A private gallery in Hokkaido known for its collection of works from countries above 43 degrees north latitude is closing this month and will sell about 500 pieces, including prints by Salvador Dali and Joan Miro.
Masaru Miyata, 69, head of the N43 Degrees Museum of Art in Kushiro, said he decided to auction the collection due to his advancing age and a decline in visitors to the gallery.
Miyata plans to auction the artworks between Saturday and Nov 11. "It is hard to let go of these, but art is something to be passed down," he said.
The art dealer began collecting paintings and art objects from countries north of the 43rd parallel about 20 years ago.
"I wanted visitors to enjoy the feel of an around-the-world trip by seeing art," Miyata said. The gallery drew as many as 15,000 visitors in a single year, but the number has been declining, due in part to inconvenient access.