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Asian Art Calendar of Events

Thursday, March 28, 2024


Exhibition Public - Europe & Africa

1873 – Japan comes to Europe

Weltmuseum Wien
Heldenplatz,
Vienna, Austria
Oct 25, 2017 To Jun 30, 2018


Detail: The World's Fair in Vienna in 1873 marked an important moment in the history of Japan. After being forced by external pressure to open up, and after an interior restructuring of the country, Japan found itself in turmoil. Following the abolition of the old feudal system in the course of the Meiji Restoration, Japan endeavoured to present itself in Europe as a modern state.

A commission, to which also foreigners such as the brothers Alexander and Heinrich von Siebold belonged, was formed in Japan. According to the officially published catalogue, this group compiled over 6,000 objects to be presented in Vienna.

A key theme of the exhibition in Vienna was architecture, and one of the largest items exhibited in the Japanese pavilion at that time was the model of a daimyō residence of the Edo period (1600 – 1868); this is the central piece of this gallery. Objects from the collection of the World Museum Vienna serve to illustrate the residence of a feudal lord and member of the Japanese military elite.

The second half of the room is devoted to the cultural exchange between Japan and Europe in the Meiji period (1868 – 1912). The artistic movement of Japonism was a Western response to the new language of forms, and Japanese ornament found its way into, amongst other things, Art Nouveau style.

Daily except Wednesday
10 am to 6 pm

Friday
until 9 pm

Phone No.: +43 1 534 30-5052
Contact Email: [email protected]
Site URL: https://www.weltmuseumwien.at/en/permanent-exhibition/#japan-comes-to-europe



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