A Japanese Bestiary, Maison de la Culture du Japon

 

A new show just opened at one of my favorite small museums in Paris ; a Japanese Bestiary at Maison de la Culture du Japon.

Organized with the Edo-Tokyo museum, more than 100 works of art showing how animals were integrated into quotidien life in Tokyo (18th - 19th century).

Secrets de la Beauté exhibit, maison de la Culture de Japon

In October I saw this poster in the metro and ran there same day. I have to stop running. I keep forgetting this is not New York 

The point is in this somewhat off the beaten track museum in the 15eme,  Maison de la Culture du Japon close by the Eiffel tower has consistently extraordinary exhibits. This one was no exception. Yes, more Japanese prints PBers. Bear with me please 

The walls of this exhibit are painted to match the woodblock prints in shades of coral and Prussian blue. The focuses is on essential everyday beauty treatments and accessories used by Japanese women of the Edo period.

Exquisite hand mirrors, compacts, powder jars, mixing bowls, makeup brushes.

A small lacquered set of drawers - all treasured works of art. 

How unusual that the finest artists of the day chose to record these daily beauty routines Everyone can relate to in prints.

Interesting that today’s beauty magazines bombard us with images of perfect, unobtainable women. Who can relate?  The work in process aspect is completely lost. 

This video of a contemporary geisha traditionally applying thick white paint to her face.

A woman checking the back view of her ‘do’. Who hasn’t done that? I should do it more often.

Miniature-sized sample wigs for women to choose their hair styles.

A woman standing before her mirror - an abstract, geometric mass of printed patterns. One foot, one arm and her head emerges, combing a long stream of hair. Immediately recognizable yet not very realistic.

No wonder Degas was an avid collector of Japanese prints, based his pastel bathers on these woodblock prints. Women, caught in an intimate moment, doing their daily ablutions. Nothing sexual about these images. A moment of everyday life captured.

Who would think the ‘Gibson Girl’s’ upsweep was based on elaborate hairstyles of Japanese women. But they are according to Japonisme expert Lise Martinot. The exhibit is on till March 6th 🤞 

Thank you for buying the new artists 6-pack It’s raining again today 🌂 in Paris. The other day was clear, in the 50’s. Parisians were perched on the banks/berges, contemplating the rising Seine, meditating. I grabbed a shot and ran as usual. This could be a Hokusai landscape ☂️☂️☂