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Past Special Exhibitions

Daybreak, René Lalique

The Fascination
of Fragrance Bottles

Exhibits of Makeup Culture

28 June (Tue), 2011 to 5 February(Sun), 2012

In early 20th century Europe, fashion, personal accoutrements and other furnishings of daily life were beautified by a variety of design styles that included influences from aesthetic movements like Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Chinoiserie, and Japonisme. Perfume bottle design was one prime example of this trend to bring aesthetic pleasure into the decoration of everyday items.

This exhibition introduced a collection of fragrance bottles created by designers like jewelry crafter René Lalique and a host of others from the art and fashion worlds, as well as a selection of numerous superb examples created by Shiseido itself.

Emeraude member Compact with dewy grass pattern, Hanatsubakikai Emeraude member, 1971

Reflecting Mirrors

Exhibits of Corporate Culture

8 January (Sat) to 26 June(Sun), 2011

This exhibition surveyed 100 years of modern women's history as seen through the theme of “reflecting in mirrors.” Mirrors have changed over the years, in the Edo-era made of polished copper and tin and cherished in trappings of gilded lacquer decoration, embroidery and fabric, then later evolving, along with the social position of modern women, into more purely functional dressing room accoutrements. These days, it may well be that new media like cell phone picture messages and instant photo booth stickers are handling some of the roles of mirrors among even younger generations of women. This exhibition traced some of the changes that mirrors have undergone, in the process considering some of the sentiments inherent in the act of women making of reflections of themselves.