2017 Foreign Minister’s Commendations – Mr Timothy Clark

On the 3 November 2017, Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka bestowed the Foreign Minister’s Commendation upon Mr Timothy Clark, Head of the Japanese Collection at the British Museum, for his remarkable contribution to promoting Japan research and understanding in the United Kingdom.

2017 marks 30 years since Mr Clark joined the British Museum as a curator of the Japanese collection. During his long service, he has been responsible for the 30,000 objects related to Japan in the Museum’s collection. He has also played a key role in bringing to fruition several major exhibitions focused on Japan. He was centrally involved in Kabuki Heroes on the Osaka Stage in 2005, the Utagawa Kuniyoshi exhibition in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts in 2009, the stunning display of Shunga works in 2013, and most recently, the long-awaited and hugely successful exhibition Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave that took place this year at the British Museum. Beyond his curatorial achievements, as an expert on Japanese paintings and prints of the Edo and Meiji periods, he has worked on a number of publications on the Japanese arts as well.

High profile members of the British Museum including Dr Hartwig Fischer, Director, as well as major supporters and sponsors of the British Museum joined us to celebrate Mr Clark’s accomplishments, achieved during his long and prolific service to the British Museum. Ambassador Tsuruoka highly praised Mr Clark’s contribution saying that the awarding of this recognition by the Japanese Government is both extremely well-merited and most timely. Mr Clark expressed his heartfelt appreciations to the supporters, and introduced ongoing and future projects at the British Museum.