For this exhibition, the Kitazawa Museum of Art, showcasing works with the rose as their theme, has brought together famous examples of art glass with designs that vividly capture the hues of the four seasons. The rose has long been a symbol of love and passion in the West and thus appears frequently in both works of art and craft objects. Its sublime form is also used in heraldry. The Kitazawa Museum of Art’s glass collection, which is composed primarily of works by the Art Nouveau master Emile Gallé, includes works with roses as their theme. For the motif used in his Roses of France series, a masterpiece from his late period, Gallé chose the wild Gallica Rose, which blooms in Lorraine, Gallé’s home. The series expresses his patriotic love of France, his native land, through roses. The exhibition also includes rare works whose motifs are probably varieties of roses from Japan that had been introduced to Europe and became the basis for new hybrids.
A special corner has also been created to commemorate the enthronement of the new Emperor, displaying works associated with the Imperial Household.