Genji, Ōkyo and Jakuchu―Pre-modern Art Gems―and Masterpieces from the Kuboso Collection

April 21 (Sun.), 2024 – June 16 (Sun.)

This special display from the museum’s collection will comprise of paintings that exemplify three distinctive styles produced during Japan’s pre-modern era (16th–19th centuries), together with two of our signature National Treasure pieces from the Heian Period (8th–12th centuries). The pre-modern paintings section features the traditional Yamato-e style depicting the Tale of Genji, the sketching style of Okyo, and the monochrome ink paintings of Jakuchu. The Yamato-e style will be represented by 16 pieces from An Album of Illustrated Scenes from The Tale of Genji (8 pieces each during the first and the second periods from 80 pieces in total). This album is an Important Cultural Property and was created by Tosa Mitsuyoshi, one of the leading painters of the Tosa School during the Momoyama Period (1573–1615). The second style is that of Maruyama Okyo and the third of Ito Jakuchu, known for developing a technique of ink-rubbing on woodblocks, both of whom were active in Kyoto during the mid-Edo Period (around the 18th century). Okyo’s Old Pine Tree and A Parrot, a recent acquisition made last year, will be exhibited in our museum for the first time.