NINGYŌ – The Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls

NINGYŌ – The Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls represents the art of Japanese dolls – the tradition formed over the centuries-old history of the country in the Sighnaghi Museum of History and Ethnography. The show is held with the support of the National Museum of Georgia and is organized by the Japan Foundation with the support of the Japanese Embassy in Georgia.

The mission of the Japan Foundation is to promote and deepen Japan’s cultural ties with the world.

In order to promote Japanese art and culture abroad, the foundation focuses on various events and a program of so-called “traveling exhibitions” that brings together works from the foundation’s collection. Traveling expositions are held annually in about 80 museums and exhibition venues around the world. “Traveling exhibitions” present works from 15 different areas of art. These include contemporary art, crafts, photography, architecture, design, manga, and Japanese doll culture.

“The Art and Beauty of Japanese NINGYŌ Dolls” is a very popular traveling exhibition. The doll culture that has developed throughout Japan’s long history is represented by 67 selected dolls from Katashiro and Amagatsu, which are considered archetypes of Japanese dolls.

Signagi Museum has been collaborating with the Japan Foundation and the Embassy of Japan for five years. It was here that a “traveling exhibition” of Japanese dolls was first organized in Georgia in 2017. Since then, at the initiative of the Japanese Embassy, exhibitions of works by Japanese artist and calligrapher Akemi Lucas, illustrator Takehide Harada, and diplomat and amateur photographer Imanishi Takao have been held. Along with the exhibitions, the embassy organized educational programs and master classes.