After visiting the Shiseido Museums, I walked to the Stained Glass Museum.The entry fee was 500 yen to visit only the Stained Glass Museum, or 600 yen for a combined ticket for both this museum and the Ninomaru Art Museum. I opted for the combined ticket.
The stained glass was beautiful. I felt like I was in church. There were only a couple of other people in the museum, so it was very quiet, like a church. It was interesting to see the glass so close. Photography was allowed, but touching the glass was not. Information was in Japanese.
I was surprised to see this in Japan, with all the Christian pictures. I think the windows came from Europe and were donated.
When I read your post title I was wondering what sort of stained glass tradition they have in Japan. I was expecting to see modern Japanese designs, so to see all those European windows was surprising!
Stained glass takes on a life of its own with the change of light. I am sure it is worth visiting this museum at different seasons as well as different times during the day, to see how the look of the glass can change.
If I remember correctly (from a TV documentary I once saw) there was a man who bought a lot of these stained glass panes and had them shipped to Japan. During the Victorian era there were many workshops in England and there must have been windows in storage, that have never been used in churches, that the man managed to buy.
I love stained glass -- these remind me, as others mentioned, of church stained glass. The comments are interesting here, too. I love beautiful stained glass.
When I read your post title I was wondering what sort of stained glass tradition they have in Japan. I was expecting to see modern Japanese designs, so to see all those European windows was surprising!
ReplyDeleteNot the museum I expected seeing the beautiful windows. I am enjoying following your visits, especially the temples.
ReplyDeleteI was about to say, these windows look very much like what we have in old churches around here!
ReplyDeleteStained glass takes on a life of its own with the change of light. I am sure it is worth visiting this museum at different seasons as well as different times during the day, to see how the look of the glass can change.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly (from a TV documentary I once saw) there was a man who bought a lot of these stained glass panes and had them shipped to Japan. During the Victorian era there were many workshops in England and there must have been windows in storage, that have never been used in churches, that the man managed to buy.
It's like a church.
ReplyDeleteAs Queenie san says, it would be great if me could spend time in the light of stained glass.
I love stained glass -- these remind me, as others mentioned, of church stained glass. The comments are interesting here, too. I love beautiful stained glass.
ReplyDelete