Established in 1959, the museum was founded by Felix Tikotin, an Architect from Holland, and Abba Khoushy, the Mayor of Haifa. Tikotin's passion in life was Japanese Art and he was an avid collector. During WWII, because he was a German Jew, Tikotin was forced to flee from the Nazis and so he hid his art collection in Holland. After the war, he decided to move his art collection to Israel, with the intention of donating it to a museum. However, upon meeting the Mayor of Haifa, Tikotin decided to build a museum in Haifa designed especially for this unique style of art.
Once the museum was completed, Tikotin began traveling the world to add even more artwork to the collection. Today, the museum has more than 7,000 art items, which include: paintings, prints, drawings, painted screens, textiles, illustrated texts, ceramics, carvings, metal work, and swords. It was Tikotin's dream to not only display Japanese art, but to also use the museum to teach others about the Japanese culture. Therefore, the museum conducts workshops and classes on: the Japanese language, calligraphy, Japanese flower arrangement, and cooking. The majority of these programs are designed specifically for schoolchildren.
The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art must meet with the approval of Japan, because in 2000, they awarded the museum the Japan Foundation Special Award. This prestigious award is presented annually to select institutions that enhance the understanding of the academics or culture of Japan.
I think it would be a great opportunity to check out the art of the Far East, while I'm traveling through the Middle East. So, I will have to remember to stop off here, while I am in Haifa. Thank goodness Felix Tikotin was able to save his lovely art collection and keep it from the Nazis.
