Permanent exhibition
Enjoying the Rinpa School
Nishijin finely woven hanging scroll "Hoitsu's Twelve Months of Flower and Bird Paintings"
琳派とは
The lineage of the Rinpa school
Hon'ami Kōetsu was an artist who worked in calligraphy, painting, ceramics, and lacquerware. He received land in Takagamine, Kyoto from Tokugawa Ieyasu, and in 1615, he and other craftsmen established an art village, which marked the beginning of the Rinpa school of art.
The lineage of beauty created by Tawaraya Sōtatsu and others was passed down to the Ogata brothers, Korin and Kenzan. Furthermore, it was inherited by Sakai Hoitsu, who was active in Edo, and then by Kamisaka Sekka during the Meiji and Taisho periods, and its spirit and essence continue to thrive in contemporary design.
The Rinpa school, whose name includes the character "Rin" from Ogata Korin, does not have the master-disciple relationships found in schools like the Kano or Tosa schools. For example, just as 100 years passed between Sotatsu and Korin, artists who admire the work of their predecessors have emerged every few decades to a century, creating numerous masterpieces that transcend the realms of crafts and painting. It can be described as a lineage of "private apprenticeship."
The Rinpa style has been passed down to the present day in various genres such as painting, costumes, lacquerware, ceramics, folding screens, and fan paintings, likely because it always possesses a fresh, bold, and magnificent design aesthetic.
The source of beauty that is passed down through generations
Hon'ami Kōetsu not only showcased his own talent but also dedicated himself to nurturing artists and craftsmen. He was a leading cultural figure of his time, also acting as an art director, providing designs and ideas and conveying his intentions to craftsmen to create the works.
Furthermore, the legacy of the Rinpa school of beauty was intertwined with the art and craft products created in the city of Kyoto. The people who sought luxurious, high-end goods and the first-class craftsmen who met their demands—the existence of both ensured that the "source of beauty" flowing beneath the surface of everyday life was continuously passed down.
Introduction of works
Nishijin fine weave framed artwork "Fujin Raijin (Wind God and Thunder God)"
The national treasure "Fujin Raijin-zu" (Wind God and Thunder God painting, owned by Kennin-ji Temple), is considered Tawaraya Sōtatsu's masterpiece. In a vast, gold-leafed sky, the Wind God races across the sky, creating a whirlwind, while the Thunder God confronts him, his voice roaring with thunder. The painting is created using a technique called "tarashikomi," in which ink and paint are intentionally allowed to bleed.
Fujin and Raijin are deified figures of wind and thunder, originally introduced from China along with Buddhism. It is said that Sotatsu only depicted Fujin and Raijin, who are considered attendants of the Thousand-Armed Kannon at Sanjusangen-do Temple.
This subject matter was subsequently depicted by artists such as Ogata Korin, Sakai Hoitsu, and Suzuki Kiitsu, and is considered a symbolic work of the "Rinpa" school. Reflecting on the passion of these successive artists, we meticulously wove this piece using Nishijin weaving techniques and pure gold leaf, and then framed it.
Tawaraya Sōtatsu (dates of birth and death unknown)
Tawaraya Sōtatsu was a painter who was active in the early Edo period. He drew the preliminary sketches for Hon'ami Kōetsu, who was also talented in pottery, lacquerware, and calligraphy.
Although it was just a preliminary sketch, it was a magnificent work drawn with gold and silver pigments on a type of paper called "ryōshi," and this marked the beginning of the Rinpa school of art. Sōtatsu created a new style of painting by combining traditional Yamato-e with new, bold compositions and a unique technique called "tarashikomi."
Nishijin fine weave framed artwork "Red and White Plum Blossoms"
Based on Ogata Korin's masterpiece, the national treasure "Red and White Plum Blossom Screen (owned by the MOA Museum of Art)," this piece was intricately woven using pure gold leaf and then framed.
The two-panel folding screen depicting red and white plum blossoms features a gold background. The left panel partially depicts aged, withered white plum blossoms, while the right panel fills the entire screen with vibrant, youthful red plum blossoms. In the center, stylized flowing water forms a curved surface that widens towards the end.
An intellectual composition in which various elements confront each other: the contrast between light and shadow created by the gold background and the black background of the waves, the stillness of the plum blossoms and the movement of the flowing water, and the youthful red plum blossoms and the seasoned white plum blossoms.
Furthermore, the way the plum blossoms are depicted without outlines, the tarashikomi technique seen in the tree trunks, and the masterful brushwork of the water ripples—all these elements come together to create a profound sense of rhythm and tension, and a refined decorative quality that is celebrated as one of Korin's greatest masterpieces from his later years.
Nishijin finely woven hanging scroll "Irises (right panel)"
Ogata Korin's masterpiece, the national treasure "Irises Screen," has been meticulously woven into a hanging scroll using pure gold leaf.
A cluster of irises is depicted in shades of ultramarine and verdigris against a background of gold leaf. The composition is ingenious, with careful consideration given to the symmetry between the left and right panels, and the flowers are arranged rhythmically.
"Irises," a painting depicting the elegant world of the Heian period (from the Tales of Ise) without including human figures, is said to embody a profound literary world. It is known as one of Korin's greatest masterpieces.
Ogata Korin (1658–1716)
Korin was a leading painter of the mid-Edo period. Born into the Kariganeya family, one of Kyoto's most prestigious kimono merchants, Korin's clientele consisted of the wealthy townspeople of Kyoto. While studying the classical works of the Heian period, he created clear and decorative paintings.
His innovative design sense gave rise to the term "Korin pattern," and has had a profound influence on Japanese painting, crafts, and design to this day. Korin effortlessly crossed the seemingly separate boundaries between painting and crafts.
Nishijin finely woven hanging scroll "Hoitsu's Twelve Months of Flower and Bird Paintings"
"Twelve Months of Flowers and Birds," painted by Sakai Hoitsu, a master of the Edo Rinpa school, is a masterpiece that exudes refined beauty and is considered a treasure of the Imperial family, held in the collection of the Imperial Household Agency.
Using pure gold leaf and platinum leaf, and woven with Nishijin's finest weaving techniques, these hanging scrolls were created.
Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1829)
He was born as the second son of the lord of the Himeji domain in the late Edo period. He spent his entire life in Edo, where he loved the arts and explored the Kano and Rinpa schools of painting. He also enjoyed haiku and kyoka poetry, leading a refined and elegant life.
Among the Rinpa school's works, Hoitsu's elegant brushwork conveys a dignified grace in the depictions of flowers, birds, wind, and the moon, and possesses a refined Edo-period sensibility that is absent in the works of Sotatsu and Korin.
Nishijin fine weave full-length obi "The beauty of the Rinpa school"
The Rinpa school, considered the pinnacle of Japanese decorative design, is woven throughout this maru obi (formal sash).
From the tip of the dangling cord, fans dance and dance above a Rinpa-style coffered ceiling, creating a flowing, overlapping pattern of fans. From the tip of the cord, strips of paper flutter and scatter above a Rinpa-style coffered ceiling, creating an elegant, overlapping pattern of strips of paper.
Crafted using Nishijin weaving techniques against a backdrop of pure gold and platinum leaf, this maru obi is an essential formal obi for any formal occasion.
Nishijin finely woven maru obi "Rinpa style seasonal floral design"
The Rinpa school is considered the pinnacle of Japanese decorative design. Its origins date back 450 years to Hon'ami Kōetsu and Tawaraya Sōtatsu.
Koetsu deeply loved the traditional culture that had continued since the Heian period. Sotatsu responded to this.
The Nishijin finely woven maru obi "Rinpa Four Seasons Flowers and Plants" is a maru obi that is intricately woven using pure gold leaf, depicting the "Four Seasons Flowers and Plants Underpainting Waka Scroll," famous as the founding of the Rinpa school by Koetsu and Sotatsu, which brings out the traditional Japanese aesthetic.
