This grand exhibition was presented in Paris from April 15 to August 31 at the National Museum of Asian Arts – Guimet and is now taking place at the Departmental Museum of Asian Arts until March 21, 2016.
It offers an unprecedented panorama of what contributes, as visible and tangible signs, to the very essence of theater in Asia—the costume, the adornment, and the mask—and highlights the religious roots of this art.
About 300 exceptional pieces, lent by major international museums and private collectors, are on display (costumes, hangings, paintings, sculptures, masks, puppets, prints, etc.).
Notably presented will be a unique Noh kimono, embroidered with gold and platinum threads; stage kimonos of exceptional craftsmanship, works by the famous artist Itchiku Kubota, impressive in their size and decoration: landscapes on silk, reminiscent of Monet’s Water Lilies.
This artist invented a decoration technique that no one has ever managed to replicate; he died keeping the mystery of his creation, and the exhibition of his works is exceptional in Europe.
Presented to the public for the first time, stage costumes from the Peking Opera of the former actor Shi Pei Pu have been integrated into the exhibition.
This collection is unique because it miraculously survived the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
