The Magic of Kabuki Theatre: Japanese woodblock prints from Kyiv collection at Palanga Amber Museum

7 March – 27 April 2025

From 7 March through 27 April, visitors to the Amber Museum of the LNMA in Palanga will be invited to see an exhibition Japanese Kabuki Images in Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints. The event is part of the exhibition series by the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, dedicated to the collections of the Ukrainian museums, which were evacuated to Lithuania to protect them from the ravages of war. The Amber Museum’s visitors will be able to enjoy a unique collection of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints evoking a dynamic world of Kabuki theatre. The artworks on display come from the collection of the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv.

 

The major part of the collection was acquired by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in 1912, at the Japanese graphic prints auction in Paris. It was subsequently extended and enlarged by transfers from other museums, works were also received as presents or acquired from private collectors. The ukiyo-e style prints collection features the great masters of established schools, such as the Torii, Katsukawa, Kitagawa and Utagawa schools. The prints mostly show the imposing performance of Kabuki actors: their energetic movements, dancing, dramatic face expressions, richly decorated costumes, and dramatic scenes. 17th – 19th century Japanese audiences took fancy in such Kabuki theatre acts.

 

During the Edo (1603–1868) period, Kabuki theatre, besides being theatrical, was also a social event. It recalled of the ancient Greek theatre that attracted audiences not only to see the performance on stage – the events were also social gatherings with food and drink. As to the very performance, everything about it had to be extraordinary and sensational, the acting and sounds, facial expressions, makeup and stunningly elaborate costumes, special dancing and, and, surely, the plot. They were dominated by the themes of struggle and death, love and infidelity, by monsters and ghosts appearing to scare the audience. Kabuki actors at that time were veritable popular culture stars. Kabuki and ukiyo-e woodblock prints emerged in the Edo period, almost concurrently, and were closely intertwined.

 

Thirty-five portraits of actors by Utagawa Kunisada hold a special place in the exhibition as well as Ando Hiroshige’s depiction of the ancient Japanese story of the avenge of the Soga Brothers. Hiroshige reached highest acclaim through his impressive landscapes to influence even Vincent van Gogh, yet he produced also Kabuki prints.

 

‘These artworks are witnesses not only to the artistic engagement by the “images of the floating world”, but also to the resilience of cultural heritage in the moment of crisis. They were carefully guarded by our Ukrainian colleagues, museum professionals, and now, because of the ongoing war are evacuated to the safe territory of Lithuania. These works of art are symbols of both fragility and toughness. The exhibition pays tribute to the impressive legacy of Kabuki and ukiyo-e style prints inviting to contemplate on the challenges of cultural heritage in tumultuous times,’ says Dr Arūnas Gelūnas, director general of the LNMA.

 

 

The exhibition Japanese Kabuki Images in Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints not only reveals the unique world of Japanese Kabuki, but also underscores the importance of protection of cultural heritage in the contemporary context. The exhibits at the LNMA’s Amber Museum in Palanga will be on view through 27 April.

 

 

The project is organized under the auspices of the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Šarūnas Birutis, and the Minister of Cultural and Strategic Communication of Ukraine, Mykola Tochytskyi.  

 

Project leaders: Director General of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, Dr Arūnas Gelūnas, Director General of Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv, Yuliya Vaganova

 

Exhibition curators and coordinators: Sigita Bagužaitė-Talačkienė, Оlha Hоncharenko, Regina Makauskienė, Skaistis Mikulionis, Оlha Novikova

 

Exhibition designer Dovilė Valužytė

Project partners: Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Ukraine, Ukrainian Embassy in the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, Customs of the Republic of Lithuania, Ukrainian Patrol Police Department, State Customs Service of Ukraine, State Boarder Guard Service of Ukraine

General supporter BTA Baltic Insurance Company

Information support by Palanga Tourism Information Centre

 

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17 Vytauto st, LT-00101, Palanga, Lithuania
(+370 460) 30314
gintaro.muziejus@lndm.lt

See also

Exhibition

Japanese Kabuki images in Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. From the collection of the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts