FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2006
Contact: Sarah McGreer
sarah@maaa.org

The Faithful Samurai, Kuniyoshi Woodblock Prints opened on January 6, 2007 at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida. The legend of the faithful samurai has been a treasured piece of Japanese culture for more than 300 years, and ExhibitsUSA, a division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, is introducing this story of samurai loyalty and revenge to new audiences as the tour of the exhibition The Faithful Samurai travels across the country.

Featuring fifty-seven Japanese woodblock prints from the David R. Weinberg Collection, The Faithful Samurai was organized by the Michigan Oriental Art Society to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the event upon which the legend was based. The images in the exhibition are the work of Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), who so loved the story of the the faithful samurai that he created twelve print series and twenty triptychs devoted to the tale. Three of Kuniyoshi’s print series are featured in the ExhibitsUSA tour. To supplement the print content, a select group of Japanese artifacts will also tour with the exhibition.

The Faithful Samuari illustrates the story of 47 Ronin (masterless samurai) who avenged their master’s death in the early 18th century. Their master, Asano Naganori, had been shamed by the Shogun’s Master of Ceremonies and struck the offender with his sword. As violence was not permitted in the palace, Naganori was forced to commit seppuku, or ritual suicide. His loyal samurai swore to avenge Asano's death, so they attacked the mansion where the Master of Ceremonies resided and killed him. Their story struck a chord with the Japanese people and they began to create art, books, and theatrical performances honoring the Ronin.

The exhibition will close at the Morikami Museum on March 19, but The Faithful Samurai will also appear at the Frank H. McClung Museum in Knoxville, Tennessee, the University of Arizona in Tucson, and the Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The purpose of ExhibitsUSA is to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. ExhibitsUSA is a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1972.

ExhibitsUSA is generously supported by the Altria Group Inc.; James H. Clement, Jr.; the Cooper Foundation; DST Systems Inc.; Edward Jones; the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; the Helen Jones Foundation; the William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, trustee; the Richard P. Kimmel and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation Inc.; Land O' Lakes Inc.; Mrs. Tom Lea; Adair Margo Gallery Inc.; the National Endowment for the Arts; the National Endowment for the Humanities; SBC Missouri; the Society of North American Goldsmiths; Sonic, America’s Drive-In; Sterling Vineyards; the Summerlee Foundation; the Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust; Valmont Industries; the Woods Charitable Fund; and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Tour Schedule
January 6–March 19, 2006
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens; Delray Beach, Florida

April 14–October 1, 2006
Frank H McClung Museum
Knoxville, Tennessee

October 27, 2006–January 7, 2007
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

February 2–April 15, 2007
Muscarelle Museum of Art
Williamsburg, Virginia

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