Every year, the Japanese choose the kanji (ideogram) that best represents the past year. The winner for last year was the ideogram Kin, symbolizing the spectacular successes of Japanese athletes at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The exhibition is divided into three main sections.
The first offers an overview of artifacts made using various materials, with gold as the central element in dialogue with key techniques of Japanese craftsmanship: the chronological range covered includes, in addition to a gold-signed katana from the 15th century, objects from the mid-Edo period (1603-1868) to the present day. Among the displayed items are lacquered and gilded nurimono objects, ceramics, haori and kimono fabrics, elegant obi belts, and a spectacular six-panel folding screen (byōbu).
The second section is dedicated to a selection of prints by modern and contemporary engravers who enhanced their works with gold or were inspired by gold, representing the modern and contemporary phase of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Also on display is a work by Takashi Murakami, founder of the Japanese Superflat movement and considered the most famous contemporary Japanese artist: the lithograph The Golden Age: Hokkyo Takashi (2016) features iconic elements such as skulls and smiling flowers, combined with a golden background, blending traditional Edo-era painting with modern Pop Art.
The third section focuses on works by calligraphy master Kazuko Hiraoka and kintsugi master Aiko Zushi. Hiraoka’s calligraphic paintings combine the magic of gold leaf with the expressiveness of Japanese shodō (calligraphy); the ceramics repaired using the kintsugi technique by master Zushi breathe new life into broken objects, celebrating beauty in their restoration.
Admissions
Over 65 years old
Up to 18 years old