Lectures at the MFA - Asserting Power Through Art: Shōgun and Emperor

To ensure political and social stability, the Tokugawa military government imposed strict controls on almost every aspect of social life in Edo. Learn about the Kano school, the official painters to the shogunate, whose artworks—moralistic tales and Chinese-style landscapes—were often prescribed. Then explore Nō, the stately theatrical combination chant, music, and dance, which became the official entertainment for the military elite. Troupes and their requisite masks and sumptuous costumes were sponsored by governors of the various provinces, and chanoyu, gatherings for the drinking of tea and appreciation of works of art, were shaped by the tastes of the military aristocracy. Anne Nishimura Morse, William and helen Pounds Senior Curator of Japanese Art, Art of Asia Thursday, October 16, 2025