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Masterpieces of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy: Their Reception and Influence in Japan

  • Image of "Words of Religious Guidance Given to Muin Genkai, By Feng Zizhen, Yuan dynasty, 14th century (National Treasure, Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki)"

    Words of Religious Guidance Given to Muin Genkai, By Feng Zizhen, Yuan dynasty, 14th century (National Treasure, Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki)

    Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 8
    September 8, 2015 (Tue) - November 29, 2015 (Sun)

    This is the museum’s annual exhibition of Chinese masterpieces. Since long ago, painting and calligraphy from China have exerted an undeniable influence on Japanese art. Works from the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties in particular were brought to Japan in great quantities together with Zen Buddhism. The Japanese became familiar with these artworks by appreciating them in ways that suited their own tastes, such as in formal rooms called shoin and in tea houses.

    Moreover, although no works by the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) court painter Liang Kai remain in China, in Japan they were ranked highest among Chinese paintings and have been treated with great care down to the present. A set of three hanging scrolls designated National Treasures, with Liang Kai’s Sakyamuni Descending from the Mountain in the center flanked by two snowy landscapes, feature lavish mountings and the seals of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408).

    Furthermore, from the Meiji era (1868-1912), many fine works of Chinese painting and calligraphy from various historical periods were brought to Japan through the efforts of outstanding Japanese collectors who idealized the tastes of China’s educated elite. One could even say that these works epitomize the spirit of Chinese painting and calligraphy. This exhibition will introduce the limitless beauty of these masterpieces while exploring the questions of when they were brought to Japan and what influence they had.
     

 Major works in this exhibition
* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
 Major works in this exhibition
* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
Solitary Angler on a Wintry River, Attributed to Ma Yuan (dates unknown), Southern Song dynasty, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, On exhibit through October 25, 2015)
Monkey, Attributed to Mao Song (dates unknown), Southern Song dynasty, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, On exhibit from October 27, 2015)
Sakyamuni Descending from the Mountain, By Liang Kai, Southern Song dynasty, 13th century (National Treasure, On exhibit from October 27, 2015)
Landscape in Snow, By Liang Kai, Southern Song dynasty, 13th century (National Treasure, On exhibit from October 27, 2015)
Album of Paintings on Miscellaneous Subjects, By Chen Hongshou, Qing dynasty, dated 1817 (Gift of Mr. Aoyama Keiji, On exhibit through October 25, 2015)
Draft of Epitaph for the Ancestors of Mr. Zhang, By Yang Weizhen, Yuan dynasty, dated 1365 (Gift of Mr. Aoyama San'u)
Manuscript for Stele Inscription of Xuanmiaoguan Temple Gate in Standard Script, By Zhao Mengfu, Yuan dynasty, 14th century
Buddhist Teachings Given to Muin Genkai, By Feng Zizhen, Yuan dynasty, 14th century (National Treasure, Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki)
Exhibitions