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The Art of the Book
Case study: Japanese books from the Gerhard Pulverer collection On Saturday, April 6, Hand-Held: Gerhard Pulverer’s Japanese Illustrated Books opens in the Sackler. In honor of the exhibition, we’re...
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The Paper Chase: Making Japanese Books
Examples of books you can make at our Inner-Artist Workshops: The Art of Japanese Pouch-books The Freer|Sackler has teamed up with Pyramid Atlantic Art Center to offer six Japanese book-making...
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Fireworks!
Fireworks at Ryōgoku, 1880, Kobayashi Kiyochika, Robert O. Muller Collection; S2003.8.1195 Kobayashi Kiyochika is known for his night scenes in much the same way that James McNeill Whistler is renowned...
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Eels in July
Ascending Eels by Kimura Buzan; early 20th century; F2008.2a-c The Japanese words for the subject of this painting, unagi nobori, mean “a fast, rocket-like rise.” Eels have been an important delicacy...
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Angry Birds?
Kenzan style tea bowl with design of crane and flowing water; late 19th century; Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1896.100 Lee Glazer is associate curator of American art at Freer|Sackler. Hardly. When...
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And the Academy Award for Best Actor Goes To …
The Actor Nakamura Utaemon III as Kato Masakiyo, 1822, The Anne van Biema Collection, S2004.3.259 … the Actor Nakamura Utaemon III as Kato Masakiyo, of course! Utaemon was a major star of the Osaka...
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The Littlest Tea Man
“Chigusa, with and without clothes,” by Leo. Allison Peck is head of public affairs and marketing at Freer|Sackler. The renowned ceramic known as Chigusa recently added another chapter to its long and...
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Happy International Sushi Day!
Aji (horse mackerel) with Kuruma ebi (prawn); Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858); Japan, Edo period, ca. 1832–34; Gift of John Fuegi and Jo Francis, F1995.16.10 Ann Yonemura is senior associate curator of...
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Can Your Tea Jar Do This?
Meet Chigusa, the Chinese tea jar that earned a dedicated following in Japan. It’s the star of the exhibition Chigusa and the Art of Tea, on view in the Sackler to July 27. Diaries of tea events...
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Whistler, Hiroshige, and a Fortunate Find
Symphony in White, No. 2: The Little White Girl; James McNeill Whistler; 1864, oil on canvas; Tate Britain, London Margaret MacDonald, professor emerita of art history at the University of Glasgow, is...
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Why is the Smithsonian Covered in Yarn?!
Scenes from last night’s yarn bomb. If you pass by the Smithsonian Castle today or over the weekend, you may be surprised to see its gates and gardens wrapped up in red yarn. Why would the...
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Finding Fish for “Bountiful Waters”
Carp ascending a waterfall; Ohara Koson (Japanese, 1877–1945), Japan, ca. 1926; ink and color on paper; F2002.15 Cecelia Reed is the editor of the Smithsonian Associates‘ monthly program guide. A...
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Friday Fave: Moonlight Revelry at Dozo Sagami
Moonlight Revelry at Dozo Sagami, by Kitagawa Utamaro Japan, Edo period, late 18th–early 19th century Ink and color on paper, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1903.54 Our Friday Fave blog series features...
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Friday Fave: Monkeys and Trees on a Riverbank
Monkeys and Trees on a Riverbank, by Sesson (1504–1589); Japan, Momoyama period, 1568–1615; ink on paper; Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1903.218–19 Our Friday Fave blog series features museum insiders...
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Friday Fave: Tea Bowl
Tea bowl, possibly Satsuma ware; possibly Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, Edo period, 17th century; stoneware with clear, crackled glaze, stained by ink; gold lacquer repairs; Gift of Charles Lang Freer,...
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Grey Matters
No. 5; Takiguchi Kazuo (born 1953); Kyoto, Japan, Heisei era, 1996; stoneware with dark gray matte textured glaze; Purchase—John and Marinka Bennett, S1997.33 Well, we all know what movie you saw last...
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Friday Fave: March MADness
Mask; Japan, Edo period, 1615–1868; wood with paint and hair; Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1905.314 Our Friday Fave blog series features museum insiders taking a closer look at their favorite works...
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Friday Fave: Pheasants and Cherry Trees
Pheasants and Cherry Trees; Japan, Momoyama period, first quarter of the 17th century; ink, color, and gold on paper; Purchase, F2006.3.1–2 Spring has sprung in the District! In celebration of this...
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Friday Fave: Writing Box
Box for writing utensils; Japan, Edo period, early 19th century; wood, lacquer, gold, metal, shell; Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.37a–c As a visual information specialist, one of my jobs is to...
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Friday Fave: Chinese Taoist Immortals
The Chinese Taoist Immortals, Han-shan and Shih-te (Kanzan and Jittoku); Hashimoto Gahō (1835–1908); Japan, Meiji era, 1886; ink and slight tint on paper; Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1902.227 When I...
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