The Religious Arts of Japan, May 4, 2007 – January 6, 2008

 

Cultural News, May 2007

 

 

The Buddha Amitabha ( Amida) Japan, Edo period (1600-1868) Wood, lacquer, gilding. (Courtesy of Pacific Asia Museum)

 

Pasadena -- As the second installation of Pacific Asia Museum’s new Gallery of Japanese Art, The Religious Arts of Japan will feature objects from the museum’s permanent collection that reflect influences of Shinto, Buddhist and other types of religious Folk Art. 

 

   Historically, two major religions - Shinto and Buddhism - have existed harmoniously in Japan, playing complementary roles in its culture and giving rise to a rich variety of art forms.

 

    For centuries, Japanese people have practiced rituals to honor and please the kami, the higher beings believed to inhabit the natural world and influence the weather, harvest and our general well being.

 

    This religion, later named Shinto, originally had no imagery or art, but, under the influence of Buddhism, sculptures and paintings of kami were created, and Shinto shrines became more elaborate. Among the most intriguing Shinto art objects are the votive plaques known as ema, inscribed with prayers and then hung at shrines for the kami to read.

 

    When Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century, it was already 1,000 years old and possessed a complex iconography and wide array of art forms.

 

    Soon, Japanese artists were sculpting elegant bronze and wooded Buddhist deities, printing Buddhist texts and images with woodblocks, and painting Buddhist scenes on silk as hangings to be worshipped in temples and homes.

 

    This exhibition provides an introduction to these religions through some of the finest art works in the museum collection, many of which are being exhibited for the first time.

 

     Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 North Los Robles Avenue, one half block north of Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. 

 

     The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.  The exhibition is included with regular museum admission: $7 general, $5 seniors/students.  For more information check www.pacificasiamuseum.org or call (626) 449-2742.