Nezu Museum facts for kids
| 根津美術館 | |
Nezu Museum entrance
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1940 |
|---|---|
| Location | 6-5-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0062, Japan |
| Type | Art museum |
| Owner | Nezu Museum Foundation |
The Nezu Museum is a cool art museum located in Tokyo, Japan. It's a special place where you can see amazing old Japanese and East Asian art. This museum was created from the private collection of a man named Nezu Kaichirō. He loved collecting beautiful art from Japan and other parts of East Asia.
The museum first opened its doors to the public in 1941. This was shortly after Nezu Kaichirō passed away in 1940. During World War II, the museum's art collection was kept safe outside of Tokyo. This protected it from damage during the bombings. The museum started showing its art again in 1946 after the war ended.
In 2006, the museum closed for a big makeover. It reopened in the fall of 2009 with a brand new building. This modern building was designed by a famous Japanese architect named Kengo Kuma.
Contents
What's Inside: The Nezu Museum's Art Collection
The Nezu Museum has more than 7,400 amazing cultural items. Some of these are super important! Seven items are called National Treasures by the Japanese government. Also, 88 items are Important Cultural Properties. Another 94 are Important Art Objects.
The museum's collection includes many different types of art. You can see beautiful paintings and fancy calligraphy. There are also sculptures, shiny metalwork, and ceramics. You'll find lacquerware, wooden and bamboo crafts, and cool textiles. Even old armor and ancient archaeological finds are there.
The Famous Irises Screen
The most famous piece in the museum is a folding screen called Irises. It was painted by an artist named Ogata Kōrin. This screen is so special, it's a National Treasure!
You can only see the Irises screen for a short time each year. It's usually displayed in April and May. This is when the real irises in the museum's beautiful Japanese garden are blooming. Nezu Kaichirō bought this screen in 1914. He loved to show it to his guests even before the museum officially opened.
Other Cool Collections
The museum also has a huge collection of Japanese sword fittings. These are the decorative parts of Japanese swords. There are 1,200 of them! They were collected by a businessman named Mitsumura Toshimo.
You can also see ancient Chinese bronzes at the museum. These pieces come from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. These dynasties were very old, going back thousands of years!
Gallery
-
Inside the museum
-
Another view of the museum's interior
-
The outside entrance area
-
The Nezu Cafe
-
A view of the beautiful garden
-
Another view of the garden
-
Irises by Ogata Kōrin (left panel), a National Treasure
-
Irises by Ogata Kōrin (Right panel), also a National Treasure
-
Mountain Stream in Summer and Autumn by Suzuki Kiitsu (left panel), an Important Cultural Property
-
Mountain Stream in Summer and Autumn by Suzuki Kiitsu (right panel), also an Important Cultural Property
See also
- List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (writings)
