Pisa, Edda Bresciani's netsuke collection on display at the Museum of Graphics


Starting Feb. 8, the Museo della Grafica at Palazzo Lanfranchi in Pisa is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the netsuke collection of Egyptologist Edda Bresciani.

Opening in Pisa on Feb. 8 is the exhibition Netsuke. Masterpieces from the Bresciani Collection, hosted in the rooms of the Museum of Graphics in Palazzo Lanfranchi (Municipality of Pisa, University of Pisa). The exhibition is presented as a unique opportunity to admire a selection of small masterpieces from the netsuke collection of Edda Bresciani (Lucca, 1930 - 2020), a world-renowned Egyptologist and longtime lecturer at theUniversity of Pisa.

Netsuke are small wooden or ivory sculptures produced in Japan between the 17th and 20th centuries: they were attached to the belt of the male kimono with the function of counterbalancing the tobacco or other container. Carved into shapes often of extraordinary workmanship, netsuke depict an endless array of themes and subjects, telling the story of art and craftsmanship, culture and religious beliefs, in short, life in the many facets of Japan over nearly four centuries. The exhibition also includes a multimedia visualization of a netsuke through 3D photogrammetric reconstruction created by the Perceptual Robotics Laboratory of the TeCIP Institute of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa.



Edda Bresciani was Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Pisa and recipient of theOrder of the Cherubim, and was also a gold medalist of the President of the Republic for science and culture, a national member of theAccademia Nazionale dei Lincei, a corresponding member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres in Paris, and chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Foundation of the Egyptian Museum in Turin. An avid collector and scholar of netsuke, Edda Bresciani was also a recognized hajin (teacher of haiku).

The exhibition was presented in virtual form, thanks to the technical collaboration of MediaEventi of the University of Pisa: you can find the video on the Museo della Grafica’s social channels, YouTube channel and on MediaEventi’s Facebook page.

Pisa, Edda Bresciani's netsuke collection on display at the Museum of Graphics
Pisa, Edda Bresciani's netsuke collection on display at the Museum of Graphics


Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.



Array ( )