Past Exhibitions

Sumi, or black ink has been used to draw suiboku-ga, or ink painting, and do calligraphy.

With the use of just black ink, the artists’ feelings are exuded through calligraphy, also various living beings such as people and sceneries can be freely depicted as if by magic.

This exhibition explores the art of Japanese ink painting on hanging scrolls, folding screens and more.   

The moon is Earth’s only natural satellite which shines on the night because its surface reflects light from the sun. Before 1873, lunisolar calendars, which indicates both the moon phases and the time of the solar year, were used in Japan for many centuries. Moon viewing permeated the daily lives of the Japanese and variety of names have been given to the moon that describe its phases. The beautiful and mysterious light shining at quiet night inspired people to create paintings, compose poems and write tales.

This exhibition brings together the moon in art including 33 works from the series of ukiyo-e woodblock prints “One Hundred Aspects of the Moon” by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, along with the tales of the moon.

Sasabe Shintaro spent his life of over 90 years researching, protecting and nurturing Japan’s ancient wild cherry blossom trees. While conducting his research, he collected items related to cherry blossom trees, such as works of art, books and more. Through his collection, he hoped to connect with more people regarding his research, to glean from others’ knowledge and deepen his own. Today, his collection is one of Japan’s foremost collections pertaining to cherry blossom trees, and consists of a wide variety of items including hanging scrolls, Nishiki-e paintings, sake vessels, tea utensils, folding fans and tanzaku paper.

This exhibition features various works relating to six themes: drinking, eating, living, painting, composing poems and learning.

Under the cozy sunlight of spring, cherry blossoms in full bloom fascinate us, but experiencing the cherry blossoms depicted through art is comparable! We welcome you to enjoy the works of art which capture our hearts in various scenes in our daily lives.

Hina dolls and Boy’s Festival dolls are displayed yearly to pray for the healthy growth and happiness of children. This annual exhibition, ‘Sekku no Ningyō’(Dolls of the Seasonal Festivals), displays the dolls collected by the Tatsuuma family, a sake brewer in Nishinomiya.

This exhibition brings together various dolls made by a renowned Kyoto doll maker Ōki Heizō. His excellent skills can be seen in his works, such as a set of fifteen 7cm-hina dolls called “Ni-sun Hina Dolls” and an elaborate ornamental armor with metal fittings and embroidery.

Also featured is a special exhibition titled “ The Small World of Dolls Made by Contemporary Master Craftsman Sakiyama Chisui (Owned by Maruhei Bunko)” which showcases about 100 tiny works of various dolls and netsuke made by a dollmaker Sakiyama Chisui. This exhibition was made possible by the owner of the dolls Marukei Bunko, the reference room of Maruhei Ōki Ningyō Store.

Please visit the museum to enjoy the world of dolls!

Our annual exhibition with the theme ‘The Deities of Good Fortune’ coincides with the “Toka Ebisu Festival” held at Nishinomiya-jinja Shrine.

This year’s exhibition displays goods related to the deity Ebisu, and collected by the late Dr. Horiuchi Kiyoshi (1924 – 2009), particularly of which he was attached to. He began collecting the goods of the deity Ebisu after he became the first president of the Young Men’s Association of Nishinomiya-jinja Shrine (“Wakaebisukai”).

About Horiuchi Ebisu Collection

“Horiuchi Ebisu Collection” is a collection which the late Dr. Horiuchi Kiyoshi (1924 – 2009) collected over many years. He was a doctor of Medical Science as well as a local historian. Born and raised in Nishinomiya, his collection mainly consists of works of art related to the deities of good fortune representing Ebisu, as well as documents regarding local history and manners and customs.

◎Upcoming Exhibition◎
Dolls of the Seasonal Festivals
Maruhei Bunko Collection:　The Small World of Dolls by Sakiyama Chisui

Jan. 29 (Sat.),2021 〜 Mar. 6 (Sun.),2022

This exhibition showcases  the dolls collected by the Tatsuuma family, a sake brewer in Nishinomiya, and the small dolls created by an artist Sakiyama Chisui which are owned by Maruhei Bunko of Kyoto.

In various works of Japanese art such as Nishiki-e paintings, illustration books and hanging scrolls, there are depictions of the vibrant lives of the people of those days. This exhibition highlights artworks with scenes of people energetically working to make a living, enjoying time with friends, and devoting themselves to hobbies. The varied activities shown in the artworks enable us to know of the fullness of the peoples’ lives. 

Bamboo can be found all across Japan and is often thought to represent the ideal way for a human to conduct their life because of their nodes and upright stance. Bamboo is also regarded as a symbol of nobility and prosperity. Their hard, yet supple stems have been used as materials in daily use items and handicrafts, from hoops to bound wooden tubs and casks.

Through various works of art related to bamboo, this exhibition introduces the culture of bamboo that has become familiar in the daily life of Japanese people.

Sasabe Shintaro (1887-1987) devoted his life to protect and nurture Japan’s ancient wild cherry blossom trees. Sasabe wished to make the culture surrounding cherry blossom trees flourish even more than during the Edo period (1603-1867), when the cherry blossom viewing and gardening began to be popular, and when gardens with varieties of cherry blossoms appeared. The Mikuma School, known for exclusively painting cherry blossom trees, also began during this period.

This exhibition focuses on the Edo period cherry blossom trees featured in hanging scrolls, Nishiki-e paintings, books and more.