With the opening of Japan in 1854 to the outside world, ending the closing years of the Tokugawa shogunate, Japanese works of art and craft objects crossed the far seas, touching off a boom in Europe that was a profound influence on the emergence of new trends in art there, including Impressionism and Art Nouveau. The phenomenon known today as “Japonisme”. Although little noted today, many Japanese plants introduced in Europe and fascinated botanists and horticulturalist and their discoveries still have strong influence on the garden plants of today : chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, Japanese iris, wisteria, lilies, water lilies and more. These flowers, which traveled halfway across the world to adorn gardens in distant Europe, bloomed gloriously in Nancy in the garden at the home of Emile Gallé, the Art Nouveau master. Among its over 2,500 varieties of plants collected from throughout the world, his garden had included about 400 varieties related to Japan. Gallé observed their growth daily; to him, those plants inspired his creative work. The Kitazawa Museum of Art, which commemorates the thirty-fifth anniversary of its opening this year, has selected works on the Flora japonica theme from the creations of Gallé, his friendly rivals the Daum brothers, and the younger René Lalique to introduce an unknown, botanical, aspect of Japonisme. This special exhibition is an opportunity to enjoy the Kitazawa Museum of Art’s glass collection, regarded as one of the finest in the world. We look forward to welcoming you to experience Japonisme and Flora japonica in glass.