June 5 (Sat) – July 25 (Sun), 2021

People in the Mino region during the Edo period valued family lineage and history. It is believed that this was because of “kashira-bun-sei,” the class system unique to the Mino region. The “Kashira-bun-sei” class system divides hyakusho (peasants) into the ranks of kashira-byakusho (high-ranking peasants) and waki-byakusho (low-ranking peasants). In the mid-Edo period, however, some waki-byakusho tried promoting themselves to kashira-byakusho, and this led to checking family history.

The special featured exhibition showcases the family trees and family history records, focusing on the background of creating those records, and the Mino-region’s cultural characteristics.

April 10 (Sat) – May 30 (Sun), 2021

The works of “Mino carving” among our collection are displayed.
A sword mounting (koshirae) includes fittings such as a sword guard (tsuba), hilt ornaments (menuki), and a small tool (kogai) attached to the sword sheath for hairdressing and ear cleaning. In the Edo period, sword fittings called “Mino-bori (Mino carving)” were created mainly in Gifu. Etching deeply into red copper on a black background, autumn plants and insects are frequently used for design, decorated with gold. Despite the garishness of the decoration, many of them create a subtle and melancholic atmosphere which is another feature of Mino-bori. These elaborate fittings do not stand out when wearing a sword, however, one can say that it was a way for samurai to demonstrate dandyism.