Museums

At the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, you can enjoy a wide range of art and crafts unique to Ishikawa Prefecture, spanning from ancient to contemporary times. The collection includes the National Treasure "Incense burner in the shape of pheasant decorated with overglaze enamels" by Nonomura Ninsei, along with old Kutani ware, cultural assets passed down in the Maeda family of the Kaga Domain, and artworks by members of the Japan Art Academy and Living National Treasures connected to Ishikawa Prefecture, including paintings, sculptures, and crafts. The museum also features a café produced by patissier Hironobu Tsujiguchi. At the Ishikawa Cultural Properties Conservation Studio, which in April 2016 was relocated and reopened next to the Hirosaka Annex, visitors can regularly observe actual restoration work.

Main works

Incense burner in the shape of pheasant decorated with overglaze enamels.
NONOMURA Ninsei, 17C

A National Treasure on permanent display at the museum, this almost life-size pheasant-shaped incense burner is one of the finest sculptural works of Nonomura Ninsei, the founder of Kyo-yaki (Kyoto ware). The piece is divided into two sections, with four smoke-release holes in the lid. The clay body has a slight yellowish tint. This luxurious work is beautifully painted with green, navy blue and red colors along with gold embellishments, particularly on the feathers. The complex techniques used in shaping and firing the piece, keeping the tail horizontally positioned, make it a work filled with tension and artistic mastery.

Incense burner in the shape of female pheasant decorated with overglaze enamels.
NONOMURA Ninsei, 17C

Permanently exhibited alongside the National Treasure "Incense burner in the shape of a pheasant decorated with overglaze enamels" is another nearly life-sized pheasant-shaped incense burner. This piece depicts a pheasant looking back, with the tip of its beak touching the feathers on its left back, and its tail extending at an approximately 45-degree angle. The face is painted with red and gold, with a slight blue tint around the eyes, while the entire body is shaded in silver tones, slightly blackened due to oxidation. The lid's back features four smoke holes shaped like feathers, and the back part, from the neck to the holes, is glazed white, leaving the rest unglazed. The bottom of the main body is exposed clay, with Nonomura Ninsei's seal stamped near the front chest.