Artworks Loved by the Ladies of the Fukuoka Clan

-The history of family treasure viewed from ladies perspective-

This exhibition is the fourth edition of series exhibition entitled; “The Fukuoka City Museum meets The Fukuoka Art Museum: Treasures of Kuroda Family Series”

This exhibition features works of art used by ladies of the Kuroda Family from the Fukuoka Clan.

Most of the items used by lords of Fukuoka Clan, especially Yoshitaka and Nagamasa, the founder and the first lord of the Fukuoka clan respectively, were mentioned in Juhouki, a treasure list of the family. These items on the list were recognized as family treasures and have been valued and passed over from generation to generation.
However, what kind of items ladies of the family were using is unclear. In this exhibition, we will explain how these items used by ladies of Kuroda, acquired by the family by showing items considered to be used by ladies together with some family record.

The most notable artifact in the exhibition is a folded screen owned by Shinkuin or Rokuko, a wife of Tsunamasa the fourth lord.

 Shinkuin was from Tachibana family in Yanagawa, Fukuoka. Interestingly, the image on the folded screen doesn’t depict Yanagawa, her hometown, but the different location. It depicts scenery of Matsushima bay in Sendai, which is one of Japan's three most scenic views.
Considering the fact that Shinkuin’s mother was from Date family of the Sendai clan, the folded screen might have gifted to Shinkuin from her mother as a legacy.
It looks like the folded screen has a lot of heartwarming stories behind it, don’t you think?
Explore the history of family treasure viewed from ladies’ perspective!

Posted by Takamura