Edo: Arts of Japan's Last Shogun Age (1603-1868)
30 January 2012
An exquisite collection of historic artworks will revive the final days of Japan’s Shogun era at the Richmond Museum beginning February 9.
Edo: Arts of Japan's Last Shogun Age (1603-1868), features art and artefacts from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s extensive Japanese collection, and works on loan from the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and private individuals. The exhibit opens with a reception, sponsored by the Richmond Sister City Committee and River Rock Casino, on February 9 at 7 p.m.
Edo is the ancient name for the city of Tokyo, and this exhibit covers the historic period from 1603 until 1868, when Japan was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This military class transformed Edo from a fishing village into one of the largest, most populous and most cultivated capital cities in the world.
This travelling exhibition draws upon a wide variety of Edo period art, notably paintings, prints, ceramics, lacquerwares, metal wares, textiles and clothing accessories, religious art and samurai paraphernalia. These works, and especially the woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e (pronounced ooh-kee-oh-ay), reveal the life and customs of the era. The prints, unrivalled material for the study of daily life of Edo period Japan, picture aspects of Edo religion, folklore, legends and historical scenes. Prints were appreciated by the commoners of the Edo period, while fine paintings, ceramics and lacquerwares generally suited the tastes of the upper classes.
This exhibition features one of the few important palanquins, or sedan chairs, outside of Japan. It is decorated with the gold crest of the Tokugawa family, and detailed with bamboo in gold, green, bronze, and brown maki-e lacquer.
The exhibit, curated by Barry Till, Curator of Asian Art at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, runs to May 21, 2012, and is funded by the City of Richmond, Richmond Museum Society, British Columbia Arts Council, the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Museums Assistance Program, and River Rock Casino.
