The exhibition features eighty objects displaying the exceptional artistry of the period in many media and materials, including: lacquer, porcelain, and bronze; significant enamel works depicting the four seasons, animals and plants; and life-size bronze figures of Japanese demons and samurai. Splendors of Imperial Japan is one of several exhibitions opening this fall that explore contemporary and historical currents in Japanese art and culture.

“At all times, the Israel Museum is dedicated to presenting the material heritage of modern civilization, and with a special emphasis this year on celebrating world culture,” said James S. Snyder, the Anne and Jerome Fisher Director of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. “We are therefore delighted to have this opportunity to share with our public the beauty of Meiji era art from the unique collection, in range and scope, of Professor Nasser D. Khalili.”

Professor Khalili is a scholar, collector, and benefactor of international standing. Since 1970 he has assembled, under the auspices of the Khalili Family Trust, a number of art collections in a broad range of fields. In addition to his comprehensive collections of the arts of the Islamic world and of Japanese art of the Meiji period (1868–1912), he has impressive holdings of Indian and Swedish textiles, and of Spanish damascened metalwork.

Splendors of Imperial Japan provides an overview of Japanese art during the second half of the 19th century when more than 250 years of self-imposed isolation came to an end and Japan transformed itself virtually overnight into a modern, commercially developed society. Japanese culture turned toward the West, changing almost every aspect of its traditional society in order to become part of the modern Western world, and this shift is reflected dramatically in the art of the time.

“Although the Meiji Period spans only forty-four years, it was during this period that Japanese craftsmanship reached a level of perfection never equaled before or since,” states Rebecca Bitterman, Senior Curator of the Marcel Lorber Department of Asian Art, and curator of the exhibition. “Even so, with the turn of the 20th century, such works of decorative art lost favor in the West due to the declining appreciation for the Victorian style and the rise of less decorated tastes, so that the exquisite fruits of Meiji era artistic production stand as testament to the creativity of this short-lived moment.”

Using their original skills as makers of decorative sword-fittings, Meiji period craftsmen put their experience to new use, creating novel masterpieces using age-old techniques. In an attempt to take their crafts out of the realm of industrial arts, craftsmen made elaborately decorated metal works, adjusting them to European tastes of the period.

In addition, enameled vases and porcelains on display incorporate designs and motifs inspired by Japanese and Chinese historical events, legends and myths, while others demonstrate the influence of Art Nouveau, which can be seen in the application of peacock feathers, waves, and floral designs.

Alongside 19th century Westernized art, the exhibition also presents lacquer works of elegance, beauty, and simplicity, which were closer nonetheless to the historical Japanese aesthetic, thereby stimulating a fascinating creative contrast. Included are works by the lacquer master Zeshin and his followers, who depicted floral motifs in gold lacquer on boxes, writing tables, and desks.

The exhibition is made possible by the Estate of the late Dorothea Gould, Zurich, and the donors to the Israel Museum's 2004 Exhibition Fund: Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond J. Learsy, Aspen, Colorado; Hanno D. Mott, New York; and The Nash Family Foundation, New York.

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

The Israel Museum is the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel and is ranked among the leading art and archaeology museums in the world. Founded in 1965, the Museum houses encyclopedic collections ranging from pre-history through contemporary art, including the most extensive holdings of Biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world, among them the Dead Sea Scrolls. In over thirty-five years, the Museum has built a far-ranging collection of nearly 500,000 objects through an unparalleled legacy of gifts and support from its circle of patrons worldwide. It has established itself both as an internationally valued institution and as a singularly rich cultural resource for Israel, the Middle East, and the world.

The Israel Museum is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesdays from 4 to 9 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 am - 9 pm; and Friday and holiday eves from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Museum is closed on Sundays. For further information, please call 972-2-670-8811 or visit the Museum’s website at www.imj.org.il.