Detail from ‘The Three Gods of Fortune Visit Yoshiwara’ by Chōbunsai Eishi.

Detail from ‘The Three Gods of Fortune Visit Yoshiwara’ by Chōbunsai Eishi.

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Enrico di Borbone's Grand Tour (1887-89) gave rise to one of the most prestigious collections of Asian art in Europe, now housed in Venice's Museum of Oriental Art, located in the charming Ca' Pesaro palace: samurai, gilded lacquerware, and Asian treasures. History and works. Founded in 1925, the museum offers a fascinating journey through seven rooms entirely dedicated to Japanese art from the Edo period (1603-1868), with an exhibition ranging from imposing samurai armor and refined silk kimonos to traditional musical instruments and precious objects in gilded lacquer (makie). The collection is enriched with Chinese masterpieces—such as jade, porcelain, and painted scrolls—and artistic treasures from Southeast Asia, including Thai silverware, Burmese artifacts, Malaysian kris, and intricate Indonesian wayang puppets. The museum also boasts rare and ancient pieces, such as wooden statues from the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and Muromachi blades.

The Museum represents one of the most important and substantial European collections of Japanese art from the Edo period (1600-1868), but there are also sections devoted to other Asian civilisations (China and Indonesia).It all began with an extraordinary journey: between 1887 and 1889, Enrico di Borbone explored the Far East and returned with a collection that today forms the heart of the museum. After being exhibited at Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, the collection went through a troubled history - sales, world war, changes of ownership - until the Italian State finally acquired it as war repara

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