EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

For this exhibition, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum attempts to shed unique light on the humble vessel—one of the most familiar and ubiquitous utensils humanity has ever developed—through an exhibition featuring carefully selected works from our private collection of fine arts and crafts. Consisting of some 120 pieces of the highest order, the exhibition delves into the birth of the common vessel and presents a fascinating and diverse array of works whose beauty and utility transcend time and national borders. They range from vessels crafted by aesthetic perspectives forged through the mingling of different cultures to traditional Japanese urns used for rituals or celebrations; also included are contemporary pieces created for the art of table coordination as well as the proposed vessels of tomorrow. We hope viewers may not only come to appreciate these works, which have proudly withstood the test of time, for their intrinsic value, but to find equally fascinating the historical and regional narrative that each vessel has to tell. This exhibition, we believe, will provide people of all ages a rare opportunity to rediscover the allure and wonder of a long overlooked friend, enjoy how vessels have evolved from the ancient past to modernity, and envision how they will look and serve us in the years ahead.