Past Exhibitions
- A Taste for Plums
- January 2, 2022 - March 13, 2022
Few flowering trees in Japan are as beloved as the plum (prunus mume). After enduring the harsh cold of winter, its blossoming flowers and sweet fragrance usher in the spring of a new year. First introduced from China, the plum tree became a popular poetic subject from as early as the eighth century. The Heian-period poet and statesman Sugawara no Michizane (845–903) is said to have been particularly fond of the flower, which became linked to the popular worship of his deified spirit, Tenjin. This exhibition features plumthemed works of painting and ceramics that infuse the museum with the atmosphere of the coming spring.
- Ceramics of Japan and East Asia
- January 2, 2022 - March 13, 2022
Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their uses as dishes and in other quotidian functions. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. They can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinguishing characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed at the site of their production. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, pieces exemplifying the distinctive qualities and assets of each kiln site.
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