Opening Reception - From Morse to Whyte: A Dynastic Bequest of Japanese Treasures

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Mori Sosen, "Untitled Scroll [Mother and Child Monkeys]," 1747 – 1821, Japanese

natural inks on silk with brocade finish, 125 x 74cm, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Acquired 1979.

Spring Exhibitions: Opening Reception Saturday, April 14

Museum Members and General Opening 7 PM, FREE

Please join us for the opening reception of our spring exhibitions, including From Morse to Whyte: A Dynastic Bequest of Japanese Treasures and Transitory Beauty: Photographic Compilations by Deborah Cameron.

The primary source of the Japanese collection is Catharine Robb Whyte’s maternal grandfather, Dr. Edward Sylvester Morse (1838-1925) who was a scholar with a vast range of interests, including Japanese culture. He first traveled to Japan in 1877, during an important transitional period in Japanese history and finally in 1882 when he amassed a collection of ceramics, and other artistic and cultural objects. From Dr. Morse, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, purchased thousands of ceramic objects between 1890 and 1892, while the Peabody Museum, Salem, acquired everyday material cultural objects. The Whyte Museum retains the rest.

Dr. Gail Chin, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is currently professor emeritus at the University of Regina, recently, provided a scholarly assessment of our Asian material. Her extensive knowledge adds further clarity and depth for subsequent researchers. Assembled with this knowledge, the exhibition features exquisite early 19th century Ukiyo-e wood block prints, important ceramic vessels, unique miniature storefronts and personal accoutrements primarily from the Meiji era.