Resources

Scene from The Storehouse of Loyalty (Chushingura), 1806, by Hokusai (1760–1849). Japan. Edo period (1615–1868). Woodblock print, ink and colors on paper. Gift of Japanese Prints from the Collection of Emmeline Johnson, Donated by Oliver and Elizabeth Johnson, 1994.45.

The year 2003 marked the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan. Until 1853 Japan and the United States, located on opposite shores of the vast Pacific Ocean, had almost no contact. By choice, Japan had maintained itself as a nation with closed borders for more than two hundred years before this time, restricting foreign contact to relations with Dutch and Chinese traders, who were allowed access only to Nagasaki on the island of Kyushu. In contrast, the United States, faced with fierce international competition in the Pacific, aggressively sought new markets in East Asia. Thus, the establishment of relations with Japan became a popular topic for discussion in U.S. political circles.

Camel, approx. 690–750. China, Shaanxi or Henan province. Tang dynasty (618–906). Glazed earthenware. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60S95.

The “Paintings by Masami Teraoka” exhibition was on view at the Asian Art Museum from October 22, 1997 to January 25, 1998. This exhibition featured thirty-three current paintings and four prints by Masami Teraoka (b. 1936), a Japanese-born painter of contemporary American pop art. The Asian Art Museum was pleased to present Paintings by Masami Teraoka as a partial response to the frequently asked question, “What happened in Japanese art after the middle of the nineteenth century?”

Learn about the Japanese artist Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige (1797–1858).

Learn about the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

Archery practice, by Shibayama Hirotoyo (1673–1723). Japan. Edo period (1615–1868). Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk. The Avery Brundage Collecton, B65D2.

Please join Khafre James, executive director of Hip Hop for Change, and Lily Ling, music director and conductor for the And Peggy North American Tour of “Hamilton”, for a discussion on art in the post-COVID-19 world.