Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
June 24, 2020 (Wed) -
April 18, 2021 (Sun)
September 22, 2020 (Tue), Asian Gallery (Toyokan)
The galleries feature art and artifacts from regions including China, Korea, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, India, and Egypt.
1st floor
Standing Buddha Triad, Eastern Wei dynasty, 6th century (Important Cultural Property)
Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - April 18, 2021 (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.
2nd floor
Mummy of Pasherienptah(detail), Excavated at Thebes, Egypt 22nd dynasty, ca. 945-730 BC, Gift of Egyptian Department of Antiquities
Artifacts from West Asia and Egypt
2nd floor Room 3
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - October 4, 2020 (Sun)
This part introduces artifacts from West Asia and Egypt, known as the cradle of the earliest civilizations.
Preaching Buddha, Kushan dynasty, 3rd century
Sculptures from India and Gandhara
2nd floor Room 3
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - June 27, 2021 (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.
Reliquary, Reportedly from Subashi, China, Ōtani collection, 6th-7th century
Art of the Western Regions
2nd floor Room 3
August 18, 2020 (Tue) - September 27, 2020 (Sun)
This part introduces art of the Western Regions (Central Asia) from about the 1st to the 10th century, with a focus on Buddhist art. The highlight of this part is the rich variety of works with high artistic and historical significance.
3rd floor
Painted Pottery Jar with a Handle, Excavated in Gansu or Qinghai province, China, Majiayao culture, ca. 2,600–2,300 BC (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
The Advent of Chinese Civilization
3rd floor Room 4
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - October 4, 2020 (Sun)
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.
Large Vase in the Shape of a Gourd, Design in overglaze enamel and gold, Jingdezhen ware, Ming dynasty, 16th century (Important Cultural Property)
Chinese Bronzes
3rd floor Room 5
July 21, 2020 (Tue) - November 15, 2020 (Sun)
This gallery focuses on Chinese bronzes from about 1,800 BC to 1,000 AD. The changing shapes and designs of the bronzes on display provide clues to the thoughts and shifting religious beliefs of the ancient Chinese people.
Vase with Dragon Handle, Tang dynasty, 8th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Burials in China
3rd floor Room 5
July 7, 2020 (Tue) - November 1, 2020 (Sun)
This gallery 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.
Bowl, White porcelain with crane and cloud design in gold, Ding ware, China, Attributed provenance: Korea, Northern Song dynasty, 11th-12th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Mr. Inoue Tsuneichi and Mrs. Inoue Fumiko)
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
July 7, 2020 (Tue) - November 1, 2020 (Sun)
This gallery presents the changing expressions of Chinese ceramics from the 7th to the 19th century.
Textile with Waterfowl and Fish in a Lotus Pond, Named "Wakutade's Gold Brocade", Passed down by the Maeda clan, Ming dynasty, 16th–17th century
Chinese Textiles
3rd floor Room 5
August 12, 2020 (Wed) - November 1, 2020 (Sun)
This gallery introduces Chinese textiles and embroidery from the 13th to the 19th century.
4th floor
Stone Bas-relief, Procession of chariots / Building for ancestral rituals (detail), From Xiaotangshan, Shandong province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st–2nd century
Stone Relief Carvings of China
4th floor Room 7
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - April 4, 2021 (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.
The Eccentrics Hanshan and Shide (deail), Attributed to Yan Hui, Yuan dynasty, 14th century (Important Cultural Property)
Chinese Paintings: Paintings of Buddhist and Daoist Deities
4th floor Room 8
August 18, 2020 (Tue) - September 22, 2020 (Tue)
In this exhibition we are displaying artworks depicting Buddhist and Daoist deities and other saintly figures from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). In these paintings, the otherworldly character of these figures is emphasized through their strange appearance and mysterious behavior. Through their eccentric brushstrokes and magnificent, complex coloring, the artists of these works attempted to overwhelm viewers and leave them in awe of these figures.
Inscription on Stele at Mount Tai (detail), By Xuanzong, Tang dynasty, dated 726 (Gift of Mr. Ando Taro)
Chinese Calligraphy: Celebrated Calligraphy by Legends of the Brush
4th floor Room 8
August 18, 2020 (Tue) - September 22, 2020 (Tue)
Throughout history, Chinese individuals have not only been evaluated according to their outstanding style, but also for their high moral character, good personality, and achievements in other fields. The brushwork of master calligraphers and important historical figures through the centuries is truly diverse. Try picturing the figures behind the brush while viewing the calligraphy on display here.
Inkstone with a Portrait of Su Shi, Formerly owned by Dong Qichang / Aoyama San'u, Ming dynasty, 14th-17th century (Gift of Ms. Aoyama Toku)
Chinese Literati
4th floor Room 8
August 18, 2020 (Tue) - September 22, 2020 (Tue)
The literati were people who devoted themselves to reading, calligraphy, painting, and other highly valued art forms in China. Their way of life was viewed as an ideal. This exhibition room recreates the studies of the literati, where they created works of calligraphy and painting.
5th floor
Box with a Dragon and Phoenix, Ming dynasty, dated 1592
Chinese Lacquerware
5th floor Room 9
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - September 27, 2020 (Sun)
Lacquer is the sap of the lacquer tree, which grows in East and Southeast Asia. Naturally sticky, it can be brushed onto different materials, and hardens into a durable coating that is waterproof and resistant to acids, alkalis, and heat.
The history of lacquerware in China dates back to the Neolithic period. Over the past 7,000 years, a number of ornate decorative techniques have grown out of Chinese innovations, including: built-up layers of lacquer that are then carved, mother-of-pearl inlay, incised lines of gold, and a special type of decorative inlay made up of different colors of lacquer and outlined in incised lines.
Pomegranate, Qing dynasty, 19th century
Decorative Art of the Qing Dynasty
5th floor Room 9
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - September 27, 2020 (Sun)
This part highlights Korean polished stone tools and metal objects that had a great influence on Japan's Yayoi culture.
Crown, Attributed provenance: Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, Three Kingdoms period, 5th century (Important Art Object)
Polished Stone Tools and Metal Tools of Korea
5th floor Room 10
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - October 18, 2020 (Sun)
This part highlights Korean polished stone tools and metal objects that had a great influence on Japan's Yayoi culture.
Headgear, With design in openwork, Attributed provenance: Changnyeong, Korea, Three Kingdoms period, 6th century (Important Cultural Property)
The Rises and Falls of Kings in Korea
5th floor Room 10
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - October 18, 2020 (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.
Equestrian Figurine, Three Kingdoms period, 5th-6th century (Important Art Object)
Korean Ceramics
5th floor Room 10
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - October 18, 2020 (Sun)
This gallery introduces Korean ceramics from the Proto–Three Kingdoms period (1st century BC–3rd century AD) to the Joseon dynasty(1392–1910).
Container for Sarira (Buddhist relics), Three-storied pagoda design in hairline engraving, Attributed provenance: Namsan
Buddhist Art of Korea
5th floor Room 10
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - October 11, 2020 (Sun)
his part features the essence of Korean Buddhist art.
Brush Stand, Joseon dynasty, 19th–20th century
Art of the Joseon Dynasty
5th floor Room 10
July 21, 2020 (Tue) - October 11, 2020 (Sun)
This gallery features Korean furniture, clothing, and room decor from the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). While the costumes, furniture, tableware, and stationery each possessed individual beauty, their appeal was enhanced by their placement in living spaces.
Basement
Khmer Sculpture
Basement Room 11
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - May 9, 2021 (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.
Standing Buddha, varavati period, 7th-8th century
Gilt Bronze Statues from Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - May 9, 2021 (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.
Human-shaped Object, Attributed provenance: Uttar Pradesh, India, Copper Hoard culture, ca. 1500 BC
Archaeology of India and Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
June 24, 2020 (Wed) - April 25, 2021 (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.
Large DishFish and water plant design in underglaze blue, 15th-16th century (Important Art Object)
Southeast Asian Ceramics
Basement Room 12
September 8, 2020 (Tue) - January 11, 2021 (Mon)
This part introduces the individual styles of ceramics made in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam from the 9th to the 16th century.
Slendang (Shoulder Wrap) with Floral Latticework and Triangular Tumpal Motifs, 19th century
Asian Textiles: Textiles of Indonesia
Basement Room 13
August 12, 2020 (Wed) - November 1, 2020 (Sun)
This gallery currently features the many striking textile techniques of the islands of Indonesia, with special emphasis on batik, a wax-resist dying technique. There are two techniques to make batik cloth. One is to draw patterns of beeswax lines directly on cotton cloth using a tool called a canting. The other is to stamp repeating patterns onto cotton cloth using a beeswax-coated copper stamp called a cap. Once the designs are marked in beeswax, the cloth is dipped in indigo blue, madder red, or sogan brown dye and only the wax-covered portions remain white.
In addition to batik cloths, this gallery is also displaying Indonesian textiles for use in celebratory ceremonies featuring warp ikat, glittering songket (supplementary weft patterning in metallic threads), and brocade.
Krishna Lifting Govardhana Mountain (detail), By Bikaner school, Second half of 18th century
Indian Miniature Paintings
Basement Room 13
September 8, 2020 (Tue) - October 11, 2020 (Sun)
The art of “miniature painting” is one of India’s best-known genres. These paintings use elaborate brushwork and vibrant colors to depict a variety of themes, including: Indian myths, Hindu gods, portraits of kings, scenes from history, and love stories. Miniature paintings can also be enjoyed for their distinct regional styles that reflect India’s rich history of cultural diversity.
Wayang Kulit: Raden Arjuna, Second half of 20th century
Ethnic Cultures of Asia
Basement Room 13
July 21, 2020 (Tue) - October 11, 2020 (Sun)
Wayang Kulit is a traditional form of shadow-puppet theater in Indonesia.
Around the 10th century, Hinduism along with its accompanying epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were introduced to Indonesia from India. As the epics spread through Indonesia, they were adopted as the storylines for Wayang Kulit plays.
The puppets used in Wayang Kulit are cut from water buffalo hide, intricately carved with fine chisels, and decorated in vibrant colors. The sticks for manipulating the puppets are mostly made from water buffalo horn.
Wayang Kulit plays typically last all night. The puppeteer, called a dhalang, maneuvers all the puppets, delivers all the lines, and even cues the accompanying musicians (gamelan). Although they are based on famous epics, performances are not strictly scripted and include the dhalang’s improvisations.