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TOKYO METROPOLITAN TEIEN ART MUSEUM

Time for Love and Prayers: Lithuanian Hand Crafts

Dates

Saturday, January 16 - Sunday, March 28, 2027

Hours

10AM 〜 6PM

(Last admission at 5：30PM) March 19, 20, 26, 27 open until 8PM (Last admission at 7:30PM)
Venue
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Main Building & Annex
Closed
Mondays (except March 22), March 23
Exhibition admission
Admission to the museum is by timed entry system. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the website.
Admission Tickets
Adults Group
Adults ￥1,400 ￥1,120
College students（Vocational students） ￥1,120 ￥890
High school students and Seniors (65 and over) ￥700 ￥560
Time for Love and Prayers: Lithuanian Hand Crafts Images
Download the Flyer(PDF/7715.88KB)

This is the first exhibition in Japan to showcase the wide variety of handcrafts in Lithuania. It is mounted in cooperation with the National Museum of Lithuania, the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, and the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.

Objects from everyday life (verpste: distaffs for spinning fiber, textiles such as aprons and linens, wooden objects including chairs and towel racks, ceramics, and wicker baskets) and a wide variety of items rooted in faith (crosses, sculptures, and prints) will be brought together in one place. Lithuania was one of the last countries in Europe to adopt Christianity, and in these handcrafted decorations and Christian crosses and figurines we can glimpse the worldview of the ancient Baltic people who found the cycle of life in animals and other living things. Lithuanians have repeatedly fallen under the rule of other countries, and their language was even suppressed at times. Under such circumstances, people cherished each day and prayed for peace.

The Former Residence of Prince Asaka (now Main Building of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum) serves as the venue for this exhibition. It was inspired by the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts and it is a premier example of Art Deco architecture in Japan. This building represents the very essence of modern industrial technology and the decorative arts. When simple, handcrafted works from the hands of unknown artisans are arrayed in this setting, disparate eras, disparate cultures, and disparate values converge in a single space.

The handcrafts of the Lithuanian people have been passed down for generations for use in their everyday lives, for the people they love, and for their prayers. Experiencing up close the spirituality that manifests in these forms gives us an opportunity to reconsider the meaning of abundance.

This exhibition is part of the Cultural Programme of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

Weaving love: Lithuania’s varied handicrafts
Verpste (distaffs for spinning fiber) were once a necessity for women. Men would give decorated verpste to the women they loved, and women might give the men textiles made from the yarn that they spun. Wooden towel rails were mounted in important places in the home with linen towels hung upon them. These rails were not practical objects; they had ceremonial significance like the kamidana (miniature Shinto altars) found in Japanese homes.
In addition to these objects that are rarely seen in Japan, the exhibition brings together a wide variety of handcrafted items—linen and wool textiles, woodwork, wicker baskets, and ceramics—that showcase a rich array of colors, shapes, and patterns created with love and care.

Etched with prayer: Lithuania’s crosses and sculptures of saints
In deeply religious Lithuania, people would erect wooden crosses and small shrines near village entrances and houses, along roadsides, and at crossroads. They prayed before sculptures of Christ and the saints displayed in these places. The crosses and sculptures reflect not only the Christian faith, but also a worldview and understanding of nature—the sun, plants, and snakes—inherited from the ancient Baltic people. The exhibition presents objects imbued with people’s simple prayers, such as The Pensive Christ.

Refined decorative arts × handcrafts by unknown creators
The Former Residence of Prince Asaka is a historic landmark that is the epitome of Japanese Art Deco architecture. The exhibition showcases Lithuanian handicrafts that emerged from the everyday lives and prayers of unknown creators in a space that brings together the finest elements of modern industrial technology and the decorative arts. Together they provide a rewarding experience that stirs the senses, including the unease and bewilderment that arises when disparate values converge.

  • Verpste (thread-spinning board) 1861, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art

    Verpste (thread-spinning board) 1861, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art

  • Ceremonial Cup, 1770, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art

    Ceremonial Cup, 1770, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art

  • Dowry Chest, 2nd half of the 20th century, National Museum of Lithuania

    Dowry Chest, 2nd half of the 20th century, National Museum of Lithuania

  • Apron, 19th century, Lithuanian National Museum of Art

    Apron, 19th century, Lithuanian National Museum of Art

  • Fish-Shaped Tobacco Box, 1900, National Museum of Lithuania

    Fish-Shaped Tobacco Box, 1900, National Museum of Lithuania

  • The Virgin Mary the Gracious, early 20th century, Lithuanian National Museum of Art

    The Virgin Mary the Gracious, early 20th century, Lithuanian National Museum of Art

  • Top of the Cross, 2nd half of the 19th century, Lithuanian National Museum of Art

    Top of the Cross, 2nd half of the 19th century, Lithuanian National Museum of Art

Exhibition Title
Time for Love and Prayers: Lithuanian Hand Crafts
Dates
Saturday, January 16 - Sunday, March 28, 2027
Venue

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum（Main Building & Annex）
5-21-9, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hello Dial operator service 050-5541-8600

Closed
Mondays (except March 22), March 23
Hours
10:00 - 18:00 (Last admission at 5：30PM)
  • March 19, 20, 26, 27 open until 8PM (Last admission at 7:30PM)
Exhibition admission
Admission to the museum is by timed entry system. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the website.
Adults ￥1,400 （￥1,120）
College students ￥1,120 （￥890）
High school students and Seniors (65 and over) ￥700 （￥560）

  1. Figures in parentheses are group admission fees (for groups of 20 or more).

  2. Admission is free for middle school students and younger.

  3. Students are requested to present their student ID, and those who are 65 years or older should present proof of age upon entry.

  4. Admission is free for holders of a Shintai Shogaisha Techo (certificate of physical disability), Ai no Techo or Ryoiku Techo (certificate of intellectual disability), Seishin Shogaisha Hoken Fukushi Techo (certificate of mental disability), or Hibakusha Kenko Techo (atomic bomb survivor’s health handbook), along with up to 2 caregivers (MIRAIRO ID accepted).

  5. Admission is free for teacher-led educational visits by students from primary, middle, and high schools in Tokyo.

  6. Admission is free for seniors (65 and above) on the third Wednesday of each month.

  7. Visitors eligible for free admission may enter without a reservation.

  8. On February 24 and March 3, for the “G(ALL)ERY Day”, the number of visitors is limited compared to regular days.

Organized by
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture
Special support
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Culture Institute, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan
Cooperation
National Museum of Lithuania, Lithuanian National Museum of Art, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, BlueSheep
With the annual co-sponsorship of
Toda Corporation, Bloomberg

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