The National Museum of Western Art will release a limited edition "PENON Touch Me! Art Magnet" inspired by the works on display at the "Naito Collection: Manuscripts – A Microcosm of the Elegant Middle Ages" exhibition.

Penon Inc. (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), which manufactures products that help solve global and social problems, will be selling original art goods called “PENON Touch Me! Art Magnets” inspired by the works on display at the special exhibition “The Naito Collection: Manuscripts – An Elegant Microcosm of the Middle Ages” (period: Tuesday, June 11th – Sunday, August 25th, 2024) at the National Museum of Western Art (Ueno Park, Tokyo) exclusively at the museum shop inside the museum.

“PENON Touch Me! Art Magnet” is an original sustainable product by PENON, made from tiles upcycled from waste materials of Mino ware, famous as one of the three great ceramics in Japan, and was born from the ingenuity of using limited resources efficiently. It has the soft texture and moderate weight that only ceramics can provide, and is finished in a luxurious design that fits in stylish spaces.

“Naito Collection Manuscripts – A Very Elegant Microcosm of the Middle Ages” limited art magnet

The Naito Collection: Manuscripts – A Microcosm of the Elegant Middle Ages is a special exhibition that focuses on manuscripts, which were widely used in the Middle Ages, and displays approximately 150 manuscripts, such as Bibles and calendars from medieval Europe. This time, four gorgeous pieces that allow visitors to enjoy the beauty of medieval illuminated art have been selected from the manuscript leaves, which are decorated with a variety of vivid colors and playful decorations, and are printed on magnets with a three-dimensional texture. These items allow visitors to see, touch, and experience the outstanding skills and creativity of artists while deepening their understanding of history and culture.

[Product Information]

PENON Touch Me! Art Magnets, Manuscript Design, 4 Types

(Top row, from left)

Figures in the building Gratian, Leaf of the Canon Laws of Gratian (with the “Standard Commentary” of Bartholomaeus of Brescia) (detail)

King pointing at his mouth Painter of the life of Saint Louis (Maillet?) Leaf from the St. Albans Bible (detail)

(Bottom row, from left)

Two figures facing each other (poetry collection Zeroha) (detail)

Lion print Painter of the life of Saint Louis (Maillet?) Leaf from the St. Albans Bible (detail)

Price: 680 yen each (tax included)

Where to buy: Museum Shop, National Museum of Western Art (Available only at the Museum Shop)

“The Naito Collection of Manuscripts – A Microcosm of the Elegance of the Middle Ages”

In medieval Europe, where printing technology did not exist, manuscripts were the main medium for supporting people’s faith and transmitting knowledge. Manuscripts, which were produced by hand copying texts onto paper made from thinly processed animal skins such as sheep and calves, sometimes became extremely luxurious items, taking a huge amount of time and effort to produce. It is not uncommon for them to be decorated with gorgeous ornaments and elevated to first-class works of art. In 2015, the National Museum of Western Art received a donation of a collection of manuscript leaves (individual leaves separated from books) from Professor Hirofumi Naito, Emeritus Professor of the University of Tsukuba and Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences. With the support of Naito’s friend Akio Naganuma, we have added 26 new manuscript leaves to our collection through 2020. This exhibition is comprised of approximately 150 items, mainly from the Naito collection, with a few from university libraries in Japan, and will look at the role and decorative features of manuscripts that were widely used in the Middle Ages, such as Bibles, psalms, books of hours, and hymnals. We hope you will enjoy this “microcosm of the Middle Ages,” the beauty of illuminated art that is linked to the function of books and combines text and pictures.