PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART Benjamin Franklin Parkway Box 7646 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101-7646 tel: (215) 763-8100, 684-7962 (Museum Shop); fax: 215 236-4465, 684-7382 (Museum Shop) internet: www.philamuseum.org/
		•Currents in Clay: Twentieth Century Japanese Ceramics June 4, 1999 - December 2000
			One of the preeminent features of contemporary Japanese design has been the excellence of its ceramics artistry. The diversity of styles, forms and decorations reflects both the long pottery tradition of Japan, as well as 20th century artistic influences worldwide. This exhibit features Japanese ceramics by such artists as Sasaki Atsushi and Kawase Shinobu, among others, as well as a small selection of the MuseumUs holdings of contemporary Japanese ceramics. Of note are Sasaki Atsushi's large square dish, that takes its inspiration from textiles in its three-dimensional pattern of interlocking circles and basketry motifs, and a sculptural piece in the shape of a lotus leaf that was created by Kawase Shinobu using traditional Chinese celadon glazing techniques.
		•A Wind in the Mountains: Chinese Ming Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy Through May 2001
			An exhibition featuring bird and flower paintings with distinct brushwork and splashed ink. Semi-cursive calligraphy and bold brush strokes also figure prominently.
		• The Spirit of Korea Through October 2001
			Ceramics, scrolls, and decorative arts illustrate Korean art from the Three Kingdoms through the Choson dynasties.
		•Tea, Poetry, and Rimpa: Works From Japan July 1, 2000 - May 2001
			As both preview and complement for The Arts of Hon'ami Koetsu, Japanese Renaissance Master, this display features a rare and complete set of painted wood Votive Plaques of the Thirty-six Immortal Poets (1698), on loan to the Museum by Dr. Luther W. Brady, Jr. The votive plaques (known as ema) were most likely commissioned for display in a shrine or temple. Each ema presents a poem inscribed in calligraphy accompanied by an imaginary portrait of its author, one of a group of preeminent writers designated the "Thirty-six Immortal Poets" (sanjurokkasen). Another highlight is a poem with calligraphy by Konoe Nobutada (1565-1614) who, with Koetsu and Shokado Shojo, was acclaimed one of the "Three Brushes of the Kan'ei Era." Also on display are paintings, prints, laquerware, ceramics and textiles by artists who adopted the style and subject matter of Koetsu and Sotatsu, including Ogata Korin (1658-1716) and his brother Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743), Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828), Morimura Hogi (1805-1862), and Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942). One spectacular Rimpa-style screen of Autumn Flowers included in the exhibition was once in the collection of the Philadelphia artist Mary Cassatt. Tea, Poetry, and Rimpa presents teabowls made by the Raku family of potters, with whom Koetsu worked. Also showcased in the installation are other objects used in the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) ranging from tea scoops and kettles to lacquer incense containers and charcoal baskets.
		• The Arts of Hon'ami Kôetsu, Japanese Renaissance Master July 29 - October 29, 2000
			Hon'ami Kôetsu, the celebrated early 17th-century Japanese artist, has never been the subject of a comprehensive exhibition outside Japan. The exhibition of more than 60 objects will include works drawn from collections throughout Japan, Europe and the United States, ranging from calligraphy and printed books to ceramics and lacquerwork. In modern parlance, Hon'ami Kôetsu could be described as an "art director" par excellence. He collaborated with other outstanding artists of his day to breathe new life into traditional formats such as handscrolls and lacquers. Kôetsu revolutionized the visual effects of classical poetry scrolls, working with the artist Tawaraya Sôtatsu, who produced striking designs of cranes, deer and butterflies in gold and silver, over which Kôetsu brushed his distinctively bold calligraphy. The famous Crane Scroll, a particularly sumptuous example of the type of scroll widely commissioned by the mercantile elite of 17th-century Japan, is designated an "Important Cultural Property" by the Japanese government, and will be on loan from the Kyoto National Museum. Kôetsu has the unique distinction of being the only artist with works in two different media: lacquerwork and ceramic, designated as "National Treasures" by the Japanese government. He was a multi-talented, irrepressible genius who inspired his contemporaries and exerted profound influence on generations to come. In collaboration with a Kyoto-based publisher, Kôetsu introduced high-quality, printed editions of classical literature. Using his calligraphy as a model, movable type was carved in wood, and the printed pages were decorated with woodblock-stamped motifs in silver and gold. Kôetsu's interest in calligraphy led him to design beautiful lacquer boxes to hold the essential tools of East Asian writing: brush and inkstone. Three works by Hon'ami Kôetsu are included in the Museum's permanent collections: a lacquer writing box and two shikishi poem cards mounted as hanging scrolls. A spectacular 27-foot-long scroll created by Hon'ami Kôetsu, decorated with gold and silver wood-block designs of ivy, grasses and wisteria, and brushed with classical Japanese love poems in graceful calligraphy, is the newest addition to the collections of East Asian Art in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The scroll is devoted to Love Poems from the Shinkokin wakashu Imperial Anthology (c. 1610). The acquisition of the Hon'ami Kôetsu scroll celebrates the Museum's forthcoming 125th anniversary, in the year 2001, and will be on view in this exhibit. The exhibition was organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan; and The Japan Foundation. It will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue including scholarly essays and object entries by exhibition curator Dr. Felice Fischer and a team of international scholars. In addition to guided tours and gallery talks, the Museum's Division of Education plans a series of programs, including a one-day international symposium. Workshops on Japanese papermaking and calligraphy will also be held and multi-media interactive computer stations will accompany the display.
	Return to article selection page