Event Calender

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Modern Crafts from the Museum Collection 2001 - 2005

The Crafts Gallery collects works by important crafts-artists and designers dating from the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the present day. 200 pieces that were added to our collection during the five years from 2001 to 2005. This exhibition presents acquisitions in recent years to trace the history of our collection building efforts. The Crafts Gallery's collection comprises 2,500 pieces including numerous works by important Japanese craftspeople dating from the Meiji period to the present. This show presents 100 pieces from our collection, including ceramics, lacquerware, metal works, textiles, glass works and dolls.

Kyohei Fujita "Iris", decorative casket 1973 The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

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Modern Japanese Crafts from the Museum Collection: A History of Modern Crafts
Special Corner: Lucie Rie and Hans Coper

Since the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japanese crafts have lead the world in preserving excellent tradition, cultivating individual senses of beauty, and incorporating modernity. This show presents 100 masterpieces to offer an overview of the modern history of Japanese crafts, from gorgeous export crafts and works of craft-artists who advocated modern individuality, to postwar traditional crafts and those embodying artists' thoughts on creation or shape making.

Tadao Onishi Mount Gahaishi 1977 The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

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Jusetsu Miwa: A Retrospective

Born in Hagi City in 1910, the ceramic artist Jusetsu Miwa helped his brother Kyusetsu Miwa X (later to become Kyuwa) produce tea utensils, became Kyusetsu XI in 1967, and designated a living national treasure in 1983. To trace his nearly eighty-year career, this retrospective presents 150 pieces that combine the tradition of Hagi ware with his original, splendid style.

Jusetsu Miwa Tea bowl, Hagi ware, onihagi type 1997 The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

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Transfiguration:Japanese Art Jewelry Today

Closely linked to contemporary art and incorporating diverse materials and concepts, postwar Japanese art jewelry has established itself as a remarkable field showing abundant creativity. This exhibition introduces various approaches to jewelry production that have appeared in a short timespan of fifty years, and explores the significance of jewelry as well as modernity inherent in art jewelry.

Yasuki Hiramatsu Brooch 1978 The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

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Gonroku Matsuda

A pivotal figure in the development of modern maki-e as well as traditional crafts in general, Gonroku Matsuda (1896-1986) used his modern sense and creativity to create dignified, elegant lacquerware based on his studies into classical art and lacquerwork. This exhibition presents 60 masterpieces embodying the essence of Matsuda's art, along with related classical art pieces, classical lacquerworks of his studies and restoration, important works of Shisui Rokkaku, Matsuda's teacher, as well as those of successors to his art.

Gonroku Matsuda Ornamental box, heron design, maki-e 1961 The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

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Mineo Okabe

Mineo Okabe (1919-1990) was a ceramic artist of striking individuality who maintained a proud independence in postwar Japanese ceramics. Although he attracted wide attention in the 1950s with his works using straw-rope patterns intensively applied to wildly shaped, thick earthen bodies, Okabe later changed his style radically to create tranquil celadon ware using traditional techniques. This is the first large-scale retrospective offering an extensive view of Okabe's interesting career.

Mineo Okabe Urn with woven cord patterns, beni-shino type 1956 Private Collection

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Works of Living National Treasures and Great Masters

This is a small but permanent program of the Crafts Gallery to present works of bearers of important intangible cultural assets (living national treasures) and other leading artists and designers at home and abroad. Masterpieces to be shown include ceramics, glassworks, lacquerware, wood and bamboo works, textiles, dolls, metal works and designs.

Kako Moriguchi "Early Spring", kimono, yuzen dyeing on crepe silk 1955 The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo