For almost four hundred years, between the 1480s and 1880s the family name Kano serves in Japan as a brand with a unified, recognisable style which delivered images for those in power.

Organised in a family-like network of workshops led by male heads, the Kano branch could from the 17th century on mobilise at any time a multitude of painters, who through division of labour were able to complete even large-scale projects such as the painted interiors of castles or residences in hardly any time. The possibility to adopt gifted disciples into the house of Kano, in many instances via marriage to female members, safeguarded continuity and fresh talent. Only the decline of their patrons from the military aristocracy brought this tradition to a close.

This second part of a temporary display showcases examples of Kano painting from the collection of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst with special emphasis on seasonal subject matter and the development of the Kano tradition in the 18th and 19th century.

A Thousand Brushes With a Single Style! – The House of Kano and Painting as Family Business is a temporary exhibition by the Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Asian Art Museum) in Gallery 318 “Arts of Japan” at the Humboldt Forum