The Elegance of Hosokawa

The Hosokawa name stands not only for military achievements but also for famous poets, scholars and artists whose passion lay in particular in Nō theatre and the tea ceremony. It is a passion that still applies today. Continuing the tradition, Hosokawa Morihiro, a former Prime Minister of Japan, has devoted himself since his retirement from politics to the creation of tea ceramics and calligraphy. Through some 85 magnificent objects, including weapons, splendid armour, China-ink drawings and paintings, ceramics and lacquer work as well as theatre masks and costumes, the volume reveals the glittering panorama of a samurai family between martial elitism and artistry.