Collection
The Museum’s collection is comprised of works formerly owned by the Imperial Family. Read on to discover the diverse histories of the Museum’s paintings, calligraphic works, and decorative arts, like lacquerware, metalwork, and ceramics.
Imperial Heirlooms
Some of the most notable works in the collection entered the possession of the Imperial Family prior to the nineteenth century. These early masterpieces offer a glimpse of the court culture that flourished at the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Examples include the eleventh-century calligraphic work Collection of Chinese and Japanese Poems for Singing on Cloud-Patterned Paper (National Treasure), Pines on the Shore (1605) by Kaiho Yusho, and Scenes from The Tale of Genji (1642) by Kano Tanyu.
Gifts Presented to the Imperial Family
The collection contains works gifted to the Imperial Family by shrines, temples, and former samurai lords from the Meiji era (1868–1912) onward. Commissioned by a broad spectrum of society for imperial occasions, these objects were often produced by the finest artists of the day. Some historically significant examples are a set of handscrolls known as the Illustrated Miracles of the Kasuga Deity (ca. 1309; National Treasure) by Takashina Takakane, a folding screen called Chinese Lions (sixteenth century, National Treasure) by the renowned painter Kano Eitoku, and a series of paintings titled Colorful Realm of Living Beings (eighteenth century, National Treasure) by the visionary artist Ito Jakuchu.
Imperial Purchases
During the modern period, the Imperial Family invigorated the art world by actively purchasing works at expositions and exhibitions. Examples include an ivory sculpture titled Court Lady (1901) by Asahi Gyokuzan and the painting Poppies (1929) by Tsuchida Bakusen.
Imperial Commissions
At times, the Imperial Family commissioned works directly from artists themselves and were even involved in the art production process. One example, Portrait Photograph Albums Commissioned by Emperor Meiji, 1879 (ca. 1880; Important Cultural Property), contains portraits taken of some 4,500 high-ranking government officials and Imperial Family Members. Vase with Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons (1899; Important Cultural Property) by the cloisonné master Namikawa Yasuyuki is another example. It was one of several works created for the 1900 Paris Exposition by Imperial Household Artists at the behest of Emperor Meiji, who wished to show the world the advanced techniques of Japanese art. Emperor Meiji commissioned another masterwork of the modern period called Shelf with Chrysanthemums (1903; Important Cultural Property) produced by Kawanobe Itcho along with other lacquer artists.
Works Offering Insights into the Imperial Family’s Official Duties
The collection further contains modern and contemporary works acquired in the course of the Imperial Family’s official engagements both at home and abroad. Many of these objects were presented as diplomatic gifts by foreign dignitaries and offer a close-up look at art and culture from around the world. Such works provide a fascinating record of the Imperial Family’s international exchanges. The collection also includes objects made for domestic imperial occasions, such as silver bonbonnières distributed to guests and photographs documenting Emperor Meiji’s official tours of various regions in Japan.
- Browse the Museum’s collection here.
- Please note that each exhibition features a different lineup of works.