Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 11, 2017 (Tue) -
April 8, 2018 (Sun)
December 14, 2017 (Thu), Asian Gallery (Toyokan)
The galleries feature art and artifacts from regions including China, Korea, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, India, and Egypt.
1st floor
Standing Mahasthamaprapta, Sui dynasty, 6th century (Important Cultural Property)
Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 11, 2017 (Tue) - April 8, 2018 (Sun)
This section mainly features stone or gilt bronze Buddhist statues from about the 6th to the 8th century. The statues on display present the exquisite form of sculptures from the golden era of Buddhist statues in China.
Current exhibit includes:
Standing Mahasthamaprapta, Sui dynasty, 6th century (Important Cultural Property)
Seated Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendent and Four Attendants, Northern Qi dynasty, 6th century
Head of Bodhisattva, Tang dynasty, 8th century, Gif of the Kumazawa Masayuki
Standing Buddha Triad, Eastern Wei dynasty, 6th century (Important Cultural Property)
Ekadasamukha in a Niche, Tang dynasty, 8th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Mr. Hosokawa Moritatsu)
2nd floor
Large Dry Lacquer Vessel, Attributed provenance: Hui County, Henan Province, China, Warring States period, 5th–3rd century BC (Important Art Object, Lent by the OKURA MUSEUM OF ART, Tokyo)
Large Dry Lacquer Vessel
2nd floor Room 2
April 11, 2017 (Tue) - April 8, 2018 (Sun)
Large Dry Lacquer Vessel, Attributed provenance: Hui County, Henan Province, China, Warring States period, 5th-3rd century BC (Important Art Object, Lent by the OKURA MUSEUM OF ART, Tokyo)
Goddess Bastet, Late period–Ptolemaic period, 5th–4th century BC (Gift of Mr. Momose Osamu and Mrs. Momose Fumiko)
Artifacts from West Asia and Egypt
2nd floor Room 3
October 24, 2017 (Tue) - February 4, 2018 (Sun)
This part intrduces artifacts from West Asia and Egypt, known as the cradle of the earliest civilization.
Current exhibit includes:
Bastet, Egypt, Late period–Ptolemaic period, ca. 5th–4th century BC (Gift of Mr. Momose Osamu and Mrs. Momose Fumiko)
Copper Foundation Peg with a God's Figurine, Excavated in southern Iraq, Sumerian Early Dynastic period, 25th–24th century BC
Cut Glass Skyphos, Eastern Mediterranean, 1st century (Private collection)
Round Cut Glass Bowl, Iran, Sasanid period, 6th century (Private collection)
Mummy of Pasherienptah, Excavated at Thebes, Egypt, 22nd dynasty, ca. 945–730 BC (Gift of Egyptian Department of Antiquities)
Standing Man, Formerly owned by Somerset Maugham, Cyprus, Cypro–Archaic period, 6th century BC (Gift of Mr. Michael Xilas and Mrs. Vicky Xilas)
Heracles, Excavated at Hatra, Iraq, Parthian period, 1st–2nd century (Gift of Iraqi Government)
Dish with Humped Bull Design, Excavated in Iran, Late Hellenistic–Parthian period, second half of 3rd–first half of 1st century BC
Seated Buddha, Kushan dynasty, 2nd–3rd century
Sculptures from India and Gandhara
2nd floor Room 3
June 27, 2017 (Tue) - June 24, 2018 (Sun)
This part mainly features Buddhist statues from Gandhara (northwestern Pakistan) and Mathura (northern, central India) from the 2nd to the 5th century. The wide variety of sculptures on display is a notable feature.
Current exhibit includes:
Seated Buddha, Kushan dynasty, 2nd–3rd century
Worshipping of the Bowl and Cross-legged Bodhisattvas, 3rd–4th century (Gift of Ms. Yano Tsuruko)
Preaching Buddha, Kushan dynasty, 3rd century
Seated Bodhisattva, Pala dynasty, 9th–10th century
3rd floor
-
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
September 5, 2017 (Tue) -
February 4, 2018 (Sun)
Jar, Paste glass decoration, Purportedly excavated at Shouxian, Lu’an, Anhui province, China, Spring and Autumn-Warring States period, 6th-4th century BC
The Advent of Chinese Civilization
3rd floor Room 4
September 12, 2017 (Tue) - February 12, 2018 (Mon)
This section focuses on pottery and jade objects from about 3000 BC to AD 200. The items on display present the beauty that ancient Chinese people pursued in the form and color of pottery, as well as the characteristic luster of jade.
Current exhibit includes:
Clay Stamped SealInscribed "True Seal of the Emperor", Qin-Western Han dynasty, 3rd-2nd century BC (Gift of Mr. Abe Fusajiro)
SealInscribed “Seal of the Aristocrat”, Eastern Jin dynasty, 4th-5th century
Jade Axe, Neolithic period, 3rd millennium BC
Jar, Paste glass decoration, Purportedly excavated at Shouxian, Lu’an, Anhui province, China, Spring and Autumn-Warring States period, 6th-4th century BC
Bronze Jar, Attributed provenance: Sichuan Province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–3rd century
Chinese Bronzes
3rd floor Room 5
September 5, 2017 (Tue) - February 4, 2018 (Sun)
This part focuses on Chinese bronzes from about 1800 BC to AD 1000. The changing shapes and designs of the bronzes on display provide clues to the thoughts and shifting religious beliefs of ancient Chinese.
Current exhibit includes:
Bronze Jar, Attributed provenance: Sichuan Province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–3rd century
Money Tree, Excavated in Sichuan province or its vicinity, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–2nd century
Woman, With pigment, China, Western Han dynasty, 2nd century BC (Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige)
Burials in China
3rd floor Room 5
September 5, 2017 (Tue) - February 4, 2018 (Sun)
This part introduces burial items of tombs from about the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD. Mingqi are models of various implements and equipment, such as cooking stoves, vehicles including carriages and oxcarts, and even toilets. Tomb figures are models of humans who served a master, such as servants and entertainers. The objects on display present the idealized lifestyle that people of this time entrusted to mingqi and tomb figures.
Current exhibit includes:
Brick, With sheep head, Attributed provenance: area around Xingyang county, Henan province, China, Western Han–Eastern Han dynasty, 1st century BC–2nd century AD
Camel, With pigment, China, Tang dynasty, 7th–8th century (Lent by the OKURA MUSEUM OF ART, Tokyo)
Woman, With pigment, China, Western Han dynasty, 2nd century BC (Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige)
Female Dancer, With pigment, China, Tang dynasty, 7th–8th century (Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige)
CamelThree-color glaze, China, Tang dynasty, 7th–8th century
Tang Sancai: Three-color Glazed Wares of Tang Dynasty
3rd floor Room 5
September 5, 2017 (Tue) - February 4, 2018 (Sun)
Pottery with three-color glazes that was made for the elaborate burials of the Tang dynasty (618-907) is now admired for its beautiful colors and forms. Sometimes hundreds of individual pieces, with vivid, multi-colored glazes and shapes based on human figures and animals, were buried in a single tomb.
Bowl with Foliate Rim, Celadon glaze, Guan ware, China, Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century, Important Cultural Property (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
September 5, 2017 (Tue) - February 4, 2018 (Sun)
This part presents the changing expressions of Chinese ceramics from the 7th to the 19th century.
Current exhibit includes:
Dish, Celadon glaze, Ru ware, China, Formerly owned by Kawabata Yasunari, Northern Song dynasty, 11th–12th century (Gift of Mr. Katori Kuniomi and Mrs. Katori Yoshiko)
Bowl with Foliate Rim, Celadon glaze, Guan ware, China, Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century, Important Cultural Property (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Water Dropper, Flowering plant design in overglaze enamel and gold, Jingdezhen ware, ChinaFormerly preserved by the Sakai clan of Wakasa province, Ming dynasty, 16th century (Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige)
4th floor
Stone Bas-relief, Procession of chariots / Building for ancestral rituals, From Xiaotangshan, Shandong province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–2nd century
Stone Relief Carvings of China
4th floor Room 7
April 11, 2017 (Tue) - April 8, 2018 (Sun)
In the 2nd century BC, Chinese tombs were not simply holes in the ground. They developed to have walls and ceilings, with a structure almost like underground mansions. Tombs also appeared that had shrines built above ground for the bereaved families to perform rituals. Particularly in Shandong province and southern Henan province, sturdy stone was favored for making the tombs and shrines, with the stone surfaces used for carving images. Many of these stone bas-reliefs were created until the second half of the 2nd century in the Eastern Han dynasty.
Current exhibit includes:
Stone Bas-relief, Procession of chariots / Building for ancestral rituals, From Xiaotangshan, Shandong province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–2nd century
Stone Bas-relief, Toad / Emperor Yu, etc., From Xiaotangshan, Shandong province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–2nd century
Stone Bas-relief, Building / Tinglan and the wooden doll, etc., From Xiaotangshan, Shandong province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–2nd century
5th floor
Covered Box, Dragon and phoenix design in carved red lacquer, Ming dynasty, dated 1592
Chinese Lacquerware
5th floor Room 9
October 31, 2017 (Tue) - February 25, 2018 (Sun)
This part introduces the various methods and designs in Chinese lacquerware. Lacquerware is a form of decorative art made by applying lacquer sap on vessels and utensils, a practice which developed widely in China, Japan, Korea, and the Southeast Asian regions, in techniques and designs unique to each area. China, in particular, has a history of lacquerware of as long as 7000 years.
Current exhibit includes:
Tray with Foliate Rim, Red lacquer, Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century (Lent by the Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation, Tokyo)
Tray, Chrysanthemum design in carved black lacquer, Southern Song dynasty, 13th century
Covered Box, Dragon and phoenix design in carved red lacquer, Ming dynasty, dated 1592
Pomegranate, Qing dynasty, 19th century (Gift of Mr. Kamiya Denbei)
Decorative Art of the Qing Dynasty
5th floor Room 9
October 31, 2017 (Tue) - February 25, 2018 (Sun)
This part introduces the decorative art of the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1912) in China, such as works of jade, cloisonne, glass, and bamboo. The items on display feature the beauty of fine technical skill and the sophisticated atmosphere of Qing-dynasty decorative art.
Current exhibit includes:
Candlesticks, Qing dynasty, Qianlong era
Pomegranate, Qing dynasty, 19th century (Gift of Mr. Kamiya Denbei)
Eaves Tile, With inscription, Nangnang (Lelang), 2nd–3rd century
Polished Stone Tools and Metal Tools of Korea
5th floor Room 10
October 17, 2017 (Tue) - April 22, 2018 (Sun)
This part highlights Korean polished stone tools and metal objects that had a great influence on Japan's Yayoi culture.
Current exhibit includes:
Octagonal Sarira Casket (Relic container), Attributed provenance: Gwangyang, Korea, Unified Silla dynasty, 8th–9th century (Important Art Object, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Polished Stone Sickle, Excavated at Buyeo, Korea, Bronze Age, 10th–4th century BC (Gift of Mr. Sakenobu Kyokusho)
Bronze Dagger, Excavated at Ochon-ri, Pyongyang, Korea, Early Iron Age, 2nd century BC
Brick, With inscription, Nangnang (Lelang), dated 286 AD
Eaves Tile, With inscription, Nangnang (Lelang), 2nd–3rd century
Round Eaves Tile, With inscription, With animals, Attributed provenance: Gyeongju, Korea, Early Iron Age-Proto Three Kingdoms period, 3rd–1st century BC (Important Art Object, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Epitaph of Choe Chungheon, Goryeo dynasty, dated 1219
Belt Fittings with Animal Faces, Attributed provenance: Geochang, Korea, Three Kingdoms period (Gaya), 5th–6th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
The Rises and Falls of Kings in Korea
5th floor Room 10
October 17, 2017 (Tue) - April 22, 2018 (Sun)
This part features the prosperity of kings in the Three Kingdoms period (4th century–676) in Korea, through works including items of metalwork. The diverse designs of the objects are evidence of the prosperity of the kings.
Current exhibit includes:
Belt Hook in Shape of Horse, Attributed provenance: Seonsan, Korea, Proto-Three Kingdoms period, 2nd–3rd century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Belt Fittings with Animal Faces, Attributed provenance: Geochang, Korea, Three Kingdoms period (Gaya), 5th–6th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Earring, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 6th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Headgear, With design in openwork, Attributed provenance: Changnyeong, Korea, Three Kingdoms period, 6th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Three-legged Vessel with Handle, Attributed provenance: Hapcheon, Korea, Three Kingdoms period, 6th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Wide-mouthed Footed Jar (detail), Goja, Three Kingdoms period (Gaya), 6th century
Korean Ceramics
5th floor Room 10
October 17, 2017 (Tue) - April 22, 2018 (Sun)
This part introduces Korean ceramics from the Proto–Three Kingdoms period (1st century BC–3rd century AD) to the Joseon dynasty(1392–1910).
Current exhibit includes:
Wide-mouthed Footed Jar, Goja, Three Kingdoms period (Gaya), 6th century
Long-necked Jar, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), second half of 5th century
Bowl, White porcelain, Goryeo dynasty, 11th century (Gift of Mr. Kudo Yoshiro)
Dish, White porcelain, Joseon dynasty, 15th–16th century (Private collection)
Jar, Cloud and dragon design in underglaze iron pigment, Joseon dynasty, 17th century (Gift of Ms. Shimizu Nobuko)
Equestrian Figurine, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 5th–6th century, Important Art Object, Gift of the Ogura Foundation
Bowl, Buncheong ware with stamped beaded roundels design, Joseon dynasty, 15th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Tea Bowl with Brush Marks, Mujihakeme type; known as "Murakumo", Mujihakeme type, Passed down by the Matsu'ura clan, the feudal load of Hirado domain, Joseon dynasty, 16th century (Gift of Mr. Matsunaga Yasuzaemon)
Glass Bowl, Glass Ewer, Attributed provenance: Yeonbaek, Korea, Goryeo dynasty, 11th–12th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Buddhist Art of Korea
5th floor Room 10
November 7, 2017 (Tue) - June 17, 2018 (Sun)
This part features the essence of Korean Buddhist art.
Current exhibit includes:
Brick, With inscription, Excavated from Taiwangling, Ji'an, China, Three Kingdoms period (Goguryeo), 4th–5th century (Gift of Mr. Maruyama Sakura)
Round Eave Tile, With inscription, Excavated from Wolsong, Gyeongju, Korea, Unified Silla dynasty, 8th?9th century
Standing Vairocana, Korea, Unified Silla-Goryeo dynasty, 9th?10th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Glass Ewer, Attributed provenance: Yeonbaek, Korea, Goryeo dynasty, 11th–12th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Gong, With year inscription, By Han Jungseo, Korea, Goryeo dynasty, dated 1213
Basement
Lintel (detail), Angkor period, 10th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Khmer Sculpture
Basement Room 11
May 9, 2017 (Tue) - May 6, 2018 (Sun)
This section introduces sculptures from Khmer, with a focus on stone statues from the Angkor period (9th-13th century). The Tokyo National Museum collection of Khmer sculptures, which are distinguished in both quality and quantity, was acquired in 1944 through an exchange project with the research institute l'École francaise d'Extrême-Orient.
Current exhibit includes:
Garuda Riding on Naga (Snake deity), Angkor period, 12th–13th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Standing Vishnu, Angkor period, 12th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Buddha Seated on Naga (Snake deity), Angkor period, 12th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Standing Lokesvara, Angkor period, 12th–13th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Lintel, Angkor period, 10th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Shiva (Upper body), Excavated from Damdek, Cambodia, Angkor period, 9th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Gilt Bronze Statues from Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
October 17, 2017 (Tue) - May 6, 2018 (Sun)
This part focuses on Southeast Asian gilt bronze statues of gods and Buddhist deities from the 7th to 13th century. The statues are made using the lost-wax casting process, and therefore they have common qualities in their plasticity and smoothness of form.
Current exhibit includes:
Buddha Seated on a Pedestal, Central Java period, ca. 8th century
Seated Mahavairocana, Central Java period, 9th–10th century
Standing Deity Hanuman, Angkor period, 11th century
Finial for a Shaft in the Shape of Naga, Angkor period, 12th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Shiva (Upper body), Excavated from Damdek, Cambodia, Angkor period, 9th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Human-shaped Object, Attributed provenance: Uttar Pradesh, India, Copper Hoard culture, ca. 1500 BC
Archaeology of India and Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
April 11, 2017 (Tue) - April 8, 2018 (Sun)
The excavated pottery and metal wares exhibited in this part clearly show the prosperity of cultures with rich regional characteristics in ancient India and Southeast Asia.
Current exhibit includes:
Human-shaped Object, Attributed provenance: Uttar Pradesh, India, Copper Hoard culture, ca. 1500 BC
Ladle with Bird Ornament, Excavated in northeastern Thailand, ca. 3rd century BC–2nd century AD
Vessel in Shape of Bucket, Excavated in Vietnam or Southern China, Nanyue dynasty, 2nd century BC
Bronze Drum, Attributed provenance: northern Thailand, 6th–5th century BC (Lent by Idemitsu Museum of Arts)
Bronze Drum, Northern Thailand, 15th–17th century (Gift of Prince Damrong, Thailand)
Large Dish, Deer and landscape design in underglaze blue, 15th–16th century (Important Art Object)
Southeast Asian Ceramics
Basement Room 12
May 9, 2017 (Tue) - May 6, 2018 (Sun)
This part introduces the individual styles of ceramics made in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam from the 9th to the 16th century.
Current exhibit includes:
Fragment of Roof Tile, Ash glaze, Excavated from Wat Atvea, Angkor period, 11th–13th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Vase, Dark brown glaze with incised design, Excavated at Angkor, Angkor period, 12th–13th century (Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient)
Elephant-shaped Vessel, Dark brown glaze, Angkor period, 12th–13th century
Shallow Bowl, Celadon glaze, Northern Thailand, 15th century (Gift of Mr. Yoshioka Ken)
Shallow Bowl with Pointed Foliate Rim, Celadon glaze with lotus flower design, Si Satchanalai ware, Thailand, 15th century (Gift of Mr. Yamada Yoshio)
Bowl, Celadon glaze with fish and flowering plant design in underglaze iron pigment, Si Satchanalai ware, Thailand, 15th–16th century (Gift of Mr. Yamada Yoshio)
Bowl, Arabesque design in overglaze enamel, 16th century (Important Art Object)
Water Ewer in Shape of a Kundika, Arabesque design in underglaze blue, 15th–16th century (Private collection)
Large Dish, Deer and landscape design in underglaze blue, 15th–16th century (Important Art Object)
Large Dish Water buffalo design in overglaze enamel, 16th century