Past Other Events

This year, Tokyo National Museum is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. The Museum has collected artworks and related materials from all over Asia since the beginning. The wide variety of works collected to date have not only led to surprises and discoveries by the collectors and curators who researched and displayed them in the past, but also by the researchers and visitors viewing them in the galleries today.

The theme of the ninth edition of our annual Journey through Asia exhibition is “discovery”. The exhibition focuses on artworks obtained during European and Japanese expeditions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unknown anecdotes associated with those “discoveries”, and Japanese views of Asia.

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Tokyo National Museum, we are revealing new perspectives on the origins of these artworks from our collection, including new discoveries that have come to light through a fresh look at various sources. We hope that you will rediscover the appeal of the Asian Gallery through this exhibition.

Two Bodhisattvas

Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China, Pelliot collection, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdons period–Northern Song dynasty, 10th century, Acquired through exchange with the Guimet Museum

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 3, Art of the Western Regions

Five Dragons

Attributed to Chen Rong (dates unknown), China Southern Song dynasty, 13th century (Important Cultural Property)
On exhibit through October 16, 2022

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 8, Masterpieces of Chinese Art: Paintings and Calligraphy of the Song Dynasty and their Subsequent Reception and Devel

Decorative Roof Tile with a Dragon

China, Ming dynasty, 14th–17th century, Gift of Mr. Takahashi Yuichi

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 4, The Advent of Chinese Civilization

Head of a Buddha

Khotan, China, Ōtani collection, 3rd-4th century

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 3, Art of the Western Regions

Sword with a Beast Face Decoration

Presumably Korea, 1st century

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 10, The Rise and Fall of Kings in Korea

Temple Banner, One Section with Flowers

Found at the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, China, Ōtani collection, Tibetan Empire period–The Cao clan’s Guiyi Army period in Dunhuang, 8th–10th century

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 5, Rediscovered! Tracing the Journeys of Ancient Textiles and the Ōtani Expeditions

Box with a Pine, Bamboo, and Plum Tree, Lacquer coating inlaid with lacquer

China, Ming dynasty, Xuande era (1426–35)

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 9, Chinese Lacquerware
On exhibit through October 2, 2022

Ceramic Shards

Yue ware, China, Five Dynasties period⁠–Northern Song dynasty, 10th⁠–11th century, Gift of Mr. Momose Osamu and Mrs. Momose Fumiko, TG-3050

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 5, Chinese Ceramics
On exhibit through October 2, 2022

Gravestone Epitaphs for the Wang Shi Er Family in Running Script

By Huang Tingjian (1045–1105), China　Northern Song dynasty, 11th century

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 8, Masterpieces of Chinese Art: Paintings and Calligraphy of the Song Dynasty and their Subsequent Reception and Deve
On exhibit through October 16, 2022

Tea Bowl with Vines

Vietnam, Previously owned by Okano Shigezō 16th century (Important Art Object)

Asian Gallery (Toyokan), Room 12, Southeast Asian Ceramics