Programs
Japan and the Jazz Age Lecture Series:
In Our History Lies the Secret of Our
Future: The Syncretic Arts of Modern
Japan
Thursdays, January 23 – February 13
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
This four-week lecture series led by
USC’s Dr. Amanda Wright traces dramatic
developments in the art of modern Japan.
Series ticket: $60 / $48 for members.
Single lecture ticket: $15
Members’ Opening Reception
Japan and the Jazz Age
Thursday, February 6
Opening Day Lecture
on Japan and the Jazz Age
Friday, February 7 | Noon
With Curator Victoria Cooke.
Film: Between the Folds
Saturday, February 15 and March 22
1:00 p.m.
Free with admission or membership.
Columbia Design League:
Dinner by Design
Sunday, February 16 | 6:00 p.m
In the mood for a unique Valentine’s dining
experience? Dinner by Design showcases a
modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine
against the backdrop of the Museum’s latest
exhibition, Japan and the Jazz Age. The
Kobayshi family, owners of Camon Japanese
Restaurant and Sushi Bar, provide creative
dishes prepared with an artistic flair. The
CDL is proud to partner with the South
Carolina Philharmonic for this unique dining
experience. $75 / $60 for CDL members.
Artist Salon with Morihiko Nakahara
Friday, February 21 | Noon
Morihiko Nakahara, music director
and conductor of the South Carolina
Philharmonic, discusses his influences and
shares insight into his musical process
in relation to the exhibition. Free with
membership or admission.
Baker and Baker Foundation presents
Art of Music: Nakatani Gong Orchestra
Tuesday, February 25 | Happy Hour at
7:00 p.m. | Concert begins at 8:00 p.m.
Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani
presents a bold, new project featuring an
ensemble of percussionists in concert with
multiple gongs creating an unconventional
musical experience. $10 / $8 members / $5
students.
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columbiamuseum.org
changes in contemporary culture and
looking forward to the future.
At the center of this confrontation in
contemporary culture was the Japanese
modern woman, or moga. As the
counterpart to the American flapper, the
moga bobbed her hair and wore Western
clothing. She decorated her home with
objects crafted with the latest art deco
motifs and flourishes. In response to
their interest in the West, Japanese artists
and manufacturers produced Art Deco
household objects for all price points.
Animals sacred to the Japanese, both real
and mythical, were represented in figurines
and ornaments modernized with sleek
contours and minimalist details.
While the Art Deco style was considered
foreign, the artists represented in Japan
in the Jazz Age made the style their own,
giving it a distinctively Japanese flavor. An
artist like Hisashi would place a familiar
image like the folded origami crane on
braziers made of red lacquered wood
and add details that made the object a
modern piece of art deco design. The
cranes themselves are linear and simplified.
Sunken copper handles add geometric
interest to the braziers while symbolizing
the rising sun. Together the flying crane
and the rising sun form an auspicious
motif often seen celebrating the New Year.
It was at night that the true spirit of the
Jazz Age pervaded corners of the modern
Japanese cities. After the sun went down,
the moga could be found dancing in the
new night clubs wearing revealing, light
dresses with intricate beaded designs,
which nevertheless allowed for ease of
movement. Kobayakawa Kiyoshi (1899 –
1948) captured the joyous energy of the
moga perfectly in Dancer (or Curved Line
of the Instant). This evocative work is a
woodblock print, the medium that ignited
a craze for Japanese art in the West in the
19th century. Rather than a traditional
floor-length kimono bound with an obi
yards long, this dancer sports a short, loosefitting dress. The nearly transparent fabric
is adorned with circles of different colors.
Her bodice is tight and supported by pearl
straps which and match her beaded skull
cap. In the midst of her uninhibited dance,