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netsuke chester beatty

Exhibitions: Winter 2025

The society's seasonal selection of exhibitions on Japanese art.

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netsuke chester beatty

Zodiac Netsuke: Animals of the Japanese Zodiac in Miniature, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Dec 6 2024 – Mar 23 2025

The twelve zodiac animals—rat, ox, tiger, hare (rabbit), dragon, snake, horse, goat (sheep), monkey, rooster, dog, and boar (pig)— represent the twelve-year cycles in Asia. Celebrating the New Year, this exhibition highlights Japanese netsuke from the Chester Beatty Collections carved in the shape of these twelve zodiac animals.
Made in the 18th and 19th centuries, the netsuke featured in this exhibition tell the stories of the twelve zodiac animals. While originally derived from the ancient Chinese astrological calendar, visitors will learn how these stories were uniquely developed in Japan. The exhibition will also explore fascinating and fun facts about these animals in Irish folklore and in the world of zoology. 3D digital and printed models of each animal netsuke will enable visitors to examine the objects and a short film will show how the Japanese artist, Saitō Bishū (b. 1943), creates contemporary netsuke.

Accompanying the exhibition is a series of online lectures on netsuke.

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Utamaro krakow

Utamaro, National Museum in Krakow, 17 Jan – 13 Apr 2025

This exhibition is dedicated to the woodblock print master Utamaro, widely regarded as connoisseur and bard of feminine beauty. Of special interest among the 300 prints on display, are two unique Utamaro prints which are the only known impressions in the world, both of which are in the National Museum in Krakow collection.

An unprecedented strength of the exhibition is the possibility to create a complete narrative based solely on the exquisite collections in the National Museum in Krakow, deriving both from the historic donation by Feliks “Manggha” Jasieński in 1920 and from the exceptionally precious acquisitions of recent years (such as the Japanese items purchased from the collection of Józef Mehoffer), as well as from donations made to the NMK since 2005.

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Chiharu Shiota

Chiharu Shiota: The Unsettled Soul, Kunsthalle Praha, 28 Nov 2024 – 28 Apr 2025 

Kunsthalle Praha presents The Unsettled Soul, the first exhibition in the Czech Republic by internationally renowned Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota. Running from 28 November to 28 April, the exhibition invites visitors to embark on a journey into the human condition, exploring themes of life, death and memory. Shiota’s immersive installations have captivated audiences around the world. Her signature large-scale thread artworks symbolise various types of bonds and relationships. They will now transform two large gallery spaces at Kunsthalle Praha, with one of the artist’s inspirations being the Vltava (German: Moldau), Czechia’s largest river. As part of the major European river system, it represents the city’s global connections.

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MET samurai swords exhibit

Samurai Splendor: Sword Fittings from Edo Japan, Metropolitan Museum, New York, through 23 Mar 2025

Don’t wait much longer to see this exhibition! Samurai Splendor explores the luxurious aspects of Edo-period sword fashion, a fascinating form of arms and armour rarely featured in exhibitions outside Japan. It presents a selection of exquisite sword mountings, fittings, and related objects, including maker’s sketchbooks—all drawn from The Met collection and many rarely or never exhibited before.

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Korean crown AIC

New Gallery for the Arts of Korea, Art Institute of Chicago, ongoing

Although not an exhibition of Japanese art, see the similarities and differences in the ceramics, metalworks, and paintings of their Korean neighbours in the newly unveiled Gallery for the Arts of Korea in the Art Institute of Chicago. Two stunning treasures on loan from the National Museum of Korea are on view until early February, don’t miss out!

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sieboldhuis shapes sizes

Shapes and Sizes. The Many Forms of Japanese Prints, Japan Museum SieboldHuis, Leiden, 20 Dec 2024 – 16 Mar 2025

There are many types of Japanse printed matter. In addition to the well-known prints of Japanese landscapes, actors and geishas, there are also multi-sheet compositons, fans, pillar prints, luxurious greeting cards, toys,  board games, and much more. Despite the limited size of the paper and woodblocks, publishers and printmakers managed to create an endless variety of products. Discover the history and marvel of Japanese printmaking and the art of handmade paper in this exhibition. Come face to face with works by famous artists, such as Utagawa Hiroshige, Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Kunisada.