Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room T2
August 3, 2010 (Tue) - September 5, 2010 (Sun)
How do you feel when you play music, hear music, or see a musical performance? Perhaps excited or enthused, maybe relaxed, or possibly filled with a sense of dignity and pride.
Just as there are many different types of music, so there are many different types of musical instruments: simple instruments, complex instruments, instruments made for playing solo, and instruments made for playing in a group. The sounds of musical instruments have a mysterious resonance which is different from that of the human voice, and they evoke a variety of different emotions. For this reason, music and musical instruments have played an important part in human life throughout the ages.
This Family Gallery exhibition showcases a selection of artworks depicting music and musical instruments in use in Japan since ancient times. These include instruments which are rarely seen or heard of nowadays, as well as instruments depicted with dolls and in haniwa terracotta tomb ornaments. Images of musical instruments can also be found on objects such as plates and bronze mirrors. Just like us, it seems that people of old also enjoyed themselves when making or listening to music.
In your imagination, this usually quiet exhibition room can become a musical festival - we hope you feel the joy and energy of music while exploring these works as a family.