Oriental art in the Caucasus

The Department of Oriental Art was opened in the Museum of Fine Arts in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1954. Artworks from the Far and Near East, and Islamic art, are displayed in permanent exhibition halls. From 1990 the Oriental department has seven permanent exhibition halls, five of them for Islamic art. One of the permanent collections of Oriental art is at the Georgian National Museum.

A Japanese decorative dish (top photograph) with Tokugawa crests is 18th or 19th century, made of wood, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and gold. It depicts Tokiwa Gozen (1123-1180), a noblewoman of the late Helan period, wife of clan leader Minamoto no Yoshitomo. When he is killed in battle, she fled with her three sons under her clothes. Later she is captured by the Taira clan and her two oldest sons are sent to a Buddhist monastery. The youngest son became the great samurai general Minamoto no Yoshitsune who defeated the Taira clan in battle. The Tokugawa family, descendents of the Minamoto clan, commissioned the dish.

The paintings include ‘Woman’ by an unknown Japanese artist (19th century).

A large ornamental Japanese vase by Satsuma is an 18th century work of porcelain, enamel, and gold. Satsuma is the name of Japanese porcelain, which was developed in the 16th century by Korean artisans who settled in the Satsuma region. Scenes on the vase show Imperial life and the battles of the samurais. There are also a collection of Japanese figurines and swords.

There are two silk kimonos on display, one with 5-clawed dragons from 18th century China, and the other is a 19th century untitled robe. The 5-clawed dragon was the symbol of the emperor, especially yellow or gold dragons, with 4-clawed or 3-clawed dragons the symbol of nobility.

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