The monk Hōnen (1133–1212) was the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school of Buddhism. Exactly 800 years ago in 1227 (Karoku 3), his tomb, the Ōtani Mausoleum in Higashiyama, was destroyed by the Tendai school. Hōnen’s buried remains were saved by his followers and ultimately cremated in Aono (present-day Nagaokakyo, southwest of Kyoto). This chain of events, which also included the exile of Pure Land monks and the burning of sacred doctrines, is known as the Karoku Persecution—one of the many attempts to oppress the budding Pure Land school. This exhibition presents illustrated handscrolls depicting this incident. The legacy of the Karoku Persecution survives to the present day—each year, on January 24 there is a pilgrimage to Kōmyō-ji Temple, where Hōnen’s cremation took place.

The Ami were artists and connoisseurs who served as curatorial advisors to the Muromachi shogunate in Kyoto during the mid-fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Their activities included the management and appraisal of imported artworks (known as karamono, or “Chinese goods”), the coordination of the interior décor of reception rooms, and the production of ink paintings. Ami artists were active across three generations, beginning with their founder Nōami (1397–1471), followed by Geiami (1431–1485), and finally Sōami (d. 1525); they also taught a number of disciples. The second-generation head Geiami taught the Zen monk-painter Shōkei (dates unknown), who was visiting Kyoto from Kamakura, thus exerting a profound influence on the painting circles of eastern Japan as well. Ami artists had daily access to the Ashikaga shogunate’s outstanding collection of Chinese paintings—including works attributed to the Southern Song monk-painter Muqi and the court painter Xia Gui—and carefully studied their brushstrokes and motifs. Among the many modes of ink painting being produced at the time, the Ami style was distinguished for its exceptional refinement.

Painting and literature have long been intimately connected in ways that extend far beyond the illustration of poems and stories. In the East Asian cultural sphere, this relationship was expressed in the concept that “painting and calligraphy are fundamentally one” (J: shoga itchi), which originated in Tang-dynasty (618–907) China. Over the centuries, painting and the written word have resonated with one another in richly layered forms of artistic expression. Neither is subordinate to the other—each asserts its own expressive power—yet together they produce remarkable harmonies that may be likened to music. This exhibition explores pictorial and literary “symphonies” from three perspectives: the text and images of narrative handscrolls, painting as decoration on the paper used for calligraphy, and travel literature and haiga—the images associated with haiku poetry.

The combination of pine, bamboo, and plum is a quintessential sight during the Japanese New Year. In Japan, these plants serve as auspicious symbols of long life and prosperity, while in China they are known as the “Three Friends of Winter.” As pine and bamboo both remain green during even the harshest of winters, and plum trees unfurl their fragrant blossoms while snow still lingers, they came to represent a resilient, steadfast, and noble character. The plants were frequently depicted in ink paintings by Song-dynasty (960–1279) scholar-officials as a means of expressing their inner selves, a tradition which was inherited by later generations of literati. Focusing on Chinese examples, this exhibition explores how artists have depicted these plants as ideals of perseverance and enduring vitality.

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

The traditional tea event held during the New Year is known as Hatsugama, literally meaning “First Kettle.” The “kettle” referred to here is the tea kettle used to boil water during a tea gathering (chaji).
The tea kettle is often referred to as the “host of the tea room” due to its role as one of the most essential utensils for tea. The phrase “put on the kettle” (kama o kakeru) is best understood today as a euphemism for holding a tea gathering.
This exhibition presents tea kettles from the medieval period to the early modern era, many of which have been passed down over the centuries in Kyoto’s temples.

*Under Construction

The monk Hōnen (1133–1212) was the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school of Buddhism. Exactly 800 years ago in 1227 (Karoku 3), his tomb, the Ōtani Mausoleum in Higashiyama, was destroyed by the Tendai school. Hōnen’s buried remains were saved by his followers and ultimately cremated in Aono (present-day Nagaokakyo, southwest of Kyoto). This chain of events, which also included the exile of Pure Land monks and the burning of sacred doctrines, is known as the Karoku Persecution—one of the many attempts to oppress the budding Pure Land school. This exhibition presents illustrated handscrolls depicting this incident. The legacy of the Karoku Persecution survives to the present day—each year, on January 24 there is a pilgrimage to Kōmyō-ji Temple, where Hōnen’s cremation took place.

The Ami were artists and connoisseurs who served as curatorial advisors to the Muromachi shogunate in Kyoto during the mid-fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Their activities included the management and appraisal of imported artworks (known as karamono, or “Chinese goods”), the coordination of the interior décor of reception rooms, and the production of ink paintings. Ami artists were active across three generations, beginning with their founder Nōami (1397–1471), followed by Geiami (1431–1485), and finally Sōami (d. 1525); they also taught a number of disciples. The second-generation head Geiami taught the Zen monk-painter Shōkei (dates unknown), who was visiting Kyoto from Kamakura, thus exerting a profound influence on the painting circles of eastern Japan as well. Ami artists had daily access to the Ashikaga shogunate’s outstanding collection of Chinese paintings—including works attributed to the Southern Song monk-painter Muqi and the court painter Xia Gui—and carefully studied their brushstrokes and motifs. Among the many modes of ink painting being produced at the time, the Ami style was distinguished for its exceptional refinement.

Painting and literature have long been intimately connected in ways that extend far beyond the illustration of poems and stories. In the East Asian cultural sphere, this relationship was expressed in the concept that “painting and calligraphy are fundamentally one” (J: shoga itchi), which originated in Tang-dynasty (618–907) China. Over the centuries, painting and the written word have resonated with one another in richly layered forms of artistic expression. Neither is subordinate to the other—each asserts its own expressive power—yet together they produce remarkable harmonies that may be likened to music. This exhibition explores pictorial and literary “symphonies” from three perspectives: the text and images of narrative handscrolls, painting as decoration on the paper used for calligraphy, and travel literature and haiga—the images associated with haiku poetry.

The combination of pine, bamboo, and plum is a quintessential sight during the Japanese New Year. In Japan, these plants serve as auspicious symbols of long life and prosperity, while in China they are known as the “Three Friends of Winter.” As pine and bamboo both remain green during even the harshest of winters, and plum trees unfurl their fragrant blossoms while snow still lingers, they came to represent a resilient, steadfast, and noble character. The plants were frequently depicted in ink paintings by Song-dynasty (960–1279) scholar-officials as a means of expressing their inner selves, a tradition which was inherited by later generations of literati. Focusing on Chinese examples, this exhibition explores how artists have depicted these plants as ideals of perseverance and enduring vitality.

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

The traditional tea event held during the New Year is known as Hatsugama, literally meaning “First Kettle.” The “kettle” referred to here is the tea kettle used to boil water during a tea gathering (chaji).
The tea kettle is often referred to as the “host of the tea room” due to its role as one of the most essential utensils for tea. The phrase “put on the kettle” (kama o kakeru) is best understood today as a euphemism for holding a tea gathering.
This exhibition presents tea kettles from the medieval period to the early modern era, many of which have been passed down over the centuries in Kyoto’s temples.

*Under Construction

The monk Hōnen (1133–1212) was the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school of Buddhism. Exactly 800 years ago in 1227 (Karoku 3), his tomb, the Ōtani Mausoleum in Higashiyama, was destroyed by the Tendai school. Hōnen’s buried remains were saved by his followers and ultimately cremated in Aono (present-day Nagaokakyo, southwest of Kyoto). This chain of events, which also included the exile of Pure Land monks and the burning of sacred doctrines, is known as the Karoku Persecution—one of the many attempts to oppress the budding Pure Land school. This exhibition presents illustrated handscrolls depicting this incident. The legacy of the Karoku Persecution survives to the present day—each year, on January 24 there is a pilgrimage to Kōmyō-ji Temple, where Hōnen’s cremation took place.

The Ami were artists and connoisseurs who served as curatorial advisors to the Muromachi shogunate in Kyoto during the mid-fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Their activities included the management and appraisal of imported artworks (known as karamono, or “Chinese goods”), the coordination of the interior décor of reception rooms, and the production of ink paintings. Ami artists were active across three generations, beginning with their founder Nōami (1397–1471), followed by Geiami (1431–1485), and finally Sōami (d. 1525); they also taught a number of disciples. The second-generation head Geiami taught the Zen monk-painter Shōkei (dates unknown), who was visiting Kyoto from Kamakura, thus exerting a profound influence on the painting circles of eastern Japan as well. Ami artists had daily access to the Ashikaga shogunate’s outstanding collection of Chinese paintings—including works attributed to the Southern Song monk-painter Muqi and the court painter Xia Gui—and carefully studied their brushstrokes and motifs. Among the many modes of ink painting being produced at the time, the Ami style was distinguished for its exceptional refinement.

Painting and literature have long been intimately connected in ways that extend far beyond the illustration of poems and stories. In the East Asian cultural sphere, this relationship was expressed in the concept that “painting and calligraphy are fundamentally one” (J: shoga itchi), which originated in Tang-dynasty (618–907) China. Over the centuries, painting and the written word have resonated with one another in richly layered forms of artistic expression. Neither is subordinate to the other—each asserts its own expressive power—yet together they produce remarkable harmonies that may be likened to music. This exhibition explores pictorial and literary “symphonies” from three perspectives: the text and images of narrative handscrolls, painting as decoration on the paper used for calligraphy, and travel literature and haiga—the images associated with haiku poetry.

The combination of pine, bamboo, and plum is a quintessential sight during the Japanese New Year. In Japan, these plants serve as auspicious symbols of long life and prosperity, while in China they are known as the “Three Friends of Winter.” As pine and bamboo both remain green during even the harshest of winters, and plum trees unfurl their fragrant blossoms while snow still lingers, they came to represent a resilient, steadfast, and noble character. The plants were frequently depicted in ink paintings by Song-dynasty (960–1279) scholar-officials as a means of expressing their inner selves, a tradition which was inherited by later generations of literati. Focusing on Chinese examples, this exhibition explores how artists have depicted these plants as ideals of perseverance and enduring vitality.

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

The traditional tea event held during the New Year is known as Hatsugama, literally meaning “First Kettle.” The “kettle” referred to here is the tea kettle used to boil water during a tea gathering (chaji).
The tea kettle is often referred to as the “host of the tea room” due to its role as one of the most essential utensils for tea. The phrase “put on the kettle” (kama o kakeru) is best understood today as a euphemism for holding a tea gathering.
This exhibition presents tea kettles from the medieval period to the early modern era, many of which have been passed down over the centuries in Kyoto’s temples.

*Under Construction

The monk Hōnen (1133–1212) was the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school of Buddhism. Exactly 800 years ago in 1227 (Karoku 3), his tomb, the Ōtani Mausoleum in Higashiyama, was destroyed by the Tendai school. Hōnen’s buried remains were saved by his followers and ultimately cremated in Aono (present-day Nagaokakyo, southwest of Kyoto). This chain of events, which also included the exile of Pure Land monks and the burning of sacred doctrines, is known as the Karoku Persecution—one of the many attempts to oppress the budding Pure Land school. This exhibition presents illustrated handscrolls depicting this incident. The legacy of the Karoku Persecution survives to the present day—each year, on January 24 there is a pilgrimage to Kōmyō-ji Temple, where Hōnen’s cremation took place.

The Ami were artists and connoisseurs who served as curatorial advisors to the Muromachi shogunate in Kyoto during the mid-fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Their activities included the management and appraisal of imported artworks (known as karamono, or “Chinese goods”), the coordination of the interior décor of reception rooms, and the production of ink paintings. Ami artists were active across three generations, beginning with their founder Nōami (1397–1471), followed by Geiami (1431–1485), and finally Sōami (d. 1525); they also taught a number of disciples. The second-generation head Geiami taught the Zen monk-painter Shōkei (dates unknown), who was visiting Kyoto from Kamakura, thus exerting a profound influence on the painting circles of eastern Japan as well. Ami artists had daily access to the Ashikaga shogunate’s outstanding collection of Chinese paintings—including works attributed to the Southern Song monk-painter Muqi and the court painter Xia Gui—and carefully studied their brushstrokes and motifs. Among the many modes of ink painting being produced at the time, the Ami style was distinguished for its exceptional refinement.

Painting and literature have long been intimately connected in ways that extend far beyond the illustration of poems and stories. In the East Asian cultural sphere, this relationship was expressed in the concept that “painting and calligraphy are fundamentally one” (J: shoga itchi), which originated in Tang-dynasty (618–907) China. Over the centuries, painting and the written word have resonated with one another in richly layered forms of artistic expression. Neither is subordinate to the other—each asserts its own expressive power—yet together they produce remarkable harmonies that may be likened to music. This exhibition explores pictorial and literary “symphonies” from three perspectives: the text and images of narrative handscrolls, painting as decoration on the paper used for calligraphy, and travel literature and haiga—the images associated with haiku poetry.

The combination of pine, bamboo, and plum is a quintessential sight during the Japanese New Year. In Japan, these plants serve as auspicious symbols of long life and prosperity, while in China they are known as the “Three Friends of Winter.” As pine and bamboo both remain green during even the harshest of winters, and plum trees unfurl their fragrant blossoms while snow still lingers, they came to represent a resilient, steadfast, and noble character. The plants were frequently depicted in ink paintings by Song-dynasty (960–1279) scholar-officials as a means of expressing their inner selves, a tradition which was inherited by later generations of literati. Focusing on Chinese examples, this exhibition explores how artists have depicted these plants as ideals of perseverance and enduring vitality.

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

The traditional tea event held during the New Year is known as Hatsugama, literally meaning “First Kettle.” The “kettle” referred to here is the tea kettle used to boil water during a tea gathering (chaji).
The tea kettle is often referred to as the “host of the tea room” due to its role as one of the most essential utensils for tea. The phrase “put on the kettle” (kama o kakeru) is best understood today as a euphemism for holding a tea gathering.
This exhibition presents tea kettles from the medieval period to the early modern era, many of which have been passed down over the centuries in Kyoto’s temples.

*Under Construction

The monk Hōnen (1133–1212) was the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school of Buddhism. Exactly 800 years ago in 1227 (Karoku 3), his tomb, the Ōtani Mausoleum in Higashiyama, was destroyed by the Tendai school. Hōnen’s buried remains were saved by his followers and ultimately cremated in Aono (present-day Nagaokakyo, southwest of Kyoto). This chain of events, which also included the exile of Pure Land monks and the burning of sacred doctrines, is known as the Karoku Persecution—one of the many attempts to oppress the budding Pure Land school. This exhibition presents illustrated handscrolls depicting this incident. The legacy of the Karoku Persecution survives to the present day—each year, on January 24 there is a pilgrimage to Kōmyō-ji Temple, where Hōnen’s cremation took place.

The Ami were artists and connoisseurs who served as curatorial advisors to the Muromachi shogunate in Kyoto during the mid-fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Their activities included the management and appraisal of imported artworks (known as karamono, or “Chinese goods”), the coordination of the interior décor of reception rooms, and the production of ink paintings. Ami artists were active across three generations, beginning with their founder Nōami (1397–1471), followed by Geiami (1431–1485), and finally Sōami (d. 1525); they also taught a number of disciples. The second-generation head Geiami taught the Zen monk-painter Shōkei (dates unknown), who was visiting Kyoto from Kamakura, thus exerting a profound influence on the painting circles of eastern Japan as well. Ami artists had daily access to the Ashikaga shogunate’s outstanding collection of Chinese paintings—including works attributed to the Southern Song monk-painter Muqi and the court painter Xia Gui—and carefully studied their brushstrokes and motifs. Among the many modes of ink painting being produced at the time, the Ami style was distinguished for its exceptional refinement.

Painting and literature have long been intimately connected in ways that extend far beyond the illustration of poems and stories. In the East Asian cultural sphere, this relationship was expressed in the concept that “painting and calligraphy are fundamentally one” (J: shoga itchi), which originated in Tang-dynasty (618–907) China. Over the centuries, painting and the written word have resonated with one another in richly layered forms of artistic expression. Neither is subordinate to the other—each asserts its own expressive power—yet together they produce remarkable harmonies that may be likened to music. This exhibition explores pictorial and literary “symphonies” from three perspectives: the text and images of narrative handscrolls, painting as decoration on the paper used for calligraphy, and travel literature and haiga—the images associated with haiku poetry.

The combination of pine, bamboo, and plum is a quintessential sight during the Japanese New Year. In Japan, these plants serve as auspicious symbols of long life and prosperity, while in China they are known as the “Three Friends of Winter.” As pine and bamboo both remain green during even the harshest of winters, and plum trees unfurl their fragrant blossoms while snow still lingers, they came to represent a resilient, steadfast, and noble character. The plants were frequently depicted in ink paintings by Song-dynasty (960–1279) scholar-officials as a means of expressing their inner selves, a tradition which was inherited by later generations of literati. Focusing on Chinese examples, this exhibition explores how artists have depicted these plants as ideals of perseverance and enduring vitality.

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

The traditional tea event held during the New Year is known as Hatsugama, literally meaning “First Kettle.” The “kettle” referred to here is the tea kettle used to boil water during a tea gathering (chaji).
The tea kettle is often referred to as the “host of the tea room” due to its role as one of the most essential utensils for tea. The phrase “put on the kettle” (kama o kakeru) is best understood today as a euphemism for holding a tea gathering.
This exhibition presents tea kettles from the medieval period to the early modern era, many of which have been passed down over the centuries in Kyoto’s temples.

*Under Construction

The monk Hōnen (1133–1212) was the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school of Buddhism. Exactly 800 years ago in 1227 (Karoku 3), his tomb, the Ōtani Mausoleum in Higashiyama, was destroyed by the Tendai school. Hōnen’s buried remains were saved by his followers and ultimately cremated in Aono (present-day Nagaokakyo, southwest of Kyoto). This chain of events, which also included the exile of Pure Land monks and the burning of sacred doctrines, is known as the Karoku Persecution—one of the many attempts to oppress the budding Pure Land school. This exhibition presents illustrated handscrolls depicting this incident. The legacy of the Karoku Persecution survives to the present day—each year, on January 24 there is a pilgrimage to Kōmyō-ji Temple, where Hōnen’s cremation took place.

The Ami were artists and connoisseurs who served as curatorial advisors to the Muromachi shogunate in Kyoto during the mid-fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Their activities included the management and appraisal of imported artworks (known as karamono, or “Chinese goods”), the coordination of the interior décor of reception rooms, and the production of ink paintings. Ami artists were active across three generations, beginning with their founder Nōami (1397–1471), followed by Geiami (1431–1485), and finally Sōami (d. 1525); they also taught a number of disciples. The second-generation head Geiami taught the Zen monk-painter Shōkei (dates unknown), who was visiting Kyoto from Kamakura, thus exerting a profound influence on the painting circles of eastern Japan as well. Ami artists had daily access to the Ashikaga shogunate’s outstanding collection of Chinese paintings—including works attributed to the Southern Song monk-painter Muqi and the court painter Xia Gui—and carefully studied their brushstrokes and motifs. Among the many modes of ink painting being produced at the time, the Ami style was distinguished for its exceptional refinement.

Painting and literature have long been intimately connected in ways that extend far beyond the illustration of poems and stories. In the East Asian cultural sphere, this relationship was expressed in the concept that “painting and calligraphy are fundamentally one” (J: shoga itchi), which originated in Tang-dynasty (618–907) China. Over the centuries, painting and the written word have resonated with one another in richly layered forms of artistic expression. Neither is subordinate to the other—each asserts its own expressive power—yet together they produce remarkable harmonies that may be likened to music. This exhibition explores pictorial and literary “symphonies” from three perspectives: the text and images of narrative handscrolls, painting as decoration on the paper used for calligraphy, and travel literature and haiga—the images associated with haiku poetry.

The combination of pine, bamboo, and plum is a quintessential sight during the Japanese New Year. In Japan, these plants serve as auspicious symbols of long life and prosperity, while in China they are known as the “Three Friends of Winter.” As pine and bamboo both remain green during even the harshest of winters, and plum trees unfurl their fragrant blossoms while snow still lingers, they came to represent a resilient, steadfast, and noble character. The plants were frequently depicted in ink paintings by Song-dynasty (960–1279) scholar-officials as a means of expressing their inner selves, a tradition which was inherited by later generations of literati. Focusing on Chinese examples, this exhibition explores how artists have depicted these plants as ideals of perseverance and enduring vitality.

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

*Under Construction

The traditional tea event held during the New Year is known as Hatsugama, literally meaning “First Kettle.” The “kettle” referred to here is the tea kettle used to boil water during a tea gathering (chaji).
The tea kettle is often referred to as the “host of the tea room” due to its role as one of the most essential utensils for tea. The phrase “put on the kettle” (kama o kakeru) is best understood today as a euphemism for holding a tea gathering.
This exhibition presents tea kettles from the medieval period to the early modern era, many of which have been passed down over the centuries in Kyoto’s temples.

*Under Construction