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PAST EXHIBITION
The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin
March 21, 2008—June 15, 2008
Press Release
New York, NY, January 22, 2008 - As part of the centennial program, Japan100: Celebrating a Century, Japan Society Gallery is pleased to present The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin, the finest display of the artist’s works ever exhibited outside Japan. On view from March 21 through June 15, 2008, the exhibition examines the entire career of history’s greatest lacquer artist, presenting both exquisite examples of his traditional lacquerware along with his most innovative pieces, among them rare examples of his lacquer-on-paper technique that has now been lost to history. A design revolutionary, Zeshin was one of the leaders in positioning Japan as a wonderland of master art and craft works during the later 19th century.
Organized by the San Antonio Museum of Art and Japan Society, The Genius of Japanese Lacquer was previously on view in both San Antonio and Minneapolis. The core of this exhibition comprised 54 works on loan from San Antonio-based collectors Catherine and Thomas Edson. To further enhance the exhibition, Japan Society’s recently appointed Gallery Director Joe Earle adds nearly 20 additional works drawn primarily from the collections of Professor Nasser D. Khalili in London, the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation in New York, and other private collections in the U.S. and Japan. It is with these additions that Japan Society mounts the most comprehensive exhibition of Zeshin’s work since a commemorative show held in Tokyo in December 1907.
Best known for his exquisitely detailed lacquered boxes, panels, sword mounts, and other objects, it is perhaps Zeshin’s technique of lacquer painting on paper that was his greatest contribution to the history of Japanese art. In addition to mastering traditional lacquer techniques, Zeshin also created new finishes and textures to imitate enameled porcelain, patinated bronze, and the appearance of rough seas, among other surface effects. Celebrating the broad range of the artist’s master work, Japan Society presents a number of works that have never before been on view in the same exhibition—in particular, an installation of four stacked food containers, the most spectacular of Zeshin’s lacquerware for domestic use, brought together from four different collections and featured in the opening display.
About Shibata Zeshin
Shibata Zeshin (1807–1891) was the greatest of all lacquer artists. His unique talent was hewn from a childhood spent in traditional artisan workshops, a strong respect and devotion to tradition, and a constant thirst for innovation and self-education. His career saw the transition of Japan from the Edo (samurai) period to the Meiji era, when the nation, united under a semi-constitutional monarchy, set about an ambitious modernization process that would rapidly develop the country into a world power.
Zeshin took full advantage of these abrupt changes. A shogunal decree restricting artists’ use of precious metals, materials considered essential to lacquer work, led Zeshin to instead employ bronze dust, charcoal, and iron filings to create novel, eye-teasing effects. One of very few lacquerers granted the title of Artist to the Imperial Household, he later embraced the emergence of Japan on the world stage, exhibiting his work at international expositions and developing new ways to push the boundaries of lacquer to rival Western oil paintings. It was during this period that Zeshin created a series of masterpieces in lacquered wood, lacquer painting, and conventional ink painting on paper or silk that attracted numerous prominent clients and made him one of the first living Japanese artists to achieve name recognition in Europe and the United States. Yet he remained at heart a proud member of Japan’s urban artisan class, and his art is emblematic of his extraordinary ability to combine two conflicting roles in a time of national upheaval.
About the Exhibition
The works featured in The Genius of Japanese Lacquer have been divided into four groups to more clearly delineate the many facets of Zeshin’s storied career. As a prologue to the show, the first exhibit is a recently-discovered detailed sketch for the painting of the Ibaraki Demon snatching back her arm, which catapulted Zeshin to fame in 1840. Part One examines Zeshin’s larger-scale domestic works, including a grouping of four exquisite stacked food containers taken from four separate collections. These masterpieces are virtuoso combinations of new lacquering methods invented by Zeshin during the 1840s and are unlikely to be seen together again for some time. Not only are they technically without equal, they are also outstanding examples of Zeshin’s genius as a decorator and his imaginative adaptation of motifs and schemes conceived by earlier lacquer artists.
Also of note in the first section of the exhibition is an orange-red document box from the Khalili Collection of Japanese Art that features stylized merchant’s weights, symbolizing trade and prosperity, along with an image of the wealth-granting mallet of Daikoku, a Japanese god of wealth. Both the references to the traditional merchant class and the decoration’s tendency to overlap multiple sides of the object are signature elements of Zeshin’s style. This portion of the exhibition also includes a panel on loan from Chikuryūdō Gallery, Tokyo that depicts the death of the Buddha, with the Enlightened One represented by a Japanese radish (daikon) and his disciples by a variety of smaller vegetables. This very large work (2 x 3 feet), like three other panels in the show, was intended to emulate, in both scale and visual impact, a Western framed oil painting. Another panel from the Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, depicting rice-sheaves, a boat, and a tree, was shown in 1881 at a government-organized trade exhibition.
Part Two of the exhibition proceeds to smaller, more intimate household items ranging from lacquered boxes to tea sets and even sword mountings. A highlight of part two is a box for tea-ceremony utensils (ca. 1860–90). Its subdued decoration in dark gray-green lacquer with spring plants in oxidised silver and dull gold is an outstanding expression of iki, a philosophy of life and an aesthetic approach that has been described as the quality of being “light and unconstrained, gallant but not obstinate, playful but never tiresome, assertive but not argumentative.”
Shifting the focus to Zeshin’s accomplishments as a painter in the second half of the show, Part Three explores his most groundbreaking and profound contribution to the development of Japanese art – lacquer painting. The details of Zeshin’s signature technique, a complex process of applying specially mixed lacquers to carefully treated paper, have been lost to history, though stunning examples of this truly unique craft remain, all featuring what the Edsons describe in the catalogue as Zeshin’s “playfulness … sense of whimsy, and … love of nature.” Especially representative of these traits is a hanging scroll Still Life With Brushes, Inkstick, Inkstone, Water Dropper and Clay Doll’s Heads (ca. 1880), which depicts traditional Girl’s Festival doll heads prior to being attached to their bodies. Other scrolls, such as the Grasshopper and Flowering Vine (ca. 1880) reflect Zeshin’s meticulous eye for the minute details of nature. In this case, a grasshopper rendered in exacting anatomical detail gently weighs down the edge of a pale yellow flower.
Part Four of the exhibition highlights Zeshin’s achievements in the traditional East Asian media of ink and colors on paper or silk. Once he had mastered the fundamentals of lacquer, from age sixteen Zeshin spent eleven years studying painting and became a skilled exponent of the prevailing realistic style, represented here by a large selection of themes from nature. One of the more unusual works is a large hanging scroll depicting the Chinese Tang-Dynasty loyalist general, Kakushigi, surrounded by his many children and grandchildren. Executed toward the end of Zeshin’s long life, it alludes both to his loyal service to the new government and to his own large circle of children and disciples. The exhibition concludes with two screens from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, dating from 1882, that reprise Zeshin’s earlier success with the theme of the Ibaraki demon snatching back her arm. Zeshin’s success with this striking image was due not just to its power and drama but also to its allegorical quality: although the original incident supposedly took place around the year 1000, the demon’s recovery of its property from a samurai symbolically fulfilled the nineteenth-century merchant class’s desire to get even with the clumsy, oppressive regime of the shoguns.
About the Curator
The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin at Japan Society is curated by Vice President and Gallery Director Joe Earle, who assumed this role on September 4, 2007. A scholar of Shibata Zeshin’s work for over 20 years, Earle has previously curated an exhibition of Zeshin for the National Museum of Scotland and catalogued the Khalili collection of works by Zeshin. Earle is a graduate of Oxford University, where he studied Chinese Language and Literature before joining the Far Eastern Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1974, specializing in Japanese art and design. In 1983, he was appointed Keeper of the Far Eastern Department, the youngest person ever to hold such a post in a UK national museum. He led a project to establish a major permanent Japanese gallery at the V&A, and in early 1987 he transferred to the new post of Head of Public Affairs. In 1990, Earle began working as a consultant to the UK’s Japan Festival 1991 and especially its flagship exhibition Visions of Japan, whose commissioning architect was Arata Isozaki. Throughout the 1990s he organized a wide range of exhibitions in the United Kingdom, Japan, United States, and Europe, and catalogued numerous private collections of Japanese art, serving as consultant to major museums, auction houses, galleries, collectors, and dealers. In 2000 he was commissioned to curate an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, entitled Netsuke: Fantasy and Reality in Japanese Miniature Sculpture. After further freelance work for the MFA, in February 2003 he was named the first Chair of the Museum’s Department of Art of Asia, Oceania and Africa. Earle has edited, written, or contributed to numerous major publications on Japanese art.
Exhibition Catalogue
An exhibition catalogue with entries by Dr. Sebastian Izzard and an introduction by Joe Earle was published earlier this year by the San Antonio Museum of Art. It is available for purchase in the Japan Society Shop, on their website, and at various other stores and websites. Augmenting the catalogue to document loans presented exclusively in the New York showing will be a brochure produced by Japan Society with additional illustrations and a complete list of all works exhibited.
Organizers & Sponsors
The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin is organized by the San Antonio Museum of Art and Japan Society, and is based on the collection of Catherine and Thomas Edson. Support for this exhibition is provided by the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, Chris A. Wachenheim, The Blakemore Foundation, Bonhams, Christie's Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Studzinski, Kajima Foundation, Malcolm Fairley Japanese Works of Art, and the Leadership Committee for The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin. Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines. Media sponsorship is provided by WNYC and LTB Media. As part of the Millennium on View program, Millennium UN Plaza is the preferred hotel partner of Japan Society’s Centennial. Exhibitions at Japan Society are also made possible in part by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and the Friends of the Gallery. Installations at Japan Society Gallery are supported by a generous gift from Henry Cornell.
Related Programming
In conjunction with The Genius of Japanese Lacquer, Japan Society presents a full slate of education and lecture programs, tours, and special events. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 212-715-1258 or visit www.japansociety.org unless otherwise noted.
Docent Corps Program
March 21 - June 15, 2008
The Docent Corps provides daily interactive exhibition tours for the general public. Japan Society's docents participate in a multi-part training course for every exhibition. Visitor questions are welcome and encouraged, and context building information is introduced appropriately to the interests and abilities of all visitors. Docent-led walk-in tours are conducted Tuesday through Sunday at 12:30 pm with additional tours on Saturdays & Sundays at 2 pm; Japanese language tours are conducted Friday nights at 6 pm by appointment. Tours are free with admission and approximately 1 hour in duration. No reservation required. Private and group tours can be scheduled by calling 212-715-1224.
Student Gallery Lessons
March 21 - June 15, 2008
Pre-K through 12th grade students experience lessons including object-centered, guided discussions of objects in the exhibition The Genius of Japanese Lacquer. They observe and discuss selected works of art, and respond through drawing, writing and movement assignments. For more information call 212-715-1224.
From Edo to Meiji: The Case of Shibata Zeshin
Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 6:30 pm
In recent years, institutional, social and art historians have increasingly stressed the continuities that exist between the closing decades of the Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji era. This analysis, which contrasts strongly with earlier “sudden break” readings of nineteenth-century Japan, is highly applicable to the career of Shibata Zeshin, who developed most of his technical innovations some twenty years before the Meiji Restoration. Speakers include Joe Earle, Director, Japan Society Gallery; James L. McClain, Professor and Chair of History at Brown University; and Thomas Rimer, Terasaki Professor of Japanese Studies, UCLA. $10/$8 Japan Society members/$5 seniors & students.
Konnichiwa Friends - Family Tours of The Genius of Japanese Lacquer
Saturdays, April 12, May 10 and June 14, 2008, 2-3 pm
Slated for the second Saturday of every month between April and June, this series of tours engages young children with The Genius of Japanese Lacquer while guiding adults in age appropriate, interactive activities. Using games, puzzles, storytelling, and other techniques for discussing art, these tours explore exhibition themes including the value of close examination and the ability of artwork to surprise the viewer. Tours are free with adult admission to the exhibition. No reservation required. For more information, please call 212 715 1224.
Art Cart - Amazing Japanese Lacquer: Design Fun!
April 20, 2008, 2-4 pm
Led by a Japan Society educator, children and their families receive an introduction to The Genius of Japanese Lacquer by exploring the galleries through sketching, movement and discussion. Working with a professional designer and educator, children learn about approaches to designing functional objects and make their own inrō boxes. $15 per family (up to 5 people)/$10 per family, including at least one Japan Society member.
"Hidden Beauty" in Edo-Period Design
May 13, 2008, 6:30 pm
Late-Edo-period design in both textiles and lacquerware is distinguished by a penchant for near-invisible tiny details and minutely worked techniques that situate value in time and skill rather than precious materials. This program discusses the philosophical and practical background to iki – an understated aesthetic that characterizes much of Shibata Zeshin’s work – and examines the beauty of hidden design in Japanese and Western culture. Panelists include Sharon S. Takeda, Senior Curator and Department Head, Costumes and Textiles at Los Angeles County Museum and distinguished independent scholar Terry Satsuki Milhaupt. Moderated by Joe Earle, Director, Japan Society Gallery. $10/$8 Japan Society members/$5 seniors & students.
Exploring Japanese Lacquer
May 17, 2008, 2-4 pm
In this weekend program designed for an adult audience, Suzanna Shaw, Annette de la Renta Conservation Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, introduces and demonstrates Japanese lacquering techniques. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Ms. Shaw has spent extended periods in Japan studying lacquer techniques and their use in conservation. Following the demonstration, Ms. Shaw and Joe Earle introduce selected works by Zeshin and explain the master’s technical innovations. $20/$18 Japan Society members/$10 seniors & students.
About Japan Society Gallery
Japan Society Gallery is among the premier institutions in the United States for the exhibition, research, and publication of Japanese art. Extending in scope from prehistory to the present, the Gallery's exhibitions have covered topics as disparate as classical Buddhist sculpture, contemporary photography, and media arts. The Gallery presents two major exhibitions each year, working with leading museums in Japan, the United States, Asia, and Europe to bring together objects of cultural significance, historical importance, and high aesthetic value. In conjunction with exhibitions, Japan Society Gallery publishes scholarly catalogues and conducts educational programs, including lectures, guided tours, and symposia of international importance. Through these activities, the Gallery contributes to the scholarship, connoisseurship, and appreciation of the art and culture of Japan and East Asia.
Recent internationally recognized exhibitions include YES: Yoko Ono (2000); Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture, curated by Takashi Murakami (2005); Hiroshi Sugimoto: History of History (2005), touring the United States and Canada in 2007; Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century (2006), organized and presented by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and curated by Joe Earle, and Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York (2007), curated by Eric Shiner. Japan Society produced its first exhibition in 1911, which inspired the Society's first major publication, Japanese Colour Prints by Frederick Gookin (1913), and presented numerous exhibitions thereafter at various venues. After the completion of the Society's landmark building designed by Junzo Yoshimura located near the United Nations, Japan Society Gallery opened in 1972 as a permanent home for the visual arts. Past directors of Japan Society Gallery were founding director Rand Castile (1971–1986), Anthony Derham (1986–1989), Gunhild Avitabile (1990–1998), and Alexandra Munroe (1998–2005). Appointed in April 2007, Joe Earle assumed his role as Japan Society's Vice President and Director of Gallery on September 4, 2007.
About Japan Society
Founded in 1907 by prominent New York City businesspeople and philanthropists, Japan Society has evolved over 100 years into an internationally recognized nonprofit organization presenting a full range of programs within arts and culture, business, education, family, and public policy. Through over 100 events annually, Japan Society creates rich encounters and exchanges that offer opportunities to experience Japanese culture; foster sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the United States, Japan, and East Asia; and improve access to information on Japan.
Japan Society celebrates the 100th Anniversary of its founding with Japan100: Celebrating a Century, an unprecedented array of high-profile programming in 2007–08. The celebration occurs throughout New York City and in Japan with further national and international exposure through traveling exhibitions, performing arts tours, symposia, fellowships, and exchanges. Visit www.japan100.org for more information on centennial events and a historical tour of Society endeavors.
Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second Avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and V subway at Lexington Avenue). Call (212) 832-1155 or visit www.japansociety.org for more information.
Japan Society Gallery hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; the Gallery is closed on Mondays. Admission: $12; students and seniors $10; Japan Society members and children under 16 free. Admission is free to all on Friday nights, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
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Media Contacts:
For further information, interviews, and images, please refer to the following contacts:
Kellie Honeycutt Shannon Jowett
Blue Medium, Inc. Japan Society
T: (212) 675-1800 T: (212) 715-1205
F: (212) 675-1855 F: (212) 715-1262
E: kellie@bluemedium.com E:sjowett@japansociety.org |
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