Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art
"The people of the Isle of Zipangu (Japan) have great quantities of gold. The king's palace is of pure gold, and the floors are of gold two fingers thick." Thus wrote the Venetian Marco Polo (1254-1324) in his book "The Travels of Marco Polo", causing Europeans believe that "Zipangu" was the land of gold. In fact, Japan never had such gold reserves, but her artist used gold to embellish Buddhist statues, screens, lacquer ware, ceramics and other items.