For centuries, the Japanese have practiced rituals to honor and please the kami, the higher beings believed to inhabit the natural world and influence the weather, harvest and our general well being. This religion, later named Shinto, originally had no imagery or art, but, under the influence of Buddhism, sculptures and paintings of kami were created, and Shinto shrines became more elaborate.
Among the most intriguing Shinto art objects are the votive plaques known as ema, inscribed with prayers and then hung at shrines for the kami to read. When Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century AD, it was already 1,000 years old and possessed a complex iconography and wide array of art forms. Soon, Japanese artists were sculpting elegant bronze and wooded Buddhist deities, printing Buddhist texts and images with woodblocks, and painting Buddhist scenes on silk as hangings to be worshipped in temples and homes.
The Religious Arts of Japan was guest-curated by Meher McArthur and will remain on view through October 31, 2007.
The Gallery of Japanese Art in Pacific Asia Museum features paintings, prints, textiles, ceramics, lacquer wares, and netsuke from the museum's renowned collection that rotate periodically in thematic displays. Highlights of the 498 sq. ft. gallery include a traditional tatami mat area with an alcove (tokonoma) used for displays of paintings, calligraphy scrolls and floral arrangements as they would be shown in a traditional Japanese home, temple, or tea room. Another key feature is the rare 15th -century Buddhist temple ceiling donated to Pacific Asia Museum especially for this gallery. -- www.pacificasiamuseum.org
