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Kyoto Netsuke

Masters & Myths

November 30, 2023 to April 1, 2024

The museum will be exhibiting 60 elaborately crafted and skillfully decorated netsuke to mark the 60th anniversary of the twinning of the cities of Cologne and Kyōto. The small sculptures from the Kamigata metropolitan region and the Kyōto school symbolise the long-lasting friendship between these two cities.

Netsuke were used to attach miniature nested boxes (inrō) and accoutrements (sagemono) to the belt strap of the pocketless clothes during the Edo period (1603 – 1868), thus serving both a functional and a decorative purpose. Over time, netsuke carving developed into an art form in its own right, characterized by ingenuity and perfect craftsmanship.

EThe presentation centres on sixty extraordinary carvings from the Karl-Ludwig Kley Collection. The elaborately carved works depict animal motifs, including a climbing Himalayan bear, a roaring stag and a rolling horse. Netsuke from Kyōto are characterized by remarkable precision and a touching sense of naturalism. This can also be seen in the paintings of the Maruyama-Shijō-school, which is known for its realistic depictions of animals. The museum houses a valuable collection of paintings from this school, which complement the presentation. That way, the complex connections between the artistic genres of small sculpture and painting can be explored side by side.

Mit freundlicher Unterstützung

Orientstiftung zur Förderung der Ostasiatischen Kunst

Fördererkreis des Museums für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln

KUNSTHAUS LEMPERTZ

Kampagnenmotiv und Werkabbildungen Netsuke
© Fuis Photographie GbR
Sammlung MOK:
© Rheinisches Bildarchiv Köln, Sabrina Walz

Exhibition

EXPEDITIONS more

Exhibition

Tanaka Ryohei more

Exhibition

Ink Roamings more

Opening times

Tuesday to Sunday
11am – 5pm
Every first Thursday in the month
11am – 10pm (except October 3, 2024)

The museum is closed due to the Cologne Marathon on 6 October 2024.

Closed Mondays; open on All Saints' Day
Museum is closed on December 24th, Christmas Day (25 Dec), New Year's Eve (31 Dec) and New Year's Day (1 Jan). Museum is opend on Easter Monday, Whit Monday, German Unity Day and December 26.

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Admission prices

€ 9,50 / € 5,50

KölnTag on the first Thursday of the month (except public holidays): free admission to the Museum for all Cologne residents.

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How to get here

Public transport: Tram routes 1 and 7 and bus route 142, alight at ‘Universitätsstrasse’
There is a car park at the museum
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Barrier-free

The museum is barrier-free. Disabled toilet available.
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Museum für
Ostasiatische Kunst Köln
Universitätsstrasse 100
D 50674 Köln
Ticket office +49.221.221-28617
mok@museenkoeln.de
Legal notice

Opening times

Tuesday to Sunday
11am – 5pm
Every first Thursday in the month
11am – 10pm 

Closed Mondays; open on All Saints' Day
Museum is closed on December 24th, Christmas Day (25 Dec), New Year's Eve (31 Dec) and New Year's Day (1 Jan). Museum is opend on Easter Monday, Whit Monday, German Unity Day and December 26.
more

Admission prices

€ 7,50 /reduced € 4,50

from 20 June
€ 9,50 /reduced € 5,50

KölnTag on the first Thursday of the month (except public holidays): free admission to the Museum for all Cologne residents.
more

How to get here

Public transport: Tram routes 1 and 7 and bus route 142, alight at ‘Universitätsstrasse’
There is a car park at the museum
more

Barrier-free

The museum is barrier-free. Disabled toilet available.
more

___1061___




Museum für
Ostasiatische Kunst Köln
Universitätsstrasse 100
D 50674 Köln
Ticket office +49.221.221-28617
mok@museenkoeln.de
Legal notice