The magnificent collection of Japanese and Chinese art at the Chiossone Museum, the first of its kind organized as a public exhibition in Italy at the Liguria Academy of Fine Arts in Genoa (1905), was gathered in Japan between 1875 and 1898 by Edoardo Chiossone (1833-1898), an outstanding engraver from Genoa who worked in Tokyo at the Printing Office for Securities of the Ministry of Finance between 1875 and 1891.
The collection includes paintings, polychrome Ukiyoe prints, illustrated books, Buddhist liturgical sculptures and furnishings, archaeological objects, bronzes, coins, lacquers, porcelains, enamels, theatrical masks, armors and weapons, musical instruments, textiles, costumes, and clothing accessories.
The museum itinerary illustrates the main phenomena in the history of Japanese artistic culture and its relations with East Continental Asia. Antiquity, the arrival and development of Buddhism, the samurai civilization, the evolution of metalworking and applied arts during the Edo period (1600-1868) are topics presented by thematic and technical classes, highlighting the disciplinary and technical foundations of various arts against the broader common backdrop of history and culture.
The two galleries on the upper floors, renovated with new exhibition systems in 2001 thanks to the dedicated contribution of the Genoa and Imperia Savings Bank Foundation, host both temporary exhibitions and rotating displays from the museum’s collection.
Highly valued and internationally renowned are the collections of paintings, polychrome prints, and illustrated books from the 17th to 19th centuries, as well as lacquers, bronzes, and porcelains. In addition to numerous onsite exhibitions, the Museum’s Management has organized and produced a lacquer exhibition (1996) and an Ukiyoe paintings and prints exhibition (2005) for the Ducal Palace in Genoa; a retrospective exhibition on Edoardo Chiossone’s collecting activities (1996) for the National Museum of Oriental Art in Rome; and an Ukiyoe paintings and prints exhibition for the Kobe Newspaper, which toured five public Japanese museums (2001-2002).
The Chiossone Museum also plays an active role lending significant works to international-level exhibitions, including shows organized by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Royal Palace of Milan, and the National Museum of Tokyo.
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