MAIDSTONE.- A new exhibition at Maidstone Museum is providing visitors with the chance to experience a taste of the Land of the Rising Sun this spring. On view until June 10, Japan: A Floating World in Print showcases more than 60 ukiyo-e prints from the museum’s extensive Japanese collection.

Dating from the 18th to the 20th centuries, the works on display have been drawn from the collection of museum benefactor, Sir Walter Samuel. Son of Lord and Lady Bearsted, Samuel’s collection was accumulated during his travels in the Far East at a time when his father’s company – Shell Oil – conducted business in the region. The works would eventually be donated to the museum in 1923 via the National Arts Collection Fund.

“The Japanese collection at Maidstone Museum is internationally renowned,” said Evelyn Palmer, Public Programming Manager at Maidstone Museum. “We regularly welcome academics and experts from around the globe to examine the objects on display and in storage. Among the most popular items in the collection is the array of traditional Japanese prints.

“Our selection of ukiyo-e prints originates from the Edo and Meiji periods – eras when Japan finally opened up to the rest of the world following two centuries of isolation due to strict foreign policy. As such, the popularity of the prints among Western travellers was significant, and Sir Walter collected a magnificent selection.”

Among the Japanese prints on display from April 1 are works by such renowned print masters as Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai – one of Japan’s most famous and influential artists and whose iconic ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ forms the centrepiece to a summer exhibition at the British Museum later in 2017.

To complement the exhibition, a selection of workshops and activities will also be held to provide a flavour of the East, with a Japanese-style flower arranging workshop on April 28, and Manga art lessons for both adults and children demonstrating the iconic graphic style on May 13. There is even a Museum Lates event being held on May 25 in conjunction with Wagamama, providing tastings of foods, beers, juices, and sake from Japan.