Konpira Emakan Museum PhotoKonpira Emakan Museum Photo
Japanese ancestors since ancient times used to believe that divine spirits descend riding on horses.
From this belief a custom of offering live horses to the gods during rituals and prayers has emerged.
It appears that this custom later evolved from the offering of live horses to offering clay and wooden horses, so-called standing horse boards and pictures on boards, leading to present day votive tablets.

Konpira Emakan Museum is the first ema votive tablets gallery that was opened in 1976, after reconstruction of the old Ema Hall carried on with care not to damage the original beauty of its architecture, to preserve and display ema votive tablets that are samples of Japanese original religious art.
Since there is a trend to regard ema votive tablets as forgotten cultural assets we would be glad if our hall became a good opportunity for visitors to view the art of original Japanese Ema votive tablets.

In the room a 19 century Art Nouveau (Émile Gallé, Nancy Daum), Art Deco (René Lalique), Paste of Glass Technique (Emeric Walter, Argy-Rousseau). The masterpiece of the collection is a monumental work by contemporary American Industrial Artist Dale Chihuly called “The god of the sea” (made especially for this room) which is to be viewed through transparent floor 3m x 4m in size.
Huge pieces of shellfish shaped glass art overlap one another creating mysterious beauty and overwhelming power.
Refer to the website below for details concerning Dale Chihuly.

>> >> For details click here (Dale Chihuly web site)