The V&A's collection of Japanese art and design is one of the largest in Britain. It includes ceramics, lacquer, arms and armour, woodwork, metalwork, textiles and dress, prints, paintings and sculpture.
Room 45: Japan
Room 45 contains a wide range of treasures from Japan including swords and armour, netsuke (small carvings), wood-b…
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Japanese bronzes of the Meiji period
In 1868, following the downfall of Japan's military government, the Emperor Meiji was restored to power. Japanese a…
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Ukiyo-e: pictures of the Floating World
Images of everyday Japan, printed for popular consumption in the Edo period (1615-1868), they represent one of the …
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120-plate Japanese helmet, 1700-1800
This extremely fine quality Japanese helmet is of the type known as suji-bachi (ridged bowl) and is made from 120 r…
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Japanese export lacquer panel
This Japanese lacquer panel was almost certainly the top of a chest made around 1640 for the European market. It be…
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Japanese literature: stories and folk tales
Short folk stories are a well-established tradition in Japan. Oral tales were written down during the sixth and seventh centuries and compiled in the early eighth century.
Fashioning kimono: dress in early 20th-century Japan
These boldly patterned and brilliantly coloured kimono reveal the dynamism of Japanese textile design in the early 20th century. This was a period of economic prosperity and cultural expansion. Although western-style clothes were gaining popularity among women, the kimono continued to be worn.
Kitty and the Bulldog: Lolita fashion and the influence of Britain
23 April 2012 – 27 January 2013. Kitty and the Bulldog explores the way in which British fashion – notably Victoriana, Punk and Gothic – has influenced the development of Japan’s ‘Lolita’ style
The Parkes collection of Japanese paper
The Parkes Collection consists of 400 or so different specimens of paper and other artifacts amounting to approximately 2,500 sheets from 21 named prefectures in Japan.
Kimono: decoration, symbols & motifs
The patterns that adorn kimono are very significant, for it is through choice of colour and, most importantly, decorative motifs that the wearer's gender, age, status, wealth, and taste are articulated.
British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age
31 March–12 August 2012
Showcasing over 300 British design objects, this exhibition celebrates the best of British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games' to the summer of 2012.
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Event - Fire, Earth and Water: East Asian Pottery and Porcelain
Tue 23 April 2013 10:30
SHORT COURSE: Explore the fascinating ceramic traditions of East Asia, focusing on the key regions of China, Korea
and Japan.
