Kumaya Art Museum

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In the Kumaya Museum

The Kumaya Art Museum ( Japanese 熊 谷 美術館 , Kumaya Bijutsukan ) in Hagi ( Yamaguchi Prefecture ) is a private museum that has an extensive collection of Japanese art up to the end of the 19th century.

Overview

When the 7th prince of the Mōri clan , Mōri Shigenari ( 毛利 重 就 ; 1725–1789) tried to put the finances of his fiefdom ( Han ) in order, he chose Goemon Yoshimitsu ( 熊 谷 五右衛門 芳 充 ; 1719–1791) and appointed him permanent purveyor to the court. Yoshimitsu met expectations, was able to negotiate on an equal footing with the purveyors to the court Konoike and Kajimaya in Osaka, and was also recognized by the market overseers. In 1768, at the age of 50, he was able to build a new property in the Imauo-no-tanamachi ( 今 魚 店 町 ) district.

This was followed by the descendants Goemon Yoshinori ( 五 右衛門 芳 慶 ; 1749–1803), Genzaemon Yoshio ( 源 左衛 門 芳 雄 ; † 1817), Goemon Yoshikazu ( 五 右衛門 義 比 ; 1795–1860), Goemon Yoshitoshi ( 五 右衛門義 敏 ; 1828–1860) and Goichi Yoshisuke ( 五一 義 右 ; 1818–1882) as purveyors to the court. From the Meiji period, the 7th head of the family followed ( 万 吉 ; 1856–1923), the 8th Nisaku ( 二 作 ; 1882–1940), the 9th Atsuyoshi ( 敦 義 ; 1890–1971) and currently the 10th head, Goemon Sachizō ( 五 右衛門 幸 三 ).

Among the various heads of families, Yoshikazu in particular was a great lover of art and a supportive scholar. It was also he who, because of an illness, had seen the doctor Philipp Franz von Siebold in Nagasaki , who at the time was working there as a doctor on Dejima . From this a friendship had developed that only ended with Siebold's departure in 1828. Siebold donated his square piano by William Rolfe to Kumaya , so that the museum houses the oldest piano in Japan. During the years of political changes, the 6th head had joined the anti- shogunate movement and had been rewarded for it.

In the course of time so many works of art had come together, plus a wide variety of ancient literature. The 9th head of the family decided in 1965 to transfer the collection to a foundation and make it accessible to the public.

The estate

The entire property (see text)

The estate of the wealthy Kumaya from the Edo period has hardly changed to this day. A number of buildings are registered as an Important Cultural Property of Japan : four buildings, namely the main building [in plan H], the main store [M], a secondary store [N] and the treasure store [S]. The main building has a porch with a terrace on the east side, which is set up as a tea house [T]. Parts of the collection are also shown in the three two-story storerooms [1] - [3].

The south-facing main building has a hipped roof that is covered with tiles. In the east there is a tea room with a small terrace. The building is well preserved. However, there was a fire on the east side on October 3, 1977, which luckily was extinguished before any major damage occurred. In 1980 the building was dismantled and reassembled after adding old parts. It was the first major overhaul in 212 years.

The total area of ​​the property is 6,200 m², the exhibition area is 242 m². The storerooms for the storage of the objects have an area of ​​179 m², the storages for the important cultural assets 300 m². The office has 80 m².

The collection

Siebold's square piano

The collection includes:

  • Adjustable screens , hanging scrolls, books: 4 hanging scrolls by Sesshū , three of which form a trypthych, a pair of adjustable screens with landscapes by Maruyama Ōkyo , a trypthichon by Kanō Tsunenobu , which has now been combined into a painting, a remarkable pair of adjustable screens by Kanō Eitoku and Adjustable screens by Soga Shohaku (1730–1781). There are also pictures of Ganku , Ike no Taiga , Tanomura Chikuden and Buson . There are also ukiyo-e , haiku collections, writings by well-known samurai , materials from various artists and authors related to Hagi, a total of around 300 pieces.
  • Devices for the tea ceremony: The collection includes a set of ten bowls made by Ogata Kenzan , Ogata Kōrin's younger brother . Nonomura Ninsei (17th century) and Aoki Mokubei are also represented with ceramics. You can also find raku ceramics by Ryōnyū and Keinyū.
  • Clothes, jewelry, furnishings.
  • Others.

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b Reading uncertain
  2. ↑ Rolfe was known for his tropical table pianos, which were often taken to the colonies.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d leaflet of the museum, Japanese.
  2. ↑ 田中誠 二 : 萩 藩 の 財政 と 御用 達 商人 . In: Yamaguchi University (ed.): や ま ぐ ち 学 の 構築 . tape 9 . Yamaguchi March 31, 2013, p. 1 ( full text ).
  3. ^ Firsts on Dejima. In: Dejima Comes Back to Life: Treasure Chest of Knowledge. Nagasaki City, accessed November 19, 2016 .
  4. ↑ a b Roberts, Laurance P .: Kumaya Art Museum . In: Roberts' Guide to Japanese Museums. Simul Press, 1987. ISBN 4-377-50737-0 . P. 162.

literature

  • Onoshita, Atsushi (Ed.): Zenkoku bijtsuka gaido . Bijutsu shuppansha, 19814.

Web links

Coordinates: 34 ° 25 ′ 0.3 "  N , 131 ° 23 ′ 46.6"  E