Buckingham Palace Collection of Japanese Art, "Court and Culture" in Diplomacy

When the distant, oriental Japanese arts and crafts reached the coast of Britain, they attracted people's attention and were widely sought after. In British diplomacy, Japanese art has also become an important bridge for cultural exchange. Recently, the exhibition "Japan: Court and Culture" was held at the Queen Palace Gallery in Buckingham, England, presenting Japanese artworks collected by the British Royal Family, including lacquerware, porcelain, screens, samurai armor, etc., telling the story of diplomacy, art and cultural exchanges between Britain and Japan over the past 300 years.

In 1881, two young British princes served as probationary officers in the Royal Navy. They came to Visit Japan and met with the Emperor of Japan. The meeting was not the most important and extravagant of the British and Japanese royal families, but it symbolized the long and complex interaction between the two countries. The two princes bought metal teapots and cups at a Japanese bazaar as gifts to their father. During their time in Japan, the two princes were 16 years old and 17 years old, respectively. They got tattoos on their arms, Prince Albert tattooed several storks, and Prince George, the future George V, tattooed dragons and tigers.

"Tattoos were part of naval culture, which was an aristocratic fashion in late 19th-century Britain," explains Rachel Peat, curator of a new exhibition, Japan: Court and Culture, which recently opened at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham. "In Japan, tattoos have very different connotations. Tattooing is both a respected art form, but at the same time it is an illegal act in Japanese history, thus giving people a mysterious and dangerous feeling. That's why it attracts tourists. ”

Japanese swords and sheaths

At the beginning of the 20th century, the potter Keida Masatarō designed a Japanese vase

The sense of remoteness, desirableness, and inaccessibility has always been the key to Westerners' fascination with Japanese art, culture, and objects. To prove this, the exhibition is the first time dedicated to art from Japan from the British Royal Family's collection. The Queen Gallery has also been redesigned. Although the exhibition is not a comprehensive examination of Japanese art (there are no calligraphy works in the exhibits, nor is there a display of Japanese kimonos), through these works of art and crafts it reveals a story of diplomacy, taste, and power.

Ceramics of the Japanese Female Figure, 1690-1730

Japanese ceramics

The first contact between the two royals was in 1613, when gifts were exchanged for twin hairs, in which the British royal family received a set of samurai armor. This happened before Japan closed its doors to the West. In the 200 years since, it is not that Japanese artifacts have lost their appeal in the West. Japan's closed country also makes the secrets of its handicrafts unknown to Westerners. This has also made Japanese crafts more fashionable and more sought after. Through Chinese and Dutch merchants, the British royal family continued its collection of porcelain and lacquerware. In the 19th century, Japan reopened to the outside world, which also prompted a re-visit by the British Royal Family. At this point, the West has a new appreciation and understanding of Japanese art. At the beginning of the 20th century, Britain and Japan had good relations. During World War II, relations between the two countries broke down. In the 1950s, Emperor Hirohito's coronation gift to the new Queen of The United Kingdom healed relations between the two countries, and this move is widely considered to be an art symbol of the new era of cooperation.

Curator Pete said, "Usually, these objects are scattered in 15 different historical periods and royal residences. It's important to bring them together this time and see them as a whole. Some of these objects were gifts made by Japanese artists commissioned directly by the British Royal Family, and in some cases, some were even designed by the former himself. The result is a display of the finest works of art, while also revealing a fascinating history, not only between the courts, but also in the changing relationships of cultural exchange. Among them, there are both peaks and valleys. ”

Folding screen created in 1860.

This painting depicting Mt. Fuji in spring was given to Queen Victoria by the Japanese Imperial Family in 1860. This is a pair of paintings, and this is one of them on display. It is thought that the painting was long gone, but was rediscovered while preparing for the exhibition. The heart of this piece is embroidered with silk and the folds are made of gold leaf, which is very fragile. Screens are considered a type of painting, not practical furniture. When on display, open the display to best showcase the artist's artistic achievements. The work is also one of japan's first diplomatic gifts after more than 200 years of retreat and reopening to the world. Later, in the 1880s, the Japanese Imperial Family purchased the silk screens from Nishimura, Iida, and Kawashima in Kyoto, both to decorate the new Imperial Palace in Tokyo, which was completed in 1889, and as a diplomatic gift to foreign emissaries.

Nihon fan, 1880

Ukiyo-e prints depicting carnations

For centuries, Japan has used paper and ink to create colored woodblock prints, known as "ukiyo-e." This genre depicts folk customs, singing, flowers and plants, and landscapes from various places. The carnation image above is presented in a five-color overprint.

A pair of porcelain incense burners in the form of rabbits, 1680-1720

Japan has been producing ceramics since the Jomon period. From the 1640s onwards, the works of Japanese potters were revered in Europe for their harmonious colors. The decorative porcelain pictured above represents the Year of the Rabbit. The artist also draws on broader Eastern mythology, namely the concept of the rabbit associated with the moon and immortality. At the same time, the porcelain also served as an incense burner, allowing smoke to come out of the hole in the stump where the rabbit sat.

Samurai armor, 1537–1850

This samurai armor is made of leather, deerskin, horsehair, bear mane, gilded copper, gold wire, and thousands of small pieces of iron. These pieces of iron are combined with bright blue and red silk to form a flexible covering that wraps around the body. At the same time, this set of samurai armor is likely to have been made using elements of multiple sets of armor. In 1869, the Japanese imperial family gave it to Queen Victoria's son, Alfred, who was the first overseas royal to visit modern Japan.

Portrait of Prince Alfred by Wendell Hallte

Box studded with a mother-in-shell

In the 16th century, this glittering box was one of the first goods exported to Europe by Japan. The box is almost inlaid with thick shellfish to the surface. This style is known in Japan as "Nanban" because it appeals to Western buyers who arrive on the island from the south.

Cosmetic box by Matsuya Shirayama, 1890–1905

Decorated with black, gold and silver lacquer, this wooden cosmetic box was the first diplomatic gift after World War II. In 1953, on the occasion of the Coronation of the Queen, the Emperor Shōwa of Japan presented it. The artifact was made by Shirayama Shōsai, one of the leading artists of the Golden Age of Japanese lacquerware in the early 20th century. Here he depicts a heron and paints its feathers in silver paint with golden stripes.

Gift box

Box for writing instruments, late 18th-early 19th century

Japanese screens

The exhibition will be on view until March 12, 2023.

(This article is compiled from The Guardian, and some of the relevant content is synthesized from the official website of the Royal Collection Trust)