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Japanese Art
Contributions from many of America's most important 19th- and 20th-century collectors of Japanese art illuminate the varied art and culture of Japan. Originating with the museum's inception in 1799, the collection contains many works considered rare even in Japan, with the late Edo- and Meiji-period collection ranking among the finest in the world.
Explore some highlights from the collection
Attributed to Hasegawa school, Kyoto. Six-panel screen with wisteria, brushwood, and clouds. Edo period, early 17th century. Ink, color, gold, and silver on paper. Museum purchase, 2001. E301679.A
Artist not identified, Japan. Hinoki wood, gold leaf, crystal. Gift of William Sturgis Bigelow. Accession Number: E18195
Artist not identified, Japan. Wood, lacquer, gilded brass, textile, paper, pigments, gold leaf, plant fiber. Museum Purchase. Accession Number: E37812
Japanese Artist. Japan. Paper, pigment. Gift of Captain Henry King. E6540
Japan. Silk, metallic thread. Japan. 62 inches (157.48 cm). Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 1962. 130323.A. © Dennis Helmar
Paper, pigment, gilding, lacquer, wood. Japan. 67 11/16 x 149 3/16 inches (172 x 379 cm). 2000 E300511
Japanese artist. Wood, straw, velvet, laquer. Japan. 9 1/2 x 6 x 8 1/2 inches (24.13 x 15.24 x 21.59 cm). E6463
Ogata Kenzan, designer. Earthenware. 4 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 1 inches (10.8 x 19 x 2.6 cm). Gift of Dr. Charles Goddard Weld, 1910. E29960
Naito Toyomasa (Japanese, 1773–1856). Ivory. Japan. 1 3/8 inches (3.493 cm). Gift of E.G. Stillman, 1947. E26721
Japanese artist. Wood, pigment, horsehair. Shirayama Gongen Shrine, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. Gift of T.W. Thorndike, 1912. E16155