Frolicking Animals: Behind the Scenes

The National Treasure Frolicking Animals is a light-hearted series of four illustrated handscrolls depicting animals behaving like people. Created in the 12th and 13th centuries, the scrolls have been preserved and passed down by Kōsan-ji Temple in Kyoto. The Museum is holding a special exhibition entitled National Treasure: Frolicking Animals (April 13–May 30, 2021 in the Heiseikan building), in which all four original scrolls are on display. This smaller, thematic exhibition is meant to complement that exhibition.

Opening the exhibition, Room 14 displays a wide variety of works that illustrate how animals were depicted in art leading up to the creation of the scrolls Frolicking Animals. The next room, Room T1, presents similar works focusing on the second, third, and fourth scrolls. The final room, Room T2, focuses on the first scroll, the most famous among the four that make up Frolicking Animals, and offers close-up looks at selected scenes.