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Gunze Museum in Kyoto Holds a Special Ukiyo-e Exhibition
The Theme of the Exhibition is "The Connection between the Silk Industry and the Traditional Handicrafts in Ikaruga Ward (Present Ayabe City, Kyoto)"
Osaka-Gunze Limited (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan, President: Toshiyasu Saguchi) [TOKYO: 3002] is pleased to announce that the Gunze Museum in Ayabe City, Kyoto, the birthplace of the company, will hold an Ukiyo-e special exhibition and a Kurotani Washi special exhibition simultaneously from May 13, 2023, in cooperation with the Kurotani Washi Cooperative Association. Let's enjoy the history of the connection between Gunze and Kurotani Washi, which has supported the lives of people in the old Ikaruga Ward in Kyoto.
About Gunze ukiyo-e prints special exhibition
- Exhibition period & time
- From Saturday, May 13 to Sunday, May 21
09:00-16:00 - Place
- Gunze museum in Mirai Gura gallary
1 Zeze, Aono-cho, Ayabe-city, Kyoto - Admission
- Free
- Exhibits
- From the Ukiyo-e collection of the Gunze Museum, this exhibition features ukiyo-e prints related to the sericulture landscape of the Edo period and washi, "traditional Japanese handmade paper" used in the sericulture industry.
- Support
- Kurotani Washi Cooperative Association
Introduction of ukiyo-e prints for display
Ukiyo-e is a type of Japanese woodblock print that was popular from the Edo period to the Meiji period; many ukiyo-e prints were created to depict the lifestyle, customs and fashions of the time, with nishiki-e, or multi-color woodblock prints, being particularly popular with people. This exhibition featured works related to washi: Japanese traditional handmade paper used in the sericulture industry.
"Gods of Fortune dealing with raw silk" by Utagawa Fusatane
Seven gods of fortune are shown as merchants dealing with raw silk. The cocoons are about to overflow and the raw silk, wrapped and bundled in cocoon bags and wrapping paper, conveys the wish for a prosperous business.
About Kurotani Washi Special Exhibition
- Exhibition period & time
- Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14
10:00-16:00 - Place
- Gunze museum in Tsudoi Gura gallary
1 Zeze, Aono-cho, Ayabe-city, Kyoto - Admission
- Free
- History of Kurotani Washi
- Kurotani Washi has an 800-year history and is said to have originated as a means of subsistence for defeated Heike clan soldiers hiding from their pursuers in the mountains. Since then, the village of Kurotani has been recognized as the home of traditional handmade paper, an art that has touched the majority of the villagers.
Although they mainly made paper for everyday use (shoji doors, lanterns, etc.), various incentives led to further development of the craft, and in the Edo period a large amount of paper was made for use in connection with kimono in Kyoto, due to the village's proximity to the ancient capital. With the development of silkworm farming after the Meiji period, paper was also made for use in cocoon bags. Over the years, the uses of Kurotani Washi have changed from practical to more commercial applications, and more recently the area has become the home of traditional handmade Japanese paper throughout Japan, developing a range of paper and other products such as postcards, writing paper, art paper, and craft paper for everyday use. - Exhibits
- History of Kurotani Washi through photos and products
"Kurotani Washi handmade process in old days
About Gunze
Gunze was founded in 1896 by Tsurukichi Hatano in Ikaruga Ward (now Ayabe City) to promote the local silkworm industry. The founder had an enthusiastic determination to contribute to the development of his hometown community by promoting the local silk industry. He believed that this should serve as Ikaruga's policy, so he named his company Gunze Silk Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (later renamed Gunze Limited), with "Gunze" meaning "district policy" in Japanese. Today, Gunze is a leading designer and manufacturer of plastic films, engineering plastics, medical devices, electronic components, apparel and other products. Gunze employs more than 5,600 people in 10 countries around the world.