Irises and Eight Bridges

Iris laevigata / 杜若(カキツバタ) 
by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) /flickr
Kakitsubata(Rabbit-Ear Iris, Iris laevigata)

The exhibition "Irises and Eight Bridges" is being held at the Nezu Museum(根津美術館) in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo from April 21st to May 20th.
Please refer to the museum's website for more information.



根津美術館 by Kentaro Ohno /flickr
The Nezu Museum

The national treasure "Kakitsubata-zu-Byoubu(燕子花図屏風)" screens owned by this museum and "Yatsuhashi-zu-Byoubu(八橋図屏風, Eight Bridges)" screens from The Metropolitan Museum of Art are being exhibited.



根津美術館 by Kentaro Ohno /flickr
The Nezu Museum

根津美術館 by Kentaro Ohno /flickr
The Nezu Museum

Each of them is a pair of gold-ground six-panel screens by Ogata Korin(尾形 光琳,1658-1716). These paintings are based on a scene from the Yatsuhashi(Eight Bridges) section of The Tales of Ise.
(Refer to http://ichinen-fourseasonsinjapan.blogspot.jp/2010/05/kakitsubata-rabbit-ear-iris.html for more information about the tale.)



The museum has its garden. The rabbit-ear irises in the garden are fully in bloom now.

根津美術館　庭園 by na0905 /flickr
garden in the Nezu Museum

根津美術館　庭園 by na0905 /flickr
garden in the Nezu Museum

根津美術館 by Kentaro Ohno /flickr
garden in the Nezu Museum



根津美術館 by Kentaro Ohno /flickr
garden in the Nezu Museum