18 Field Museum of Natural History 



Case 7 contains some examples of carvings in wood 

 and ivory. The wooden masks on the top row are the 

 type worn in the No drama,= — a classical dance accom- 

 panied by choric songs relating ancient historical or 

 religious stories. The carved ivory sword in the center 

 is a very excellent specimen of a purely ornamental 

 weapon used probably for parade purposes. 



In the lower part of this case there are some Bud- 

 dhistic images, two of these representing Qakyamuni, 

 the founder of Buddhism; and the third, Kwannon, the 

 goddess of mercy, a deity widely beloved in Japan. The 

 miniature shrine is a good example of the type set up 

 for use in a household. 



Case 8 contains musical instruments, among others 

 some of the different forms of the lyre (koto). This 

 popular instrument was gradually evolved from Chi- 

 nese models, as were also the violin (kokyu) and the 

 reed organ (sho) . 



On the west wall of the room there is a folding- 

 screen painted by an unknown artist of the Tosa 

 school, probably in the fourteenth or fifteenth century. 

 This screen was presented by Dr. Frank W. Gunsaulus 

 in honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Dr. Skiff as 

 director of Field Museum of Natural History. The 

 painting is of interest both for its subject matter and 

 because it combines the predominant characteristics 

 of this important school of painters, who were the ex- 

 ponents of a purely national style. The artist has de- 

 picted three scenes from the famous novel, "Genji 

 Monogatari," a romance of Prince Genji, written in 

 the eleventh century. The court costumes of heavy 

 brocade, the lacquer objects, and musical instruments 

 are painted with extreme care. The innovation of 

 omitting the roof from buildings in order to see the 

 interiors and the employment of golden clouds to blot 



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