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Ryukyu Decorative Arts from Okinawa

  • Image of "Hair Ornament for an Amushirare (Ritual Officer), Amami Oshima Island, 18th century (Gift of Ms. Yamato Ryoko)"

    Hair Ornament for an Amushirare (Ritual Officer), Amami Oshima Island, 18th century (Gift of Ms. Yamato Ryoko)

    Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 15
    July 1, 2008 (Tue) - September 28, 2008 (Sun)

    The Tokyo National Museum's collection of ethnological materials from Okinawa is mainly composed of objects purchased by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce from Okinawa prefecture in 1884. In 1882, the German Anthropological Society asked the Ministry to collect Okinawan ethnographical objects as reference materials for study. Objects which were not collected in time to send to Germany and spare samples were sent to Tokyo and transferred to the museum.

    Because many cultural properties, including ethnographical materials, were destroyed in Okinawa prefecture during World War II, the Tokyo National Museum's collection is among the oldest such ethnographical collections in existence.

    Worthy of special note are materials related to noro (ritual officers) of Yamato-mura, Amamioshima Island, which were donated by Ms. Yamato Yoshiko in 1998. Formerly in the conscientious care of Mrs. Osada Suma, a researcher of Amami dialect, they are important for the study of the Okinawan culture.

    This display features the decorative art of Okinawa including metalwork, colorful textiles, ceramics which show influences from various sources, lacquerware created under the influence of China and jade pieces which are thought to have been used by noro.
 Major works in this exhibition

* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
Inner Garment, Silk, Amami Oshima Island, 19th century (Gift of Ms. Yamato Ryoko on exhibit through August 17, 2008)
Dress, Design of bamboo, cherries, maples, and balls in bingata stencil dyeing on light blue ground, Okinawa Main Island, 19th century (on exhibit from August 19, 2008)
Hair Ornament for an Amushirare (Ritual Officer), Amami Oshima Island, 18th century (Gift of Ms. Yamato Ryoko)
Wine Bottle with Spout, Okinawa Main Island, 19th century
Cinerary Urn, Okinawa Main Island, 19th century
Covered Food Box, Okinawa Main Island, 19th century (on exhibit through August 17, 2008)
Covered Food Box, Okinawa Main Island, 19th century (on exhibit from August 19, 2008)
Ewer, Okinawa Main Island, 19th century
Exhibitions