The Miniature World Exhibition by Yoshitada Tanaka Microcosm paintings on clamshells – Traditional industrial art in Japan

The Nippon Gallery at The Nippon Club is pleased to host the exhibition of Microcosm paintings on clamshells by Yoshitada Tanaka.

Yoshitada Tanaka, a rare handicraft artist of shell painting, will present an exhibition of beautifully painted shells. Mr. Tanaka’s shell painting is closely related to the “shell matching” game played during the Heian period (794-1185) and also in later periods as part of the tea ceremony. Mr. Tanaka’s work combines styles of both old and modern Japan. Unlike traditional shell paintings, Mr. Tanaka’s half shells do not mirror each other with the same scene. Instead, each half shell has a different scene and when complete, the two scenes tell a story. Pictures are usually drawn inside the shell with lacquer paint and the outsides are plated with gold. The elaborately painted shells are items of treasure and highly valued. Without a magnifying glass, we could not see the pictures painted in microscopic detail.

At this exhibition, 80 microcosm paintings depicting natural beauties of four seasons, Buddhist paintings, famous scenes from “the Tale of Genji” and “the Tale of the Heike”, popular buildings in New York, Venice and Switzerland and fantastic scenes of Christmas will be exhibited.

Please enjoy the world of microcosm in the clamshells by Yoshitada Tanaka.

■　Special lecture on by Yoshitada Tanaka
(Will be conducted in Japanese)
Friday, September 25, 2015 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Please RSVP to yhonda@nipponclub.org