'Ink And Gold: Art Of The Kano' Opens Final Presentation Of Works At Phila. Museum Of Art
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Art Museum is hosting a show that is unique in the world.
It is an exhibit of gold and ink artwork, created for Japan's feudal leaders over the course of nearly 400 years. Some of it has never before left the building for which it was painted.
KYW's Pat Loeb reports the final part of the three-cycle show has just opened.
The Kano family were the pre-eminent artists of 15th Century Japan so when the military Shogun came to power, in that era, they of course wanted Kano art to decorate their castles.
"They wanted to show off their good taste."
Curator Felice Fisher says the Kano school dominated Japanese art until the end of the Shogun era, scenes of nature and popular stories rendered on sliding doors and silk scrolls, often on gold leaf backgrounds -- and now extremely fragile, kept out of the light in temples and museums.
"Many of these are not usually available for the public to see so it took many a visit and many a cup of tea to convince them that Philadelphia was the right place to share their treasures."
No piece could be exposed to light for more than four weeks so it's taken three cycles to complete the show. This final part closes May 10th.
