Tenri Sankokan Museum (Image source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/26662009)

Two news videos (in Japanese only) about recent exhibitions at institutions affiliated Tenri University were posted the other day. Here are translations of the narration from the videos:

Between October 19 and November 6, Tenri Central Library held an exhibition entitled, “Literati from Premodern Japan: Personalities Reflected in Hand-Written Manuscripts” to commemorate its 81st anniversary .

The exhibition featured a total of 50 items from scholars and poets active between the Azuchi-Momoyama (1336–1573) and Edo (1603–1868) periods.

Among the items that attracted the most attention were manuscripts of Bashō Matsuo’s Nozarashi Kikō (Record of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton) and Motoori Norinaga’s Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), the latter which happens to have been designated an Important Cultural Property (juyo bijitsuhin).

Visitors perhaps caught glimpses into the personalities of the figures who left us these hand-written manuscripts.

Tenri Sankokan Museum opened its 64th feature exhibition, entitled, “Popular Prints from the Chinese World: Invitations and Prayers for Good Fortune” on October 5.

The exhibition presents roughly 60 examples of what are called minkan hanga 民間版画 or popular prints, one of China’s many cultural traditions. Included in the exhibition are prints of deities (shinzozu 神像図), intended as objects for worship; monga 門画 or art to display on gates; and sakko 紮糊, which were used at rites of passage and funerals. The exhibit is scheduled to run until December 5.

On October 15, two guest lecturers who have spent many years researching Chinese popular prints gave special presentations to coincide with the feature exhibition.

Ryo Miyama (Daito Bunka University) gave a presentation on popular prints in China. Yang Yung-ji楊永智 (Tunghai University) presented his research on traditional prints in Taiwan.

Those attending were able to catch a glimpse of popular culture in mainland China and Taiwan through a discussion of prints used in everyday life.

The exhibition will run until December 5.

Related articles on Tenrikyo website (Japanese only)

• 天理図書館開館81周年記念展「近世の文人たち」開催(11月5日記)
• 天理参考館 第64回企画展「中華世界の民間版画――招福の祈り」開催(11月5日記)

Tags: Doyusha video, jp-en, Sankokan Museum, Tenri Central Library, translation, Youtube