Arquivos Masterpieces

DEEP PLATE WITH PEACH MOTIF IN POLYCHROME OVERGLAZE

Nabeshima ware Seventeenth century, Edo Period Diameter, 31.5 cm. Nabeshima ware, unmatched in Japan for its delicacy, was produced with official support at Okochi in the Nabeshima fief (modern-day Saga Prefecture, Kyushu). This plate has long been famous as one of the larger surviving pieces of Nabeshima ware. A very deep plate with a high […]

RAINY EVENING ON THE HSIAO AND THE HSIANG

Taikan Yokoyama 1948, Japan Height 64.7 cm, width 92.2 cm Taikan Yokoyama (1868 – 1958) was born at the beginning of Japan’s modern period of westernization. He studies under Kakuzo (or Tenshin) Okakura, one of the leaders of Japan’s art world, and worked to create a new style of purely Japanese painting. This painting was […]

FRAGMENT FROM THE ILLUSTRATED SUTRA OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

Nara period (645 – 794), Japan Dim.: 26.7 X 154.5 cm. The Sutra of Cause and Effect was translated into Chinese in four fascicles by the fifth-century Indian monk Gunabhadra. A biography of Shakyamuni, it describes both his former lives and his existence as the historical Buddha. In the eight-fascicle illustrated version of this sutra, […]

SNOW, MOON AND FLOWER

Sakai Hoitsu (1761 – 1828) Edo Period (1615 – 1867) Height 91.4 cm, width 35.1 cm Sakai Hoitsu was the sun of the feudal lord of Himeji Castle, and in this fortunate environment he was able to study art from his childhood. He especially admired workd of Korin and became a painter, a poet, and […]

LADY UNDER A TREE

T’ang Dynasty (618 – 907) Colors on paper Height 139.1 cm, width 53.3 cm Important Cultural Property Lady Under a Tree, one of the well-known masterpieces in the collection Master Jinsai built, was among the works in danger of being sold abroad. In the summer of 1952, before it had been designated an Important Cultural […]

RED AND WHITE PLUM BLOSSOMS

Ogata Kōrin, circa 1710, Edo Period Pair of twofold screens, colors on silver and gold leaf over paper Each screen: height 156.0 cm, width 172.2 cm. National Treasure The work of Ogata Korin (1658 – 1716) was influenced by that of Tawaraya Sotatsu (fl. early seventeenth century). Korin’s original style is embodied in the composition […]

THE WISTERIA JAR

Tea-storage jar with an overglaze enamel design of wisteria, by Nonomura Ninsei Seventeenth century, Edo Period. Height, 28.8 cm National Treasure This tea-storage jar with four lugs is probably the best work of Nonomura Ninsei (ca. 1574 – 1660). The vessel – known popularly as Fujitsubo, or Wisteria Jar – was made by Nonomura Ninsei, […]