Skeptic that I am, upon hearing there was an historical exhibition on the lives and art of Japan's Buddhist nuns, I assumed that this would be a drab show of temple artifacts and feminine articles veneered in the dust of incense smoke. As the show is largely curated by Western female academics, I also assumed the whole thing might be wrapped around a feminist agenda designed to overcompensate for centuries of male domination by exaggerating any female achievement, no matter how slight.
Although a skeptic, I'm eager to experience exhibitions that I may be wary of, and in the process, occasionally discover unexpected gems.
This was the case with "Amamonzeki — A Hidden Heritage: Treasures of the Japanese Imperial Convents" at Tokyo's University Art Museum, one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all the exhibitions this year, and certainly the best researched.