Friday, November 11, 2016

Tokyo National Museum

November 4th, 2016

Bill and I got ourselves to the Tokyo National Museum, 3 trains and then quite a walk to the Museum, but there was a bonus. When we asked for a wheelchair we found it was free entry for Senior citizens.

The main building of the museum originally opened in 1872, but destroyed in the 1923 earthquake and rebuilt and reopened in 1938.
Interesting finial on the roof of the museum


Japanese sculpture. I think it dates from about the 13thC. Unfortunately no photography was allowed in the next gallery - swords. The swords were extraordinary - bright and shiny after 400 years.
An example of magnificent 16thC lacquerware.
Haniwa terracotta figure of a horse which would have been placed in a grave probably in the 6thC A.D.
National Treasure a bronze plaque.

Japanese Mr. Punch, originally in the Horyu-Ji temple near Nara. It is a Rikishi mask, used for Gigaku dances in the 8thC.
Beautiful Gardens around the museum.
I have a soft spot for sheep sculpture.
Dodging crows makes a change from magpies!
It was a surprise to find a statue of Edward Jenner, the English doctor who developed vaccination and the resulting immunity against smallpox in the museum gardens.

1 comment:

  1. Free entry is a good deal. Did they have wheelchairs too?

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