Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14
October 11, 2023 (Wed) - November 19, 2023 (Sun)
Some of the most beloved motifs in Japanese art are the autumn grasses. The delicate beauty of these autumn plants, as extolled by the waka poet Yamanoue no Okura (possibly 660–733), was widely depicted in the arts of the Heian period (794–1192).
Designs featuring autumn grasses came to be associated with the elegance of the imperial court, as well as the passage of time and the impermanence of life. They were used in a variety of arts until the Edo period (1603–1868). The objects on display here — each decorated with a different design of autumn grasses — reflect the rich sentiment and symbolism that the Japanese associated with this classical motif.