The Gardiner Museum displays numerous Japanese ceramics, such as this Ko-Imari flask

ON NOW One of the best things about the Gardiner Museum, apart from the sheer breadth and beauty of its collection of functional and decorative ceramics, is the way it so effectively connects these works with the artistic and cultural conventions of a given time and place. Private Pleasures: Japanese Porcelain of the Edo Period is yet another example of this mandate’s fulfillment. The display of over 100 objects from 17th- to 19th- century Japan provides a glimpse into the lives of feudal elites, artists and even geishas through pieces like a Ko-Imari flask, plus related paintings and textiles from the era. Another nifty bit of synergy: the show was realized thanks to the donation of the Macdonald Collection of porcelains, itself the product of a private, pleasurable pastime.