Chiddingstone Castle Japan Festival
29th August 2021
| |
A celebration of Japanese culture and the fascinating art collection at Chiddingstone Castle. A day packed with activities, demonstrations, and performances including traditional music, dance, martial arts, calligraphy, tea ceremony, stalls, talks, and displays. A great day out for all the family and a chance to experience Japanese arts and traditions.
A chance to enjoy traditional Japanese performances and demonstrations and view the Castle’s important and rare Japanese collection.
The Japanese collection was created by Denys Eyre Bower, the last private owner of the Castle. It includes samurai swords and armour, lacquerware, and ancient tomb figures. Denys lived at the Castle from 1955 – 1977 and it was his wish that the collection be kept intact in its setting for future generations to enjoy. It was Denys’ dream to be able to visit Japan, and he was only able to afford to do so once towards the end of his life. |
|
Front entrance
From the rear
.
The Orangery
Rear entrance
Akemi Lucas at work
.
Shodo brushes
Geta
Blue uchikake wedding gown
Crane emblem
.
Kensei Ryu
Art of Japanese Taiko Drum and Sword
.
| |
The Legacy of Denys Eyre Bower
The collections were all amassed by the last owner of Chiddingstone Castle, the late Denys Eyre Bower (1905-1977) who lived at the castle from 1955 to his death.
Denys was interested in all sorts of antiques and curiosities but had a special passion for the cultures of Japan, Ancient Egypt, Buddhist artifacts, books and the Royal Stuart kings and Jacobite pretenders.
He acquired most of his 8,000 objects between the 1920's and the 1970's. He travelled to many European countries and to Japan and Egypt once each, but most of his acquisitions were made in the United Kingdom through auction houses and private antique dealers. With an excellent eye for quality, his Japanese lacquer and Ancient Eqyptian collections are now internationally renowned. Having no descendants, Denys wanted the castle and collections to be left to the National trust upon his death.
However, despite owning the Tudor village of Chiddingstone, the National Trust chose not to take them on as there was no financial legacy with which to care for them. It was Denys' will that the collections stay together in their present setting for future generations to enjoy, so eventually in 1984 the Denys Eyre Bower Bequest was created as a charitable trust with this sole purpose.
The uniqueness of this collection lies in its diversity of materials, origins and periods because everything that can be seen today - including every piece of furniture, every rug and every lamp - was purchased by one man and has been kept together at Chiddingstone Castle. |
|
.
Denys Eyre Bower (1905 - 1977)
The Great Hall
.
.
Japanese dance
| |
The Chiddingstone Casket
Denys spotted this Japanese lacquer casket in an antiques shop in Wales in the 1940's. It belongs to a small group of objects made in the 17th century for Western buyers. It was made using complicated lacquer techniques such as strips of shell inlay, cut pieces of gold an silver foil, and takamaki-e (building up of a three-dimensional design using charcoal powder and lacquer.
The casket is designed in the shape of an Italian pavilion and its decoration includes Japanese dragons, landscapes and samurai warriors.
It previously belonged to the famous English novelist and collector William Beckford (1760-1844) |
|
Suit of armour with gourd-shaped maedate (forehead crest).
18th - 19th century
.
Suit of armour with dragon design circa 17th century
Inro
Ancient Egyptian coffin led 25th dynasty (760 BC - 656 BC)
In February 2017, a team from University College London's Advanced Imaging Consultant's were successful at reading the name by using infrared photography. It seems certain that the coffin lid belonged to "Irethorru" or "Irethoreru" which means "The eye of Horus is (directed) against them", them referring to the enemies.
.
.
Charles II plate
Ceramic plate with Charles hiding in the Boscobel House oak tree,
whilst on the run from the Roundheads
Charles II Miniature. Oil painting by Samuel Cooper, circa mid 17th century
.
| |
Denys Eyre Bower Buddhist Collection
Denys Eyre Bower was a Buddhist, and it was an important part of his identity. He chose to be represented alongside Buddhist images in his personal photographs, and he studied the religion through Buddhist Society journals. His collection includes objects from Tibet, Japan, China, Thailand and Burma. |
|
.
Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, gilt-bronze, Tibetan 17th century
.
Twenty-five armed Avalokitesvara, Bodhisattava of Compassion, gilt-bronze,
Sino-Tibetan, 18th century
|
