Image: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
A series of fusuma paintings by Kano Sogen Shigenobu has been reunited after approximately 150 years, according to a highlight posted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum on August 27, 2026. The museum described the reunion as involving paintings that had crossed the sea before coming together again.
The works are presented as a group created by Kano Sogen Shigenobu. The museum’s Japanese-language post emphasizes their relationship to the architectural space in which they are installed, describing the paintings as works that shine as part of their surroundings rather than as isolated objects.
Their surfaces feature varied gold and silver decoration. The post highlights the use of these metallic embellishments across the series, drawing attention to the way the paintings’ colors and reflective elements produce a luminous effect.
The announcement appeared under the label ‘Highlights 4,’ indicating that it forms part of a sequence of promotional exhibition highlights. It does not identify the exhibition title, the number of panels involved, the locations from which the paintings traveled, or the precise circumstances of their separation and reunion.
The museum’s post also does not provide exhibition dates or specify where the reunited fusuma paintings are currently being shown. The verified information available describes the works, their metallic decoration and their reunion after roughly 150 years, but offers no further details about the display or accompanying program.
