Japanese Galleries at the British Museum

On Friday 5th July I went to the Japanese Galleries at the British Museum because I am very interested in Japanese history. The room captivated me before we even entered due to the wonderful display of netsuke just outside. These small figures, usually made of ivory or wood, were used as toggles on the traditional Japanese kimono. They are fascinating because each tiny figurine tells a story. My particular favourites included a Dutchman, who was carved with a comically large nose, and a badger dressed as a priest, which was just bizarre.

Once through the doors, my attention was grabbed by a full-size tea hut representing those that would have been used for tea ceremonies. I was also interested by the board explaining all of the different eras/periods in Japanese history, because I have never really understood it before! Just as we had begun to take in the rest of the amazing artefacts in the room, a free tour was announced, which we jumped at the chance to participate in. The volunteer leading the tour was very knowledgeable about Japanese history and culture and explained several of the most important objects in depth. I loved the Samurai warrior’s weapons and armour, which looked terrifying! Apparently we can now learn about the origin of a Samurai sword from the wavy line down the centre of it. I was also taken by the jōmon pots, which are decorated by pressing cords of string or rope into the wet clay to make beautiful patterns.

Our guide explained a lot about Japanese Buddhism as well, which was really fascinating. It seems that the Japanese adopted a lot of ideas and customs from India and China and then adapted them to suit their culture. For example any statues of the Buddha have distinctively Indian aspects but are clearly made in Japan due to the materials used. I was surprised to discover that Samurai warriors were often actually devout Buddhists who believed strongly in rebirth, because I was under the impression that Buddhists generally didn’t believe in violence.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the room, however, was the area where the artefacts were fairly modern. The intricately painted Perry Scroll, recently acquired by the Museum, tells the story of the American Commodore Perry’s visit to Japan in 1854. This is a definite must-see as it will only remain on display for a couple more months. There were also some intriguing artefacts from the Russo-Japanese War and World War 2, as well as some wonderful pieces of modern Japanese art. I was interested by a painting of Emperor Meiji receiving the Order of the Garter from Prince Arthur of Connaught in 1906; it seemed quite strange.

Overall I would definitely recommend a visit to the British Museum’s Japanese Galleries!

Japanese Galleries

Text by Alice French, the Stephen Perse Foundation