The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka (MOCO) reopened on April 12, 2024 after closing for refurbishment in 2022. The special exhibition SHIN: Reopening! The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka (MOCO) has been launched to celebrate the museum’s reopening. This inaugural exhibition showcases approximately 380 pieces of Chinese, Korean and Japanese ceramics. The majority of these exhibits have been selected from MOCO’s Ataka Collection and Rhee Byung-Chang Collection, revealing the museum’s new charm and outstanding qualities.
The museum was founded in 1982 to commemorate the donation of the Ataka Collection, which primarily consists of Chinese and Korean ceramics. The museum collection is further supplemented by Japanese ceramics, as well as Korean ceramics donated by Korean-Japanese Rhee Byung-chang. Among the 5732 works in its collection, two have been registered as National Treasures, thirteen as Important Cultural Properties, and nine as Important Artworks of Japan. The museum ranks among the world’s finest in terms of both the quantity and quality of its East Asian ceramic collection.
The word “SHIN” in the Japanese exhibition title has three representative meanings: “newness”, “truth” and “heart”. These three homophones symbolize the museum’s major objectives: to take a path toward transforming itself into a “new” museum, to introduce “true” art to the visitors, and to provide exciting museum experiences that touch the “hearts” of the visitors. The exhibition presents the National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in MOCO’s collection under natural lighting conditions, so visitors can appreciate the true colors of these ceramics. Furthermore, to maximize the aesthetic charms of the National Treasure “Yuteki Tenmoku Tea Bowl”, the museum has installed an exclusive display case to fully accentuate its beautiful spots and delicate iridescence.
The exhibition is open until September 29.
Source: The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, iMuseum