EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Our fascination with princes and princesses transcends age and eras, their storybook appeal lying deep within the modern psyche. Who among us, after all, does not long to shine as the prince or princess of the one we love? And that’s precisely why the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum has organized the “The Fabled, Finicky, Fascinating World of Princes and Princesses” exhibition as a summer vacation special for children of all ages and the child at heart. The exhibition is comprised of two parts. Part One, “Princes and Princesses of the Make-Believe World,” focuses on the most famous of fables, from Cinderella to Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, through a host of highly prized illustrated children’s books, specially reproduced life-sized costumes and related collectibles. They draw the viewer back in time, when their stories of success taught us such values as courage, chivalry and fortitude. Entitled “Princes and Princesses of the Real World,” Part Two introduces the lives of such renowned figures as Napoleon and Empress Josephine, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. On display are their wardrobes, ornaments and jewelry, as well as photographs and other memorabilia—the personal accouterments that helped define the legacies, no matter how inspiring or controversial, of real-life princes and princesses. “The Fabled, Finicky, Fascinating World of Princes and Princesses” exhibition is an entertaining potpourri of fantasy and fact, of life imitating fiction without, at times, the happiest of endings, for an entire family to enjoy on a hot summer day.