National treasures painted by Jakuchu on display

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:53 JST, August 31, 2022

Ten scroll paintings by Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), part of a collection that has been designated as a national treasure, are on display at the University Art Museum, Tokyo University of Arts, in Ueno, Tokyo.

Titled “Doshoku Sai-e” (“Colorful Realm of Living Beings”), this event is part of the ongoing special exhibition “Themes in Japanese Art from the Imperial Collection,” which runs until Sept. 25.

The scroll paintings include some of Jakuchu’s most famous works, and were created from about 1757 to about 1766. They are part of a series of 30 paintings owned by the Imperial Household Agency’s Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan.

Among the 10 are “Himawari Yukei-zu” (“Rooster, Sunflowers and Morning Glories”), “Chihen Gunchu-zu” (“Insects and Reptiles at a Pond”) and “Rogan-zu” (“Wild Goose and Snow-covered Reeds”).

Jakuchu exquisitely depicted flora and fauna in various colors using a technique called urazaishiki, in which colors are applied to silk from both the front and back.

Last year, the 30 paintings in the series became the first artworks held by the Imperial Household Agency museum to be designated as a national treasure, together with “Kasuga Gongen Genki-e” (“Legends of Kasuga Shrine”) and “Moko Shurai Ekotoba” (“Illustrated Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions”), which are also on display at the exhibition.

The exhibition is part of the Tsumugu Project to promote the beauty of Japanese art across the nation and abroad. Visit https://tsumugu.yomiuri.co.jp/tamatebako2022/english.html for more information.