Article: The ancient art of falconry takes a perch at Boston's MFA

>
> Flight control: The ancient art of falconry takes a perch at
> Boston's MFA
> By Chris Bergeron / News Staff Writer
> Thursday, January 6, 2005
>
> With their fierce eyes and cruel talons, falcons seemed perfect
> symbols for Japanese samurai.
>
> As wild birds of prey or trained hunters, their lethal beauty
> touched a deep chord in warriors whose bushido code valued courage
> and loyalty as the supreme virtues.
>
> The ancient sport of falconry provides a gorgeous window into
> the art of the Edo period of Japan (1615-1868) in an informative
> exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
>
> Through majestic folding screens, lovely scrolls and delicate
> ink paintings, "Pursuits of Power: Falconry and the Samurai, 1600-
> 1900) uses a seemingly obscure subject to bring three centuries of
> Japanese history into vivid life.
>
> It also includes four armor suits, decorative stirrups,
> woodblock prints and rare manuscripts.
>
> Anne Nishimura Morse, MFA curator of Japanese Art, said the
> exhibit should equally satisfy aficionados of Asian art and anyone
> who appreciates rare works of beauty.
>
> Visitors who cannot tell a goshawk from a falcon or Tom
> Cruise's "Last Samurai" from Toshiro Mifune's "Yojimbo" will find
> art that strikes the eye and stirs the soul.
>
> "I think there's so much interest in America today about the
> culture of the samurai," she said. "This exhibit offers insights
> into a segment of Japanese society that used falconry in a very
> controlled way to assert its role to the public."
>
> As organized by Rachel Saunders of the MFA's Department of
> Asian, Oceanic and Asian Art, the exhibit complements an ongoing
> exhibit, "Lethal Elegance: The Art of Samurai Sword Fittings"
> curated by Joe Earle.
>
> Taking swords and falconry as starting points, the companion
> shows explore intriguing connections between Japanese martial
> culture and aesthetic traditions.
>
> While Western films romanticize samurai as fatalistic
> swordsmen, the Japanese equivalent of Wild West gunslingers, the

> shows use lovely art to chronicle their changing role in society.
>
> The exhibit raises interesting questions about how men of

> in all countries manipulate symbols of authority.
>
> A woodblock print of a famous warrior receiving a gift

> of an eagle conveys the prosaic realities of court life. In an
> amusing scroll, a 17th century samurai impresses passing women by
> showing off the hawk perched on his sleeve while Mount Fuji towers
> in the background.
>
> Three centuries later, presidential candidates posture as
> regular guys by duck hunting or attending NASCAR.
>
> The exhibit's several large folding screens on the subject of
> falconry combine revelatory beauty with subtle social observation.
>
> The samurai's powerful identification with the solitary

> becomes obvious.
>
> In a 17th century six-panel folding screen, "Hawk Eagle in a
> Pine Tree," the winged subject's glinting eye and curved beak,
> captured in remarkable detail with ink on paper, stare down on
> viewers, conveying an impression of unquestionable authority.
>
> "Samurai used falconry as a way to reinforce their position as
> the dominant political force," Morse said.
>
> One can only wonder whether ordinary citizens regarded

> like the winged hunters they admired, as merciless exemplars of
> natural law. Rather than focus exclusively on falcons, the exhibit
> includes art featuring eagles, goshawks and other hunting birds to
> examine the changing roles samurai played in Japanese society.
>
> The word "samurai" means "those who serve" and originally
> referred to a military caste that adhered to a strict code of
> loyalty, courage and cultivation of traditional arts.
>
> Starting around the 12th century, samurai served large
> landowners called daimyos. After the feudal system was abolished in
> 1869 and Japan was united under a military leader or shogun,

> were reduced to ceremonial roles as reminders of a heroic past.
>
> The samurai's changing role from fighters to highly regarded
> civil servants can be seen through the evolution of their body

> from purely functional equipment to largely ceremonial suits.
>
> Once samurai had no more wars to fight, Morse said, they used
> rituals and art associated with falconry to cultivate an image of
> refined strength.
>
> As war became a thing of the past, Morse said extended falcon
> hunts became both "outlets" for martial energy and ceremonies that
> confirmed loyalty and status.
>
> A finely wrought fan is decorated with a scene of a royal hunt
> from the classic novel "The Tale of the Genji" by Lady Murasaki. A
> fabulously detailed horizontal painting, "Horse Racing at Kato
> Shrine," depicts several levels of Japanese life with the subdued
> complexity reminiscent of Flemish master Pieter Bruegel.
>
> The exhibit reveals Japan's ability to absorb and refine
> activities and art borrowed from Asian neighbors.
>
> According to the informative wall , falconry came to Japan

> Korea in the sixth century. Chinese scroll painting was adapted by
> Japanese artists who changed the proportions to suit homes where
> people sat on floor mats rather than chairs.
>
> Morse observed both exhibits record the samurai's changing
> world in times of relative peace when they used valued objects like
> swords and hunting birds to assert the status their forebears

> during the brutal civil wars of the past.
>
> After social reforms restricted falconry to the imperial

> in the late 19th century, great hunting birds remained potent
> symbols in new art forms.
>
> The exhibit includes a striking sculpted bronze eagle with a
> silver patina given to the emperor in 1917.
>
> Over time, images of hunting birds that once adorned samurai
> armor were used to decorate gowns worn by merchants and courtesans.
>
> At its best, "Pursuits of Power" provides aesthetic thrills

> historical insights.
>
> The gold-dappled, six-panel folding screen "Goshawk Mews"
> reveals the splendor of imperial Japan. At the height of the Edo
> period, a yellow-eyed hawk soars down upon a raccoon. In a charming
> 19th century woodblock print, a child cries when his hawk-shaped
> kite becomes entangled in a tree.
>
> One of Japan's greatest warriors, Tokugawa Ieyasu, said "a

> samurai must do more than act courageously in the heat of the
> moment. The Way of the Warrior is fully achieved in times of peace
> as well as times of conflict."
>
> This exhibit offers informed glimpses into both worlds.
>
> The Essentials:
>
> The exhibit "Pursuits of Power" is on view through June
> 13. "Lethal Elegance" is open through Sept. 26.
>
> Open seven days a week, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is
> open Saturday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; and Wednesday
> through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. On Thursday and Friday after 5
> p.m., only the West Wing is open.
>
> General admission (which includes two visits in a 30-day
> period) is $15 for adults, $13 for senior citizens and students 18
> and above, and free for children 17 and under when school is not in
> session.
>
> For general visitor information, call 617-267-9300 or visit

> Web site, www.mfa.org.

>
> Flight control: The ancient art of falconry takes a perch at
> Boston's MFA
> By Chris Bergeron / News Staff Writer
> Thursday, January 6, 2005
>
> With their fierce eyes and cruel talons, falcons seemed perfect
> symbols for Japanese samurai.
>
> As wild birds of prey or trained hunters, their lethal beauty
> touched a deep chord in warriors whose bushido code valued courage
> and loyalty as the supreme virtues.
>
> The ancient sport of falconry provides a gorgeous window into
> the art of the Edo period of Japan (1615-1868) in an informative
> exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
>
> Through majestic folding screens, lovely scrolls and delicate
> ink paintings, "Pursuits of Power: Falconry and the Samurai, 1600-
> 1900) uses a seemingly obscure subject to bring three centuries of
> Japanese history into vivid life.
>
> It also includes four armor suits, decorative stirrups,
> woodblock prints and rare manuscripts.
>
> Anne Nishimura Morse, MFA curator of Japanese Art, said the
> exhibit should equally satisfy aficionados of Asian art and anyone
> who appreciates rare works of beauty.
>
> Visitors who cannot tell a goshawk from a falcon or Tom
> Cruise's "Last Samurai" from Toshiro Mifune's "Yojimbo" will find
> art that strikes the eye and stirs the soul.
>
> "I think there's so much interest in America today about the
> culture of the samurai," she said. "This exhibit offers insights
> into a segment of Japanese society that used falconry in a very
> controlled way to assert its role to the public."
>
> As organized by Rachel Saunders of the MFA's Department of
> Asian, Oceanic and Asian Art, the exhibit complements an ongoing
> exhibit, "Lethal Elegance: The Art of Samurai Sword Fittings"
> curated by Joe Earle.
>
> Taking swords and falconry as starting points, the companion
> shows explore intriguing connections between Japanese martial
> culture and aesthetic traditions.
>
> While Western films romanticize samurai as fatalistic
> swordsmen, the Japanese equivalent of Wild West gunslingers, the

> shows use lovely art to chronicle their changing role in society.
>
> The exhibit raises interesting questions about how men of

> in all countries manipulate symbols of authority.
>
> A woodblock print of a famous warrior receiving a gift

> of an eagle conveys the prosaic realities of court life. In an
> amusing scroll, a 17th century samurai impresses passing women by
> showing off the hawk perched on his sleeve while Mount Fuji towers
> in the background.
>
> Three centuries later, presidential candidates posture as
> regular guys by duck hunting or attending NASCAR.
>
> The exhibit's several large folding screens on the subject of
> falconry combine revelatory beauty with subtle social observation.
>
> The samurai's powerful identification with the solitary

> becomes obvious.
>
> In a 17th century six-panel folding screen, "Hawk Eagle in a
> Pine Tree," the winged subject's glinting eye and curved beak,
> captured in remarkable detail with ink on paper, stare down on
> viewers, conveying an impression of unquestionable authority.
>
> "Samurai used falconry as a way to reinforce their position as
> the dominant political force," Morse said.
>
> One can only wonder whether ordinary citizens regarded

> like the winged hunters they admired, as merciless exemplars of
> natural law. Rather than focus exclusively on falcons, the exhibit
> includes art featuring eagles, goshawks and other hunting birds to
> examine the changing roles samurai played in Japanese society.
>
> The word "samurai" means "those who serve" and originally
> referred to a military caste that adhered to a strict code of
> loyalty, courage and cultivation of traditional arts.
>
> Starting around the 12th century, samurai served large
> landowners called daimyos. After the feudal system was abolished in
> 1869 and Japan was united under a military leader or shogun,

> were reduced to ceremonial roles as reminders of a heroic past.
>
> The samurai's changing role from fighters to highly regarded
> civil servants can be seen through the evolution of their body

> from purely functional equipment to largely ceremonial suits.
>
> Once samurai had no more wars to fight, Morse said, they used
> rituals and art associated with falconry to cultivate an image of
> refined strength.
>
> As war became a thing of the past, Morse said extended falcon
> hunts became both "outlets" for martial energy and ceremonies that
> confirmed loyalty and status.
>
> A finely wrought fan is decorated with a scene of a royal hunt
> from the classic novel "The Tale of the Genji" by Lady Murasaki. A
> fabulously detailed horizontal painting, "Horse Racing at Kato
> Shrine," depicts several levels of Japanese life with the subdued
> complexity reminiscent of Flemish master Pieter Bruegel.
>
> The exhibit reveals Japan's ability to absorb and refine
> activities and art borrowed from Asian neighbors.
>
> According to the informative wall , falconry came to Japan

> Korea in the sixth century. Chinese scroll painting was adapted by
> Japanese artists who changed the proportions to suit homes where
> people sat on floor mats rather than chairs.
>
> Morse observed both exhibits record the samurai's changing
> world in times of relative peace when they used valued objects like
> swords and hunting birds to assert the status their forebears

> during the brutal civil wars of the past.
>
> After social reforms restricted falconry to the imperial

> in the late 19th century, great hunting birds remained potent
> symbols in new art forms.
>
> The exhibit includes a striking sculpted bronze eagle with a
> silver patina given to the emperor in 1917.
>
> Over time, images of hunting birds that once adorned samurai
> armor were used to decorate gowns worn by merchants and courtesans.
>
> At its best, "Pursuits of Power" provides aesthetic thrills

> historical insights.
>
> The gold-dappled, six-panel folding screen "Goshawk Mews"
> reveals the splendor of imperial Japan. At the height of the Edo
> period, a yellow-eyed hawk soars down upon a raccoon. In a charming
> 19th century woodblock print, a child cries when his hawk-shaped
> kite becomes entangled in a tree.
>
> One of Japan's greatest warriors, Tokugawa Ieyasu, said "a

> samurai must do more than act courageously in the heat of the
> moment. The Way of the Warrior is fully achieved in times of peace
> as well as times of conflict."
>
> This exhibit offers informed glimpses into both worlds.
>
> The Essentials:
>
> The exhibit "Pursuits of Power" is on view through June
> 13. "Lethal Elegance" is open through Sept. 26.
>
> Open seven days a week, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is
> open Saturday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; and Wednesday
> through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. On Thursday and Friday after 5
> p.m., only the West Wing is open.
>
> General admission (which includes two visits in a 30-day
> period) is $15 for adults, $13 for senior citizens and students 18
> and above, and free for children 17 and under when school is not in
> session.
>
> For general visitor information, call 617-267-9300 or visit

> Web site, www.mfa.org.