The is one of the pre-eminent national art

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

s in Japan.

Introduction

The Nara National Museum is located in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

, which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. Katayama Tōkuma (1854–1917) designed the original building, which is a representative Western-style building of the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

and has been designated an Important Cultural Property in Japan. Junzō Yoshimura (1908–1997) designed a supplemental building in 1973.

Collections

The museum is noted for its collection of

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

art, including images, sculpture, and altar articles. The museum houses and displays works of art belonging to temples and shrines in the

area. Properties kept in the Shōsōin repository are exhibited each year in the autumn. In the museum's collection is the 12th-century , 11th or 12th-century

mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...

Jōdo mandara-zu, and the 9th-century sculpture of the seated Buddha Yakushi.

History

140927 Research Center for Buddhist Art Materials of Nara National Museum Nara Japan04n

The Nara National Museum was established in 1889 as the Imperial Nara Museum ''(帝国奈良博物館)''. The Nara National Museum held its first exhibition in 1895. As prehistory to the opening, there was a Nara exhibition. In 1874, Nara exhibition company of semi-governmental management was established by the then Nara governor ''Fujii Chihiro''. The Museum was renamed the Imperial Household Museum of Nara. It has been known by its present name since 1952.

Timeline

The growth and development of today's museum has been an evolving process: * 1889—Museum is established as the "Imperial Museum of Nara."IAI National Museum. (2005)
Institutional overview, p. 15.
* 1895—First exhibition is opened. * 1900—Museum is renamed the "Imperial Household Museum of Nara." * 1914—'' Shōsōin'' department is established. * 1947—

Imperial Household Ministry The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

's responsibility for Museum's collections is transferred to the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

. * 1950—Museum is associated with the Committee for the Preservation of Cultural Properties. * 1952—Museum is renamed the "Nara National Museum". * 1968—Museum is affiliated with the Agency for Cultural Affairs. * 1969—Original Museum Building is designated an " Important Cultural Property". * 1972—A new exhibition building (the West Wing) is completed. * 1980—Buddhist Art Library is opened. * 1995—100th anniversary of the Museum's opening is held. * 1997—East Wing and the underground corridor are completed. * 2000—Conservation Center for preserving cultural properties is completed. * 2001—Museum is renamed "Nara National Museum" of the "

Independent Administrative Institution National Museum Independent Administrative Institution (IAI) National Museum ("National Museum") was the official name of the corporate entity created by the Japanese government in 2001 by merging three formerly independent national museums—the Tokyo National Mus ...

" (IAI National Museum). * 2005—IAI National Museum is expanded with addition of

Kyushu National Museum The opened on October 16, 2005 in Dazaifu near Fukuoka—the first new national museum in Japan in over 100 years, and the first to elevate the focus on history over art.Japan National Tourist Organization Museum "focuses on history."/ref> The ...

. * 2007—IAI National Museum is merged into

Independent Administrative Institution National Institutes for Cultural Heritage Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

( NICH), combining the four national museums with the former National Institutes for Cultural Preservation at Tokyo and NaraIAI National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. (2007)
Outline, PDF/p. 5.

Facilities

Original Museum Building

The Original Museum Building was designed by Katayama Tōkuma who was architect for the Imperial Household Agency. This building was completed in 1894, and is built in the French Renaissance style. Noted especially for the decorative ornamentation around its West Entrance, it is an example of middle

Meiji-period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

European architecture. This exhibition hall was designated an Important Cultural Property by the national government in 1969.

East and West Wings

Designed by Junzō Yoshimura. Construction of the West wing began on the hall on 18 December 1970 and was completed on 31 March 1972. The East Wing was inaugurated in October 1997 and opened in April 1998. An architectural style of the East Wing is congruent to the West Wing.

Lower Level Passageway

The Lower-Level Passageway joins the East and West Wings with the Original Museum Building and houses the Museum Shop and a Lounge & Restaurant. The exhibit cases on both sides the passageway contain models and illustrations explaining the construction of Buddhist sculpture. Visitors do not need museum admission tickets to enter this 150 meter-long corridor. The area serves as a rest and relaxation place for museum visitors and the general public.

Buddhist Art Library

The Research Center for Buddhist Art was established in April 1980 for the collection, organization, and storage of books, replicas, rubbings, photographs, and other archival and research materials related to Buddhist art. The Center's library and photographic archives have been open to the public since May 1989, primarily as a resource for researchers.

Hassoan

The Japanese tea ceremony house " ''Hassoan (八窓庵)'' " in the inner garden of the Nara National Museum was originally built on the grounds of ''Daijo-in'', a sub-temple of

Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school. History Kōfuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 b ...

Temple. Also known as Gansuitei, the tea house was built in the middle

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...

. It is well known for its many windows, a favorite style of the tea connoisseur Furuta Oribe (1544–1615). Together with the tea houses ''Rokusoan (六窓庵)'' in the

, and ''Okiroku (隠岐録)'' in the

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergo ...

, ''Hassoan'' is considered one of the Three Great Tea Houses of Nara. ''Hassoan'' contains a tea room of four

tatami A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Tatamis are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about 0.9 m by 1.8 m depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are the floor used for traini ...

mats with a

tokonoma A , or simply , is a recessed space in a Japanese-style reception room, in which items for artistic appreciation are displayed. In English, a could be called an alcove. History There are two theories about the predecessor of : the first is ...

. It is built in the rustic style, including a hipped and gabled, thatched roof. Inside, the ceiling is partially covered with rush, while other areas reveal the finished underside of the roof. In order to preserve the tea house in Nara for future generations, Nara residents successfully petitioned for ''Hassoan'' to be given to the Imperial Nara Museum in 1890. ''Hassoan'' was moved onto the museum grounds in 1892.

Conservation Center

The Conservation Center, opened in 2002, was established to rescue, examine, document, conserve, and restore National Treasures and other key cultural properties. Restorers specializing in the conservation of sculptures, paintings, and ancient texts work out of the institution. Specialists also advise the owners and custodians of cultural assets.

References

External links

Nara National Museum
– English, official website {{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Japan National museums of Japan Museums of Japanese art Museums in Nara, Nara Buildings of the Meiji period Art museums established in 1889 1889 establishments in Japan Buddhist museums Religious organizations established in 1889