February 20, 2013 Two new exhibits at the Freer Gallery explore
the riches of the Japanese art collections and reveal how pieces
of everyday life make appearances in works of art. Together,
“Arts of Japan: Edo Aviary and Poetic License: Making Old Worlds
New” show how artists of the Edo period (1603 to 1868) were
influenced by a growing field of natural history, as well as
evolving literary traditions and practices. Selections from the
exhibits, depicting some of these elegant representations of
birds and bards, are featured here. The Edo period (Edo was the
former name of today’s Tokyo) was remarkably peaceful and
stable. Japan was largely closed off to the rest of the world
during this period. Though isolated, the country was still able
to foster local cultures and take advantage of the new printing
technologies. Everything from poetry to popular literature was
printed and circulated and artists, in turn, incorporated themes
of the day into their works. One scene (below) referenced the
well-known Tale of Ge