Cats to Crickets
Cats to Crickets: Pets in Japan's Floating World July 21, 2012 - February 18, 2013

Urban commoners in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Japan, known as the Floating World, enjoyed a hedonistic lifestyle that included the pleasure of the companionship of pet animals. Many woodblock prints of fashionable beauties show them accompanied by elegant, pampered pets that symbolize...

Kang Ik-Joong, "Happy Buddha," 2008
Divine Depictions: Korean Buddhist Paintings November 16, 2012 - June 23, 2013

The official philosophy of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) was Confucianism. Buddhism was suppressed during this period, but in practice, many, including the royal family, continued to believe in Buddhism and to support temples financially. Many temples moved out of the towns to...

Lacquer Boat, Chinese, Qing dynasty, 18th–19th century
Chinese Lacquer 1200–1800: November 16, 2012 - September 8, 2013

Chinese lacquer, derived from the sap or resin of trees native to China, has been made for more than 2,000 years. Technically challenging and time-consuming to create, lacquer was considered a luxury material, on par with gold and silver, and was created for the Imperial court and wealthy elite,...

Mogamidô tôsei gusoku armor (detail)
Samurai!: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection April 14, 2013 - August 4, 2013

“Samurai! Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection” features the extraordinary artistry of the armor used by samurai—the military elite led by the shoguns, or warlords, of Japan from the 12th through 19th centuries. The exhibition illustrates the evolution of...