Jump to content

The centennial retrospective of Kobayashi Toan: His seal carving and collection of Chinese art

  •    

    Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 8
    November 1, 2016 (Tue) - December 23, 2016 (Fri)

    Kobayashi Toan (1916–2007), born in 1916 in Kawagoe, Saitama, began learning seal carving from his father when he was 10 years old. He went on to study calligraphy and seal carving under renowned artists of the Meiji to Showa eras such as Hidai Tenrai, Ishii Soseki, Kawai Senro, and Nishikawa Yasushi. After being awarded the Grand Prize at Nitten (The Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) at the young age of 34, he continued to lead the world of seal carving. He also learned from major Asian historians including Kato Joken and Ota Muan to cultivate his knowledge of characters and seals. He published a large number of papers and books about calligraphy and painting, as well as ancient seals. Furthermore, he avidly collected Chinese seal albums, ancient seals, calligraphic works, and paintings, later donating 423 rare seal albums to the Tokyo National Museum. Through his artistic and scholarly accomplishments, he became a member of the Japan Art Academy at age 77, was recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit at 82, and was awarded the Order of Cultural Merits at 88, as the first seal carver to receive the order.

    The year 2016 marks the centennial of Kobayashi Toan's birth. This exhibition features the outstanding achievements of his 91‐year life, including his own works as well as Chinese calligraphy and paintings that he collected.  It is our hope that this exhibition deepens understanding of the concentrated world of seals that Kobayashi Toan pursued throughout his lifetime, and provides a chance for Asian art to become familiar to wider audiences.

    Lastly, we express our deepest gratitude to the owners who generously lent their artworks for this exhibition, and the Kenshin Shodokai for their outstanding contributions, as well as the many individuals and institutions who made this exhibition possible.
     

 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.
Round Seal in Counter-relief, Rou yuan neng er,  Engraved by Kobayashi Toan The Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten), 1983; the Japan Art Academy Prize and the Imperial Prize, Dated 1983 (Original seal: Japan Art Academy, Tokyo; Imprint: private collection)
Seal in Counter-relief, Ba long bing chu, Engraved by Kobayashi Toan Twenty Contemporary Calligraphers Exhibition, 1989, Dated 1988 (Original seal and imprint: private collection)
Seal in Relief, Du wang, Engraved by Kobayashi Toan The Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten), 1999, Dated 1999 (Original seal and imprint: private collection)
Seal in Relief, Tui cang ru xu wuyi xiang nan qiu si, Engraved by Kobayashi ToanTwenty Contemporary Calligraphers Exhibition, 1987, Dated 1986 (Original seal: Japan Art Academy, Tokyo; Imprint: private collection)
Seal in Relief, Wei wu dou mi zhe yao, Zhao Zhiqian, Qing dynasty, 19th century (Original seal: private collection, , On exhibit from November 29, 2016)
Seal in Relief, Xin yue tong guang, By Wu Changshuo, Qing dynasty-Republic period, 19th-20th century (Original seal: private collection, On exhibit through November 27, 2016)
Accounts in Seal Script, Zhuhan shan zuo you pian, By Deng Shiru, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century (Private collection, On exhibit through November 27, 2016)
Writings from Ling xian, by Zhang Heng in Clerical Script, By Zhao Zhiqian, Qing dynasty, dated 1868 (Private collection, , On exhibit from November 29, 2016)
Plum Blossoms, By Wu Xizai, Qing dynasty, dated 1861 (Private collection)
Old Man and Boy with Chrysanthemum, By Zhao Zhiqian, Qing dynasty, dated 1869 (Private collection, On exhibit from November 29, 2016)
 

 

Highlights of the Exhibition

 

Seal in Relief Kafu san jin
Seal in Relief Kafu san jin


Seal in Relief Kafu san jin
Imprint on paper, Dated 1949
On exhibit through November 27, 2016
 

 

Seal in Relief Wei wu dou mi zhe yao


Seal in Relief Wei wu dou mi zhe yao
By Zhao Zhiqian
Stone seal and imprint on paper
China, Qing dynasty, 19th century
On exhibit from November 29, 2016


Seal in Relief Wei wu dou mi zhe yao
 
 
 

 

Old Man and Boy with Chrysanthemum



Old Man and Boy with Chrysanthemum
By Zhao Zhiqian
Color on silk
China, Qing dynasty, dated 1869
On exhibit from Nobember 29, 2016
 

 

Portrait of Kobayashi Toan
Portrait of Kobayashi Toan
 

 

Page Top

General Information

Period Tuesday, November 1 - Friday, December 23, 2016
Venue Room 8, Toyokan, Tokyo National Museum (Ueno Park)
Hours 9:30 - 17:00
Open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 3
(Last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed
Mondays
Admission These works can be viewed by paying the admission fee for regular exhibit.
Adults: 620 (520) yen, University Students: 410 (310) yen
*  () indicates fees per person for groups of 20 or more.
* Admission is free for senior high / junior high / elementary school students and persons under 18 and over 70 years of age.(Please show proof of age when entering.)
* Persons with dlsabilities and one person accompanying each are admitted free of charge.(Please show ID when entering.)
* Special exhibition "The Hidden Buddha of Rakuyaji Temple, Shiga" (Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - Sunday, December 11, 2016, Honkan Room T5), Special exhibition "The Art of ZEN: From Mind to Form" (Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - Sunday, November 27, 2016, Heiseikan Special Exhibition Galleries), requires a separate admission fee.
Access 10 minutes' walk from JR Ueno Station (Park exit) and Uguisudani Station
15 minutes' walk from Keisei Ueno Station, Tokyo Metro Ueno Station and Tokyo Metro Nezu Station
Organizers Tokyo National Museum, The Yomiuri Shimbun
With the Planning Support of Kenshin Shodokai
General Inquiries 03-5777-8600 (Hello Dial)

 

Thematic Exhibition Catalogues

The centennial retrospective of Kobayashi Toan: His seal carving and collection of Chinese art
The centennial retrospective of Kobayashi Toan:
His seal carving and collection of Chinese art

(In Japanese)

Edited and Published by: Tokyo National Museum, Kenshin Shodokai
Price: 2,500 yen (Tax inclusive)
298p (non-standard A4 size)

On sale in the museum shop from November 1, 2016.

 

Related Events

Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Auditorium  November 19, 2016 (Sat)   13:30 - 15:00   RESERVE_DAY