A gift between friends

The Royal Collection's Japan: Courts and Culture exhibition is a rare showing. There are items on display that have never been displayed publicly before, including a gift in 1613 to James I of a Samurai armour. The craftsmanship and beauty of the objects on display is truly extraordinary, which makes it all the more astounding that the Queen's Gallery has never attempted an exhibition like this before.

The exhibition tells the story of the relationship between Britain and Japan from the early seventeenth century until the late 20th century. The cultural exchange between the two nations is charted through objects that represent key themes like trade, diplomacy, travel and curiosity.

The story begins with the arrival of the gifted samurai suit for King James, and it appears as if relations may evolve with many Dutch and English traders engaging with Japanese merchants and the ruling military, the Tokugawa Shogunate. However, within a few decades the regime pursues a dramatic isolationist policy and the borders are closed to Europe, with the exception of the Dutch who are allowed to trade through a tiny island near the port of Nagasaki.

European demand for Japanese goods was high, so the Japanese continued to create items for export, many of which were designed with European tastes in mind. Take vases for example, whilst Japanese artistic tradition valued asymmetry and hence each vase was unique, in Europe there was a tradition of pairing items and symmetry. Japanese craftsmen, therefore, cleverly adapted and created vases in pairs with mirrored designs. More humorous was the European "improving" of items, with ornate French-style gold handles, and elaborate gold mounts added to turn a water bowl into a potpourri bowl or a rice bowl into a punch bowl.

Where Japanese goods weren't available and accurate information restricted, the Europeans used their imagination and made things up. A particular highlight was the 1673 print of the "Shogun Emperor" which confuses the military ruler Shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna with the Emperor. He's portrayed in what can only be described as 'oriental' fashion, a middle-eastern turban and other generic fashions from the "exotic" costume books that circulated at the time.

It wasn't until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which saw military rulers overthrown and the Imperial family restored, that contact between the British royals and the Japanese truly resumed. In 1869 Prince Alfred, Victoria's grandson visited Japan and sent letters back detailing his discoveries. Initially he was bewildered by the cultural difference, but by the end of his visit, which included a successful meeting with the Emperor Meiji, he described 'beautiful' landscapes, 'charming' palaces and that he had been treated with 'the greatest civility and attention'. He returned with gifts, as well as his own purchases and many of the items were lent to what is now the V&A for an exhibition in 1872. The most striking item being a dagger (tanto) from c.1500 that was redesigned with cherry blossom style gold mounts, designed by the Emperor himself.

The dagger is just one example of the exquisite craftsmanship on display. It stands alongside cabinets and writing boxes, painted screens and woodblock prints, swords and vases. Many of these objects are made over a period of months or sometimes years, the processes so highly skilled, precise and time intensive. The beauty and originality of Japanese craftsmanship is arguably what attracted so much European attention and admiration - they had never seen these techniques, materials and designs before. I learned about many of the symbols in Japanese art, and their relentless incorporation of nature. For example, cherry blossom and migrating geese mark different seasons, and remind audiences of the passing of time and how fleeting it can be. It's refreshing to see an exhibition celebrating material culture, and not simply paintings or sculpture. There's also an incredible array of items and sources on display, including letters, diaries and photographs.

Diplomatic visits went both ways, with the Japanese Prince and Princess Takamatsu visiting in the 1930s as part of their honeymoon tour. There's striking photos of them in European dress which caught my eye. According to the Royal Collection "both photographs are undated and, curiously, there is no mention of the photographic session in the detailed records of the couple’s itinerary kept at the Royal Archives. However, the corresponding negative plates in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery bear inscriptions revealing that the portraits were taken on the second day of the couple’s visit." It's an interesting reminder that culture exchange is a process - it's one of learning and discovery, as well as appreciation and appropriation.

The Royal Collection uses this exhibition to argue that the relationship between the two families was a precursor and catalysts for a broader fascination with Japanese culture. It may have started out with European imagination and fantasy, but has now evolved into a more knowing and loving appreciation for Japanese culture as it truly is. But more than this, as the Japanese and the British traded gifts, stories and honours you start to see a connection that goes beyond pomp and ceremony and is more profoundly personal. At the heart of these exchanges between two island nations, and for a long time two island empires, there are two families.

Standing in front of their letters and photographs, I couldn't help but wonder how scary, exciting and unprecedented it must have been for Alfred stepping off that boat in 1869 or for Princess Takamatsu arriving in London - it's not something many of us consider when we see our royal family travelling abroad today. Queen Elizabeth II was the first ruling British Monarch to visit Japan in 1975, and there are several gifts from her reign in the exhibition - you can't help but wonder what was in the private conversations and letters accompanying them. Whatever your personal stance on monarchy, it's worth acknowledging how significant these exchanges have been throughout history and consider the role they may play in future. Perhaps there is a greater value in the cultural exchanges of our royal family to appreciate, a travelling family that we can all learn from.

Japan: Courts and Culture closes next week - it's worth a visit if you can get a ticket!