Outline of Exhibition

Traditional Primroses

Traditional Primroses

Traditional Primroses

Since 2002, the Japanese Museum of History (Rekihaku) has held displays of Japanese primroses in its special program on "Traditional Primroses" in the Museum's Botanical Garden of Everyday Life. "Traditional Primroses" refers to the line of primroses comprising a multitude of varieties that were created beginning in the middle of the Edo period by gardeners who sought out and cultivated unusual plants that were growing in the wild. Selective cultivation and culling continued into more recent times, resulting in the creation of even more beautiful primroses. Their colors range from red to white, and the shapes of their petals from flat to fist-shaped. In 2003, we received a donation of a tiered stand for displaying primroses, a method for appreciating the plants that dates from the end of the Edo period. This donation has allowed us to diversify our display methods. For this year's exhibition, we have created display panels that describe the methods of cultivating and appreciating primroses.

Period April 21 (Tue) - May 10 (Sun), 2009
Venue Botanical Garden of Everyday Life, National Museum of Japanese History
Admissions

General (high school age on up): ¥100
Groups of 20 or more: ¥50 per person
* Free admission for children junior high school age and younger
* Free admission for disabled persons and their caregivers upon presentation of a physical disability certificate
* Free admission to high school students every Saturday

Hours 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(no entrance after 4:00 p.m.)
Closed

May 7 (Thu)

Sponsor National Museum of Japanese History

Exhibition Lineup

Each variety of primrose will be displayed in two pots, each containing four specimens. We plan to locate the displays on the tiered display stand, around the Azumia-ya, in two greenhouses, and in two places in the Yoshizu Exhibition Hall. Varieties cultivated during the Edo period will be displayed on the tiered stand, arranged according to the rules of precedence. Varieties with many buds will also be grown in planters.

Tiered primrose display stand

Tiered primrose display stand

Akegarasu

Akegarasu

Daimin'nishiki

Daimin'nishiki

Aoba no Fue

Aoba no Fue

Murasakikagari

Murasakikagari

Tamasango

Tamasango

   

Note: Please note that items in the exhibition are subject to change.