Travel Tip

Archaic Smile at Miho Museum

Cultural News May 2007 Issue

Seated Eleven-headed Kannon

    The summer session of the Miho Museum in Shigaraki, Shiga prefecture features Archaic Smile: From the Mediterranean, through the East Asia Continent, to Japan from July 14 through August 19.

    Three months after birth, babies learn to smile when seeing their parents' face. And their parents smile back. Smiles are innate facial expression that connects us to those who and that which nurture us.

    About 2,600 years ago, the smile put life into Greek sculpture, which until then had a rigid countenance. This attractive expression is called the archaic smile.

     Archaic Smile is a part of Miho Museum’s tenth anniversary programs. www.miho.or.jp