Detail: The show comprises nearly forty masterpieces of the Tang (618–906), Song (960–1279), Yuan (1260–1368), and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties owned by Japanese museums—many of which have never been displayed outside of Japan. This is the first major exhibition in America to explore the history of collecting Chinese paintings in Japan over a period of six centuries

The exhibition demonstrates Japan’s historical role in preserving a large part of China’s cultural and artistic heritage during three key phases in Japanese history: the Kamakura and Muromachi period (14th–16th centuries); the Edo period (17th–19th centuries); and the Meiji, Taishô, and early Shôwa periods (early 20th century). Chinese paintings functioned in Japan as symbols of Chinese culture, indicators of social status, and models for major traditions of Japanese painting, such as Zen and Kanô School painting. Altogether, the exhibition tells an extraordinary story about the preservation of Chinese painting in Japan.