Department VI - Far Eastern Art
Department VI - Far Eastern Art
Orientalia from Feliks Jasieński's collection were exhibited several times in the National Museum in Krakow before World War II, while the collector was still alive. In 1934 a permanent exhibition of his collections was opened in the Szołayski House, a branch of the National Museum dedicated to Feliks Jasieński, which presented a selection of the works he donated to the Museum.
After the war several exhibitions were held focusing on various areas of oriental art. On a number of occasions these included Japanese woodblock prints (selected works). For example in 1960 a large exhibition of woodblock prints by Katsushiki Hokusai was held to mark the two hundredth anniversary of the artist's birthday.
In 1959 an exhibition of Chinese ceramics was organised. Another important event was the exhibition of oriental lacquerware from Polish collections. Oriental works from the collections of the National Museum in Krakow were also shown outside the Museum in exhibitions based on various themes: Japanese arms and armour (1970, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in Łódź; 1991-92, the National Museum in Kielce), Indonesian art (1974, the Ethnographic Museum in Krakow), and the world of Japanese legends (1978, the Culture Centre of the Oświęcim Chemical Works in Oświęcim). There was also a major exhibition in 1980 – 81: Influences of Japanese Art in the Painting and Prints of Polish Modernism, which was held in the main building of the Krakow Society of Friends of Fine Arts and in the National Museum in Kielce.
In 1988, as part of the International Prints Biennal in Krakow, the Museum organised the exhibition Ukiyo-e. Early Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Collection of the National Museum in Krakow. The Feliks Jasieński Collection. A landmark event in the history of introducing Asian works of art to a wider public was the exhibition held in 1989: Manggha – Works from the Collection of Feliks 'Manggha' Jasieński. On the occasion of the International Prints Triennal in 1997 another large exhibition was held: Hiroshige. On the Artist's 200th Birthday to mark the two hundredth anniversary of the birthday of one of the greatest masters of the Japanese woodblock print.
In 2001 the Manga – Manggha – Manga exhibition was held, which contrasted two important forms of Japanese art: traditional woodblock and modern comics.
Exhibitions outside Poland
The Jasieński collection, as well as all of the exhibitions mentioned above based on its resources, have also been exhibited outside Poland. Woodblock prints from the collection were first shown at the Staatliche Museum in Berlin at the end of 1966. In 1980 the most valuable objects from the collection were shown at the Porando hizo ukiyo-e meisaku ten exhibition which toured ten Japanese cities. In 1990 two exhibitions were organised: the first of them Japan in Fin de Siecle Poland. Feliks Jasieński’s Collection of Japanese Art. Polish Modernism was held in several Japanese cities; the other, Japanische Holzschnitte aus dem Nationalmuseum in Krakau accompanied a Japanese themed festival in Frankfurt am Main. In 1998 for the first time around 300 woodblock prints were sent to Japan at the request of the Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo.
Almost all of the above-mentioned exhibitions were accompanied by catalogues prepared by the Department's curators and a team of experts. Besides its exhibitions the Museum also conducts lectures, research and activities promoting the Museum's oriental collection both in Poland and abroad.
Gallery of Early Japanese Art
The inauguration in 1994 of the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology, which was founded on the initiative of Andrzej Wajda and Krystyna Zachwatowicz as a branch of the National Museum in Krakow, marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Department. An extensive presentation of, and introduction to the newly opened gallery Japanese Art of the Past could be found in the accompanying publication Japanese Art in the Collections of the National Museum in Krakow. The aim of this permanent gallery was to present as broad a perspective as possible of Japanese art and decorative art.
The exhibits on display include fine examples of painting, woodblock prints, lacquer and bronze artefacts, arms and armour, ceramics and fabrics. Because of the extreme sensitivity of many of the objects they are displayed according to a rotation system. The exhibition also introduces an element of variety by displaying selected works from the collection of the Department of Far Eastern Art deposited in the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology by the National Museum.
Beata Romanowicz
Curator of the Department of Far Eastern Art of the National Museum in Krakow
After the war several exhibitions were held focusing on various areas of oriental art. On a number of occasions these included Japanese woodblock prints (selected works). For example in 1960 a large exhibition of woodblock prints by Katsushiki Hokusai was held to mark the two hundredth anniversary of the artist's birthday.
In 1959 an exhibition of Chinese ceramics was organised. Another important event was the exhibition of oriental lacquerware from Polish collections. Oriental works from the collections of the National Museum in Krakow were also shown outside the Museum in exhibitions based on various themes: Japanese arms and armour (1970, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in Łódź; 1991-92, the National Museum in Kielce), Indonesian art (1974, the Ethnographic Museum in Krakow), and the world of Japanese legends (1978, the Culture Centre of the Oświęcim Chemical Works in Oświęcim). There was also a major exhibition in 1980 – 81: Influences of Japanese Art in the Painting and Prints of Polish Modernism, which was held in the main building of the Krakow Society of Friends of Fine Arts and in the National Museum in Kielce.
In 1988, as part of the International Prints Biennal in Krakow, the Museum organised the exhibition Ukiyo-e. Early Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Collection of the National Museum in Krakow. The Feliks Jasieński Collection. A landmark event in the history of introducing Asian works of art to a wider public was the exhibition held in 1989: Manggha – Works from the Collection of Feliks 'Manggha' Jasieński. On the occasion of the International Prints Triennal in 1997 another large exhibition was held: Hiroshige. On the Artist's 200th Birthday to mark the two hundredth anniversary of the birthday of one of the greatest masters of the Japanese woodblock print.
In 2001 the Manga – Manggha – Manga exhibition was held, which contrasted two important forms of Japanese art: traditional woodblock and modern comics.
Exhibitions outside Poland
The Jasieński collection, as well as all of the exhibitions mentioned above based on its resources, have also been exhibited outside Poland. Woodblock prints from the collection were first shown at the Staatliche Museum in Berlin at the end of 1966. In 1980 the most valuable objects from the collection were shown at the Porando hizo ukiyo-e meisaku ten exhibition which toured ten Japanese cities. In 1990 two exhibitions were organised: the first of them Japan in Fin de Siecle Poland. Feliks Jasieński’s Collection of Japanese Art. Polish Modernism was held in several Japanese cities; the other, Japanische Holzschnitte aus dem Nationalmuseum in Krakau accompanied a Japanese themed festival in Frankfurt am Main. In 1998 for the first time around 300 woodblock prints were sent to Japan at the request of the Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo.
Almost all of the above-mentioned exhibitions were accompanied by catalogues prepared by the Department's curators and a team of experts. Besides its exhibitions the Museum also conducts lectures, research and activities promoting the Museum's oriental collection both in Poland and abroad.
Gallery of Early Japanese Art
The inauguration in 1994 of the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology, which was founded on the initiative of Andrzej Wajda and Krystyna Zachwatowicz as a branch of the National Museum in Krakow, marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Department. An extensive presentation of, and introduction to the newly opened gallery Japanese Art of the Past could be found in the accompanying publication Japanese Art in the Collections of the National Museum in Krakow. The aim of this permanent gallery was to present as broad a perspective as possible of Japanese art and decorative art.
The exhibits on display include fine examples of painting, woodblock prints, lacquer and bronze artefacts, arms and armour, ceramics and fabrics. Because of the extreme sensitivity of many of the objects they are displayed according to a rotation system. The exhibition also introduces an element of variety by displaying selected works from the collection of the Department of Far Eastern Art deposited in the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology by the National Museum.
Beata Romanowicz
Curator of the Department of Far Eastern Art of the National Museum in Krakow