Okura Museum of Art

The Okura Shukokan (Japanese大 仓 集 古 馆, Eng. Okura Museum of Art) is a private art museum in Minato, Tokyo.

History

The museum was designed by the contractor Okura Kihachiro (1837-1928) opened the first private art museum in Japan in August 1917 on his property. In the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, the building was destroyed, there were many works of art lost. The new building, designed by the famous architect Itō Chutai (1867-1954), then emphasis was placed on earthquake and fire safety. The opening took place in October 1928.

His son Kishichirō (1882-1963) cared intensely about the museum, gave him many objects from his own collection. Interested in contemporary art, he acquired for the museum works of Hayami Gyoshū (1894-1935), Maeda Seison (1885-1977), Yokoyama Taikan, of the latter, among other things the control screen pair representing "Cherry Blossoms by torchlight ."

The collection was in 1960 converted into a foundation. The construction of the Hotel Okura in 1962 on the family plot structural changes at the museum have been made which could be completed in May 1962.

The Collection

The collection currently consists of 2500 objects (images, old books, sculptures, ceramics, lacquer ware, metallic objects, swords, old books ) from Japan, China, India and Thailand. Among these are:

  • 3 national treasures, " Nine Riders " (淡彩 随身 庭 骑 絵 巻, Tansai zuijin Teiki emaki ), picture scroll Kamakura period
  • " Samantabhadra on an elephant " (普贤 菩萨 骑 象 ​​像, joints bosatsu kishōzō ), wooden sculpture, Heian period
  • " Introduction to the poetry collection Kokin - Wakashū " (古今 和 歌集 序, Kokin - Wakashū jo ), calligraphy, Heian period

The library contains 35,650 books.

615401
de