Kyoto National Museum
Encyclopedia
The is one of the three formerly imperially-mandated art museums in Japan
. The museum is located in Higashiyama Ward in Kyoto. The collections of the Kyoto National Museum focus on pre-modern Japanese and Asia
n art.
The Museum is currently undergoing renovation and will reopen in 2013.
) and the Imperial Museum of Nara (Nara National Museum
), in 1889, and construction on the museum finished in October, 1895. The museum was opened in 1897. The museum went through a series of name changes, in 1900 changing its name to the Imperial Household Museum of Kyoto, and once more in 1924 to the Imperial Gift Museum of Kyoto. The current name, the Kyoto National Museum, was decided upon in 1952.
history
in 1895, and The Collections Hall (New Exhibition Hall), designed in 1966 by Morita Keiichi. The regular exhibitions are shown in The Collections Hall, while the Special Exhibition Hall is used for special exhibits. The Main Exhibition Hall, the Main Gate and the Ticket Area have all been designated Important Cultural Properties in Japan.
The museum is divided into three parts: Fine Arts, including sculptures, paintings and works of calligraphy; Handicrafts, including pottery, fabrics, lacquerwares and metalworks; and Archaeology, including objects of archaeological and historical interest. Altogether, the museum houses over 12,000 works, of which around 6,000 are on display at the museum. The museum also boasts photographic archives containing over 200,000 photographic negatives and color transparencies. In the Fine Arts collections alone, there are more than 230 pieces that have been designated as either National Treasure
s or Important Cultural Properties.
The museum focuses on mainly pre-modern Japanese works (it is said to have the largest collection of Heian period
artifacts) and Asian art
. The museum is also well-known for its collections of rare and ancient Chinese and Japanese sutra
s. Other famous works include senzui byōbu
(landscape
screen) from the 11th century, and the gakizōshi (Scroll
of Hungry Ghosts) from the 12th century.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The museum is located in Higashiyama Ward in Kyoto. The collections of the Kyoto National Museum focus on pre-modern Japanese and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n art.
The Museum is currently undergoing renovation and will reopen in 2013.
History
The Kyoto National Museum, then the Imperial Museum of Kyoto, was proposed, along with the Imperial Museum of Tokyo (Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum
Established 1872, the , or TNM, is the oldest and largest museum in Japan. The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects of Asia, focusing on Japan. The museum holds over 110,000 objects, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure...
) and the Imperial Museum of Nara (Nara National Museum
Nara National Museum
The is one of the pre-eminent national art museums in Japan.-Introduction:The Nara National Museum is located in Nara, which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. Katayama Tōkuma designed the original building, which is a representative Western-style building of the Meiji period and has been...
), in 1889, and construction on the museum finished in October, 1895. The museum was opened in 1897. The museum went through a series of name changes, in 1900 changing its name to the Imperial Household Museum of Kyoto, and once more in 1924 to the Imperial Gift Museum of Kyoto. The current name, the Kyoto National Museum, was decided upon in 1952.
Timeline
The growth and development of today's museum has been an evolving process:history
- 1897—Museum is established as the "Imperial Museum of Kyoto."
- 1900—Museum is renamed the "Imperial Household Museum of Kyoto."
- 1924—Museum is donated to City of KyotoKyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
; and Museum is renamed the "Imperial Gift Museum of Kyoto." - 1952—Committee for the Preservation of Cultural Properties (national government) assumes responsibility for Museum collections; and Museum is renamed "Kyoto National Museum."
- 1966—Collection Hall is completed.
- 1969—Special Exhibition Hall, Main Gate, ticket booth, and fences are designated "Important Cultural PropertiesImportant Cultural Properties of JapanThe term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
" under the name of the former "Imperial Museum of Kyoto." - 1973—Saturday Lecture Series, 1st session is held.
- 1979—Conservation Center for Cultural Properties is completed.
- 2001—South Gate is constructed as a part of a project for the 100th Year Anniversary Hall.
- 2001—Museum is renamed the "Kyoto National Museum" of the "Independent Administrative Institution National MuseumIndependent Administrative Institution National MuseumIndependent Administrative Institution National Museum was the official name of the corporate entity created by the Japanese government in 2001 by merging three formerly independent national museums—the Tokyo National Museum, the Kyoto National Museum, and the Nara National Museum...
" (IAI National Museum). - 2005—IAI National Museum is expanded with addition of Kyushu National MuseumKyushu National MuseumThe opened on October 16, 2005 in Dazaifu near Fukuoka -- the first new national museum in Japan in over 100 years, and the first to elevate the focus on history over art. The distinct modern impression created by the architectural facade is mirrored in the Museum's use of technological...
. - 2007—IAI National Museum is merged into Independent Administrative Institution National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH), combining the four national museums with the former National Institutes for Cultural Preservation at Tokyo and Nara
Layout
The museum consists of several buildings, the most prominent being the Special Exhibition Hall (Main Exhibition Hall), designed by Katayama TōkumaKatayama Tōkuma
was a Japanese architect who designed the original buildings for the Imperial Nara Museum as well as the Kyoto Imperial Museum and was significant in introducing Western, particularly French architecture into Japan....
in 1895, and The Collections Hall (New Exhibition Hall), designed in 1966 by Morita Keiichi. The regular exhibitions are shown in The Collections Hall, while the Special Exhibition Hall is used for special exhibits. The Main Exhibition Hall, the Main Gate and the Ticket Area have all been designated Important Cultural Properties in Japan.
Museum Collections
The museum was originally built to house and display art treasures privately owned by temples and shrines, as well as items donated by the Imperial Household Ministry. Currently, most all of the items in the museum are more or less on permanent loan from one of those places.The museum is divided into three parts: Fine Arts, including sculptures, paintings and works of calligraphy; Handicrafts, including pottery, fabrics, lacquerwares and metalworks; and Archaeology, including objects of archaeological and historical interest. Altogether, the museum houses over 12,000 works, of which around 6,000 are on display at the museum. The museum also boasts photographic archives containing over 200,000 photographic negatives and color transparencies. In the Fine Arts collections alone, there are more than 230 pieces that have been designated as either National Treasure
National treasure
The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of Romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology which supports the nation as the fundamental unit of human social life, which includes shared...
s or Important Cultural Properties.
The museum focuses on mainly pre-modern Japanese works (it is said to have the largest collection of Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
artifacts) and Asian art
Asian art
Asian art can refer to art amongst many cultures in Asia.-Various types of Asian art:*Afghan art*Azerbaijanian art*Balinese art*Bhutanese art*Buddhist art*Burmese contemporary art*Chinese art*Eastern art*Indian art*Iranian art*Islamic art...
. The museum is also well-known for its collections of rare and ancient Chinese and Japanese sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s. Other famous works include senzui byōbu
Byobu
are Japanese folding screens made from several joined panels bearing decorative painting and calligraphy, used to separate interiors and enclose private spaces, among other uses.- History :...
(landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
screen) from the 11th century, and the gakizōshi (Scroll
Scroll
A scroll is a roll of parchment, papyrus, or paper, which has been drawn or written upon.Scroll may also refer to:*Scroll , the decoratively curved end of the pegbox of string instruments such as violins...
of Hungry Ghosts) from the 12th century.
See also
- List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (archaeological materials)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-swords)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (writings)