Evening star., 1953-01-25
Art News
japanese Art
At National
By Florence S. Berrymun

OPCu W tIlC POU11C AU CIl6 NdS
tional Gallery of Art this
afternoon at four o'clock.
There will be a preview for
Government officials and other
invited guests at three.
Sponsored by the govern
ment of Japan, the exhibition
was assembled under auspices
of the Commission for Protec-
ton of Cultural Properties,
Tokyo, chairman Of which Is
Seiichiro Takahashi. and the
deputy chairman, Yukio va
shiro. They had the co-opera-
ton Of three representatives of
American museums, all experts
in the field Of Japanese art:
Archibald G. Wenley, director
Of the Freer Gallery; Alan
Priest, curator of Far Eastern
art at the Metropolitan Mu-
scum, New York City, and
Langdon Warner, formerly of
Harvard's Gogg Museu, Cam
bridge.
NotionoI Treasures
The Importance Of these n
paintings and IA sculptures
which occupy nine galleries in
the National Gallery of Art,
can be gauged by the fact that
Is paintings are registered by
the Japanese government as
National Treasures" a series
OF the earliest sculptures have
never before been lent from
the Tokyo National Museum,
and As paintings and six sculp-
lures are classified as "im-
portant cultural properties"
The cargo of art treasures was
transported from Japan to the
United States through courtesy
of the United States Navy.
The exhibition is accom-
panied by MaSao IShizawa.
chief curator, and five other
Japanese curatorS. Mr.. Ishi-
Zawa said: "This is indeed an
epoch-making event in the
history of japanese art. It is
especially appropriate that it
comedies with the centenary
of the landing of Commodore
Perry in Japan (July IA, 1853,
which opened Japan to the in
f1uenceS of Western civiliZa-
tom.
Examples of the art of
every period" he continued,
from the 9th century down to
the 10th century, are included,
illustrating all phases of jap
anese painting and sculpture.
Superb specimens of Buddhist
painting and Yamato-e ina
tive-style painting of Japan,
black-and-white painting with
examples by Sesshu and Ses-
son, as well as works of the
various schools of the 18th
century and later periods, are
exhibited. There is a variety
of types of painting, such as
sliding doors, folding screens,
hanging and horizontal scrolls,
and books and albums" Mr..
Ishizawa further named some
of the exhibitions greatest
treasures.
Notable Scrolls
Among the horizontal
scrolls, which present stories
and their illustrations alter
nately, will be found such rare
works as the 18th century Ban
Dainagon scroll; the animal
caricatures scroll, and the Heiji
Monogratari scroll" (the story
of a civil war of the period
which are among the most
celebrated Japanese works Of
art.
THE earliest sculptures in
the exhibition are a series of
gilt-bronze Buddhist figures.
One Of these is inscribed with
the date 606 AID. They formed
part of a group of statuettes
once IN the art collection of
the Horyugi at Nara, one of
the oldest of Japanese monaS-
teries, founded early in the 7th
century" Most of the exhibits
have frequently been published
in various books on japanese
art
His majesty the Emperor Of
Japan heads the list of more
than 20 distinguished lenders
to the exhibition. Seven Jap
anese official collections are
represented. including the ma
tion'S leading museums, also
the municipalities Of Kyoto
and Nagoya, 81 Buddhist mon
asteries and one Shinto shrine.
Every object in the exhibi-
ton is illustrated in the 208-
page catalogue, some of the
works in color, with text and
comments by the Japanese
curators. It will be on sale at
the gallery during the exhibi-
ton (through February 25.
From here the collection will
travel to the Metropolitan
Museum. New York City; the
Seattle Art Museum, the Art
Institute of Chicago and the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts,
where the tour will end next
December Is.
simultaneously with the
opening of the japanese exhi-
bition to the public this after
noon, there will be a lecture
on "The Japanese Aesthetic
Tradition" by Sir George B.
SAMSON, director Of the East
Asian Institute, Columbia Uni
versity.