I went to Newark New Jersey today. No, not to pay homage to Whitney Houston, may she rest
in peace, but to visit the Newark Museum and see a wonderful exhibit entitled Poetic Pastimes: Japan and the Art of Leisure. My visit was inspired because I’m intrigued by Japanese art and, by a wonderful book that I read with my book club entitled The Hare With Amber Eyes, by Edmund De Waal.
The exhibit brings to life the Japanese passion for theater and ritual, and its long held affinity with nature through more than 200 pieces of fine and decorative arts, spanning the last two and half centuries. The pursuit of pleasure and self cultivation has been central to Japanese life and culture since the development of an aristocracy in the 8th century AD. Leisure activity across social classes was elevated to a refined art form based on highly ritualized behavior, meditations on nature and the transition of seasons - the migrations of birds, blossoming flowers and trees, autumn foliage under a harvest moon and branches laden with snow. Stunning woodblocks by the Master, Hiroshige, are included in this collection.
Also included in the exhibit are dozens of Netsuke (pronounced Netskay), small intricately carved figures of ivory, bone, wood and precious stones, that were used as decorative toggles on robes and coats by the royalty of Japan. Netsuke became collectibles by wealthy Europeans in the late 19th century, and Edmund De Waal, the descendant of such a wealthy Jewish family, inherited a collection of these objects. De Waal, writes the story of the netsuke and the story of his family, which converge in Vienna just before the Holocaust.
I loved this exhibit because I had just finished the book, and, I was incredibly surprised at the extraordinary permanent collection at the Newark Museum. And, their gift store is absolutely fantastic. If you live in the metropolitan New York area, go visit the museum and, I highly recommend The Hare With Amber Eyes.
in peace, but to visit the Newark Museum and see a wonderful exhibit entitled Poetic Pastimes: Japan and the Art of Leisure. My visit was inspired because I’m intrigued by Japanese art and, by a wonderful book that I read with my book club entitled The Hare With Amber Eyes, by Edmund De Waal. The exhibit brings to life the Japanese passion for theater and ritual, and its long held affinity with nature through more than 200 pieces of fine and decorative arts, spanning the last two and half centuries. The pursuit of pleasure and self cultivation has been central to Japanese life and culture since the development of an aristocracy in the 8th century AD. Leisure activity across social classes was elevated to a refined art form based on highly ritualized behavior, meditations on nature and the transition of seasons - the migrations of birds, blossoming flowers and trees, autumn foliage under a harvest moon and branches laden with snow. Stunning woodblocks by the Master, Hiroshige, are included in this collection.
Also included in the exhibit are dozens of Netsuke (pronounced Netskay), small intricately carved figures of ivory, bone, wood and precious stones, that were used as decorative toggles on robes and coats by the royalty of Japan. Netsuke became collectibles by wealthy Europeans in the late 19th century, and Edmund De Waal, the descendant of such a wealthy Jewish family, inherited a collection of these objects. De Waal, writes the story of the netsuke and the story of his family, which converge in Vienna just before the Holocaust. I loved this exhibit because I had just finished the book, and, I was incredibly surprised at the extraordinary permanent collection at the Newark Museum. And, their gift store is absolutely fantastic. If you live in the metropolitan New York area, go visit the museum and, I highly recommend The Hare With Amber Eyes.
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