Exhibition/event has ended.
Pinnacle of Elegance: Sword Fittings of the Mitsumura Collection
The Nezu Museum
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Toshimo Mitsumura
The soft-metal fittings affixed to Japanese sword mountings became increasingly more detailed and decorative from the Edo period onward, with flamboyant works that in some cases it is hard to believe are even metal. Toshimo Mitsumura (1877-1955), a businessman in the Meiji period, built a large collection of sword fittings and published them in a monumental tome entitled, “Tagane no Hana (Flowers of the Chisel).” Concerned that sword fittings were starting to be deemed unnecessary and that the techniques used to produce these fittings could be lost, Mitsumura brought attention to the plight of the craftsmen by paying tribute to the beauty of sword fittings through a wide range of activities. In doing so, he not only imparted a deeper understanding of sword fittings, but also preserved the craft.
Currently, the Nezu Museum has approximately 1200 pieces from the Mitsumura Collection. Centered on items in the museum’s collections, this exhibition introduces the metallic beauty that fascinated Mitsumura, with around 130 sword fittings, as well as a selected number of swords and paintings, on exhibit.
[Related Events]
Talk event with slideshow: Pinnacle of Elegance
Event Date: Nov. 17 (Fri) 13:30-
Venue: Auditorium, Nezu Institute of Fine Arts
Speakers: Naoko Naito (deputy curator of the Osaka Museum of History), Shigeru Matsubara (head of curatorial department at Nezu Institute of Fine Arts)
Capacity: 130
*Events in Japanese
*Please see the official website for booking and details of other events.
Currently, the Nezu Museum has approximately 1200 pieces from the Mitsumura Collection. Centered on items in the museum’s collections, this exhibition introduces the metallic beauty that fascinated Mitsumura, with around 130 sword fittings, as well as a selected number of swords and paintings, on exhibit.
[Related Events]
Talk event with slideshow: Pinnacle of Elegance
Event Date: Nov. 17 (Fri) 13:30-
Venue: Auditorium, Nezu Institute of Fine Arts
Speakers: Naoko Naito (deputy curator of the Osaka Museum of History), Shigeru Matsubara (head of curatorial department at Nezu Institute of Fine Arts)
Capacity: 130
*Events in Japanese
*Please see the official website for booking and details of other events.
Schedule | Nov 3 (Fri) 2017-Dec 17 (Sun) 2017 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | [Collection Exhibition] Adults ¥1100, University and High School Students ¥800. [Special Exhibition] Adults ¥1300, University and High School Students ¥1000, Junior High School Students and Under free. | ||||
| Website | http://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en/exhibition/next.html | ||||
| Venue | The Nezu Museum http://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en/ | ||||
| Location | 6-5-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 | ||||
| Access | 8 minute walk from exit A5 at Omotesando Station on the Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda lines. | ||||
| Phone | 03-3400-2536 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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