The Irises Screens, National Treasure Japanese Art and Design

The Nezu Museum

FinishedReservation Required

Artists

Korin Ogata et al.

The Irises screens by Korin Ogata (1658-1716) are a national treasure that straddles the boundary between painting and design. While the painter’s masterful technique is obvious in the flowers thickly painted in azurite blue and the vigorous brushwork in malachite green that created the leaves, there can be no doubt that the core of this work is its geometric layout on a planar surface.

The Irises embody the design sense or decorative nature, inherent to Japanese art. The intimate ties between painting and the design of craftworks in Japan are also noteworthy. Moreover, the Irises can be considered a floral painting that connects with poetry and prose, and a symbolic representation of the literary world through their design.

This exhibition, with the Irises as its centerpiece, focuses on Japanese art from the perspective of design, principally through early modern works.

Schedule

Apr 13 (Sat) 2024-May 12 (Sun) 2024

Reservation Required