“Spinning Love, Carving Prayers: Lithuanian Handcrafts” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum from January 16, 2027

At the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Shirokanedai, Tokyo), “Spinning Love, Carving Prayers: Lithuanian Handcrafts” will be held from Saturday, January 16 to Sunday, March 28, 2027. Everyday tools such as spinning boards called “verpstė,” textiles, woodwork, pottery and rattan baskets, together with items rooted in faith such as crosses, holy images and prints, are presented in the Main Building (the former residence of Prince Asaka) and the Annex. The museum announced the official title and details on October 7, 2026.

Why Lithuanian handcrafts now?

According to the museum, this is the first exhibition in Japan to fully introduce Lithuania’s wide variety of handcrafts. It is held as part of the cultural program of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2027. Special cooperation is provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Culture Institute and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan, and the National Museum of Lithuania, the Lithuanian National Museum of Art and the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, among others, also cooperate.

The museum describes Lithuania as a country repeatedly ruled by other powers, with periods when even its mother tongue was taken away. Through it all, people cherished their daily lives and prayed for peace. The release notes that Lithuania was one of the last countries in Europe to accept Christianity, and explains that the decoration of its handcrafts, crosses and holy images therefore reflects the worldview of the ancient Balts, who saw the cycle of life in the sun, trees, animals and more.

The exhibition was previewed as “Lithuanian Handicrafts Exhibition (provisional title)” in the museum’s fiscal year lineup in January 2026, and its official title was revealed in the October release. In Tokyo, “Čiurlionis: Inner Star Chart” was held at the National Museum of Western Art from March 28 to June 14, 2026. It was a retrospective of the Lithuanian artist M. K. Čiurlionis (1875–1911), co-organized by the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, which is also cooperating with this exhibition.

What can be seen? Three highlights

Spinning love: Lithuania’s diverse handcrafts

The spinning board, or “verpstė,” was once an essential item for women. According to the museum, men sometimes gave decorated verpstės to the women they loved, and women in turn gave men textiles woven from the thread they had spun. The wooden “towel holder” is said to have played a ritual role in the home, like a household shrine.

The main works the museum cites are a “Verpstė (Board for Spinning Thread)” (1861) and a “Ceremonial Cup” (1770), both from the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. A “Wedding Chest” (second half of the 20th century) and a “Fish-Shaped Tobacco Case” (1900), both from the National Museum of Lithuania, and an “Apron” (19th century, Lithuanian National Museum of Art) are also shown. The flyer also features a “Swallow Toy” (mid-20th century), a “Horse Toy” (1957) and a “Miniature Windmill” (early 20th century), all from the National Museum of Lithuania.

Carving prayers: Lithuanian crosses and holy images

Wooden and iron crosses and shrines that stood in villages and by roadsides, carved wooden holy images and more are displayed in the Annex Gallery. The museum says that Christian faith and the ancient Baltic view of nature live on in these works. Above all, the “Pensive Christ” (Rūpintojėlis), made in great numbers, is said to symbolize Lithuanian folk faith. Main works include “Madonna” (early 20th century) and “Top of a Cross” (second half of the 19th century), both from the Lithuanian National Museum of Art.

The finest decorative art × the handwork of anonymous people

The Main Building, the former residence of Prince Asaka, was built in 1933 as the home of the Asaka branch of the imperial family. The museum describes it as one of Japan’s leading examples of Art Deco architecture, built under the inspiration of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. Henri Rapin and René Lalique were commissioned for the interiors of the main rooms, and the building was designated a national Important Cultural Property in 2015.

In this exhibition, the simple handwork of anonymous people is placed in this space, which gathers the finest of modern industry and decorative art. The museum hopes visitors will enjoy the experience, including the sensations that arise when different values meet.

Tickets, prices and reservations

Admission is 1,400 yen for adults, 1,120 yen for university students (including vocational and other specialized schools), and 700 yen for high school students and those 65 and over. Groups of 20 or more pay 1,120 yen (adults), 890 yen (university students) and 560 yen (high school students and those 65 and over), with advance application required. Junior high school students and younger are free, and those 65 and over are free on Silver Day, the third Wednesday of each month.

Holders of a physical disability certificate or other certificates and up to two caregivers are also admitted free (Mirairo ID accepted). Elementary, junior high and high school students in Tokyo accompanied by their teachers, and the teachers themselves, are also admitted free with advance application.

The exhibition uses timed reservations, and tickets should be purchased before visiting. Those eligible for free admission can enter without a reservation. As of October 19, the start date of ticket sales had not been announced.

Opening hours are 10:00–18:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing), extended to 20:00 on Friday, March 19, Saturday, March 20, Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27. The museum is closed every Monday; it is open on Monday, March 22, a national holiday, and closed the next day, Tuesday, March 23.

Related events

• Lecture “Prayer and Song: Traditional Culture and Identity in Lithuania”: Saturday, February 20, 2027, 14:30–16:00, Annex Gallery 2. Speaker: Aurelijus Zykas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Japan. Free (exhibition ticket valid on the day required); capacity 80, advance application required, with a lottery if oversubscribed

• Mini talks by the curator in charge: Thursday, February 4 and Thursday, February 18, 14:30–15:00, Annex Gallery 2. Free (exhibition ticket valid on the day required); capacity 80, no application required, first come, first served on the day

• Garden Marché (handcraft marché and workshops): Wednesday, February 3, 11:00–16:00, in front of the Main Building and in the garden (canceled in case of rain). Local shops and organizations will hold a marché, and food trucks will be on site

• Flat Days: A relaxed viewing day on Wednesday, February 24, 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30), and a Baby Hour on Wednesday, March 3, 10:00–15:00, when strollers can be used even inside the Main Building. Visitor numbers are limited on both days, with advance application required (lottery if oversubscribed)

Access

The address is 5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo. It is a 7-minute walk from the East Exit of Meguro Station on the JR Yamanote Line and the Main Exit of Meguro Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line. From Exit 1 of Shirokanedai Station on the Toei Mita Line and Tokyo Metro Namboku Line it is a 6-minute walk, or an 8-minute walk from Exit 2 for those using the elevator.

Editor’s perspective

The museum is currently showing “Marimekko: The Power of Patterns” until December 20. After the prints of the Finnish design house, the same former residence of Prince Asaka will present everyday tools and devotional objects made by anonymous Lithuanian makers.

Placing simple handcrafts in a space regarded as the pinnacle of decorative art raises questions about what decoration is and how to look at crafts whose makers’ names have not survived. Design and craft exhibitions are gathered in our guide to design, craft and architecture exhibitions, and exhibitions in 2027 in [2027] Notable Exhibition Schedule.

Overview

Name: Spinning Love, Carving Prayers: Lithuanian Handcrafts
Dates: Saturday, January 16 – Sunday, March 28, 2027
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (until 20:00 on March 19, 20, 26 and 27; last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays (open on March 22, closed on March 23)
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Main Building and Annex)
Address: 5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Adults 1,400 yen, university students (including vocational and other specialized schools) 1,120 yen, high school students and those 65 and over 700 yen, junior high school students and younger free. Timed reservations
Organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)
Special cooperation: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Culture Institute, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan
Cooperation: National Museum of Lithuania, Lithuanian National Museum of Art, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, Blue Sheep
Official website: https://www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp/exhibition/270116-0328_lithuania/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: from a press release by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (October 7, 2026) and information on its official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team