Exploring auspicious symbols in Japanese art at Museum of the Imperial Collections

The legendary Mt. Penglai (or Horaisan in Japanese), was believed to be the land of immortals in Chinese mythology. The legendary phoenix was a sign of harmony and peace, or presaged the coming of a virtuous ruler of the land. Given the proximity of the two cultures, there is no wonder these and other symbols were adopted by Japanese artists as auspicious motifs. Horaisan, in Japanese art, would in time be replaced by the sacred Mt. Fuji. The phoenix, on the other hand, was frequently incorporated into works associated with the Imperial Household.

Inviting Fortune: Auspicious Symbols in Japanese Art

Jan 4 (Sat) – Mar 2 (Sun), 2025

The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan
(East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo)

*See outline below for details

The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan is welcoming the new year (2025) with “Inviting Fortune: Auspicious Symbols in Japanese Art,” an exhibition highlighting zuisho (auspicious symbols) in various forms represented in Japanese calligraphy, paintings and decorative arts, which were passed down in the Imperial Family and are now kept in the museum.

Among the works to go on display in the exhibition include those by famed artists from pre-modern and modern Japan such as Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800) and Yokoyama Taikan (1868-1958). The “White Phoenix on an Old Pine Tree” (ca. 1766) from Jakuchu’s Colorful Realm of Living Beings series (collectively designated as a national treasure of Japan) is an absolute must-see. The stunning “Phoenix and Rising Sun” (ca. 1755), another painting by the Edo-period artist, will also go on view.

Decorative craft work representing other auspicious symbols such as the Treasure Ship “Nagasaki-maru” (1916) by Ezaki Eizo (1878-1965), and an Edo-period incense burner in the shape of a mythical qilin (kirin in Japanese) will also be on display.

The exhibition opens on Jan. 4, 2025, and runs through March 2, 2025.

*All works included in the exhibition are housed at The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan