The History of Japanese Art: Life and Faith

In commemoration of 130^th anniversary of Thailand – Japan diplomatic relations

The History of Japanese Art:

Life and Faith

[Duration] Wednesday 27 December 2017 – Sunday 18 February 2018

[Venue]

Bangkok National Museum
4 Na Phra That Alley,
Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang,
Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200

[Admission] 59,599 visitors

1.	Dogu (Clay figurine) with goggle-shaped eyes, 1,000 – 400 BCE, Collection of Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property (ICP)
2.	Seated Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana), 11-12th century, Collection of Tokyo National Museum, ICP
3.	Toshusai Sharaku, Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu III as Onayo of Gion and Actor Ichikawa Tomiemon as Kanisaka Toma, 1794, Collection of Tokyo National Museum, ICP
4.	Large dish decorated with wisteria motifs in overglaze enamels, early 18th century, Collection of Kyushu National Museum, ICP
5.	Gusoku-type Armor, European style cuirass with dark blue, 16-17th century, Collection of Tokyo National Museum
6.	Nuihaku (Noh costume), Lily and courtly carriage design on brown ground, 16th century, Collection of Tokyo National Museum, ICP

Japanese masterpieces in Bangkok

covering 6,000 years

from the prehistory to the Edo period

The Japan Foundation, Bangkok, proudly presented an art exhibition “The History of Japanese Art: Life and Faith” to commemorate the 130^th Anniversary of Thailand – Japan Diplomatic Relations from Wednesday 27 December 2017 to Sunday 18 February 2018 at Bangkok National Museum, co-presented by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, Tokyo National Museum, Kyushu National Museum and the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture of Thailand.

The exhibition comprehensively introduced the history of Japanese Art through 106 fine items including 3 National Treasures and 25 Important Cultural Properties from Japan. It consisted of 5 sections; The Birth of Japanese Art, Buddhist Art, Aristocrats & Samurai, Zen & the Tea Ceremony, and Colorful Edo Culture, under the theme of life and faith, covering over 6,000 years from the prehistory to the Edo period (1603 – 1868).

The highlight of the exhibition was that 3 National Treasures, “Sixteen Arhats: Third Arhat” (11^th century), “Sixteen Arhats: Sixth Arhat” (11^th century), and “Sword mounting of kazari-tachi type with mother-of-pearl inlay decoration and gold fittings on nashiji lacquer ground” (12^th century) are all first-ever shown in Thailand, including 2 first-ever in ASEAN member states. Some of Important Cultural Properties such as “Nirvana” (12^th century) and “Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu III as Onayo of Gion and Actor Ichikawa Tomiemon as Kanisaka Toma” by Toshusai Sharaku (1794) were also first-ever shown in ASEAN member states.

This tremendously valuable exhibition could not be realized without the long-term relationship between Bangkok National Museum and Japan’s National Museums (Tokyo and Kyushu), accumulating mutual trusts and understandings through exchanges of experts as well as collaborative academic researches over decades.

We were happy that the visitors can enjoyed not only the aesthetic value of the exhibited items but also enhance understanding of the characteristics of Japanese Art which stand the test of time. Related events included “Curator’s talk” on Wednesday 27 December 2017, “Lecture & demonstration on tea ceremony” on Sunday 14 January 2018, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, videos on Japanese Art by “8K Super Hi-Vision” were screened for the whole duration of the exhibition.

Related activities

1. Curator’s talk

[Date & Time] 14:00 – 16:00 Wednesday 27 December 2017

[Venue] Auditorium, Bangkok National Museum

[Speaker] Mr. Kenjiro Okimatsu,
Curator of the exhibition Senior Manager,
Painting and Sculpture, Tokyo National Museum

2. Lecture and demonstration on Tea Ceremony

[Date & Time] 13:30 – 16:00 Sunday 14 January 2018

[Venue] Auditorium, Bangkok National Museum

[Speaker] Mrs. Fumiko Boughey
President of Chado Urasenke Tankokai Bangkok Association

3. การฉายวีดีทัศน์ด้วยจอภาพ 8K Super Hi-Vision

In cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, two videos related to Japanese Art were screened with the quality of 8K Super Hi-Vision at the entrance of the exhibition venue. 8K Super Hi-Vision new technology enabled us feel more real with extremely high-resolution videos at four times the number of pixels of 4K, and 16 times that of current HD developed by NHK, Japan.

[Duration] Wednesday 27 December 2017 – Sunday 18 February 2018
[Opening hours] 09:00 – 16:00
(Close on Monday and Tuesday)

[Venue]
Bangkok National Museum

[Screening videos] “A Universe of 1,000 Buddhas – Sanjusangen-do Temple in Kyoto”
“The dance for celebration, Shakkyo (Stone Bridge),
Wago Renjishi (2 Lions), Kongo School”
(Produced by NHK)

Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition