Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 3
March 21, 2006 (Tue) - July 2, 2006 (Sun)
Born in India, Buddhism and Hinduism gradually spread to neighboring countries, where they were practiced in various forms. This display features Buddhist and Hindu statues produced in the 8th - 14th centuries in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.
The cultural center of Indonesia during the 7th-10th centuries was on Central Java island, where both Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism flourished. Mahayana Buddhist statues and an esoteric Buddhist ritual implement from this period are on display.
Works from Cambodia include Hindu deities from the Angkor period when monumental temples were constructed and a statue of Hanuman, a Hindu deity who appeared in the Indian epic Ramayana.
These small statuettes represent the commoners' beliefs, which spread from the spectacular temples at Borobudur and Angkor Watt built by the kings.
Major works in this exhibition
