Visiting Rosanjin Exhibition

I went to the exhibition of Rosanjin Kitaoji at Mitsui Memorial Museum yesterday. Rosanjin is known as the last giant of the Japanese traditional art history. He was a multi-talented artist but most famously known of his ceramic works and as a gastronomist, while being an owner and producer of the luxury Japanese restaurant, Hoshigaoka Saryo. He also left more than several essays that many of them are gourmet-related.

The exhibition mainly consists of ceramics and wooden-based lacquerwares. A few of his calligraphic works are also there. Unfortunately, I do not have any photos from the exhibition to post, as no photos allowed in the museum. Instead, you can find part of the collections from the exhibition here (and here, too).

Mitsui Memorial Museum, located near Nihonbashi in the heart of Tokyo, mainly introduces masterpieces of the Japanese art through their exhibitions. They also have a vast of their own collection among the ceramics, religious sculptures, paintings, calligraphies, swords, and etc… If you’ll have a chance to visit the city in near future, the exhibition will be held until 6/26.

Lastly, this is my only Rosanjin-related ones from my tableware shelf. Five small plates that are the reproduction of Rosanjin’s works. They are small as 9.5cm diameter. I use it for serving small amusements as starters, such as olives and cheese. Or, going Japanese, they’d be salted squid, salted fish eggs, and tsukemono (pickled vegetables).