Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 20, 2021 (Tue) -
April 24, 2022 (Sun)
June 12, 2021 (Sat), 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 (detail), Eastern Wei dynasty, 6th century (Important Cultural Property)
Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 20, 2021 (Tue) - April 24, 2022 (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
Ibis, Excavated at Tuna el-Gebel, Egypt, Ptolemaic period, ca. 323–30 BC (Gift of the Egyptian government)
Artifacts from West Asia and Egypt
2nd floor Room 3
April 20, 2021 (Tue) - July 18, 2021 (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.
Art of the Western Regions
2nd floor Room 3
May 11, 2021 (Tue) - June 20, 2021 (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, Gansu or Qinghai province, China, Majiayao culture, ca. 2600-2300 BC (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
The Advent of Chinese Civilization
3rd floor Room 4
May 18, 2021 (Tue) - November 14, 2021 (Sun)
This gallery 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.
Money Tree, Excavated in Sichuan province or its vicinity, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st-2nd century
Chinese Bronzes
3rd floor Room 5
March 9, 2021 (Tue) - June 27, 2021 (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.
Tomb Entrance Tile with a Sheep's Head, Reportedly found near Xingyang County, Henan Province, China, Western Han–Eastern Han dynasty, 1st century BC–2nd century AD
Burials in China
3rd floor Room 5
February 23, 2021 (Tue) - June 27, 2021 (Sun)
This gallery introduces burial goods from about the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD. During this period, the aristocracy and ruling elites were buried in tomb mounds along with numerous items meant to ensure their comfort in the next life, such as miniature models of daily goods (mingqi) and tomb figures shaped like servants or other people to care for them after death. The miniature models are often related to livestock or agriculture and give clues about the dietary practices of people living during this period. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see tomb figures from the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) and earthenware decorated in the renowned "three-color glaze" (sancai) of the Tang dynasty (618–907).
Gourd-Shaped Vase with Bats and Gourds, Porcelain with overglaze famille rose enamel
Jingdezhen ware, China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong era (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
March 23, 2021 (Tue) - June 13, 2021 (Sun)
This gallery presents the changing expressions of Chinese ceramics from the 7th to the 19th century.
Textile with Vines and PeoniesGold brocade
Passed down by the Maeda clan, China, Ming dynasty, 15th century
Chinese Textiles: Prized Textiles
3rd floor Room 5
April 27, 2021 (Tue) - July 4, 2021 (Sun)
Tea masters greatly admired imported fabrics, the most prized of which were later given names referencing their previous owners or the temples they were passed down at. In line with tea masters’ preferences, textiles decorated in gold thread, woven patterns, stripes, and vibrant colors were imported to Japan from places like China, India, and Iran. These prized textiles were often made into mountings for hanging scrolls or cloth pouches for tea containers.
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
April 6, 2021 (Tue) - April 10, 2022 (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.
Elegant Gathering in Chengnan (detail)
By Yu Zhiding, China, Qing dynasty, 17th century (Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro)
Chinese Painting: Scholar Rocks
4th floor Room 8
May 18, 2021 (Tue) - June 20, 2021 (Sun)
Chinese art often features strange-looking rocks with intricate twists and numerous holes. Fascination with such rocks has a long history. During the Tang dynasty (618–907), the poet Bai Juyi (772–846) described them in his Account of Lake Tai Rocks. Successive generations of rock enthusiasts not only collected and appreciated them, but also tried to express their beauty in paintings. This exhibition features such paintings from the 17th to the 20th century.
Poems in Running and Cursive Script (detail)
By Dong Qichang, China, Ming dynasty, 1621
Chinese Calligraphy: Paper and Silk
4th floor Room 8
June 1, 2021 (Tue) - July 18, 2021 (Sun)
In China, from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, writing materials shifted from bamboo and wooden slips to paper and occasionally silk. Scholars demanded high-quality, beautiful paper, and the growing demand stimulated the development of more complex paper-making techniques. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, various new types of paper were produced and silk also came to be used more frequently.
Inkstone with the Orchid Pavilion Gathering
Formerly owned by Mr. Aoyama San'u. China, Ming dynasty, 14th–17th century (Gift of Mr. Aoyama Keiji)
Chinese Literati
4th floor Room 8
June 1, 2021 (Tue) - July 18, 2021 (Sun)
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 Pommel Scrolls, China, Yuan dynasty, 14th century
Chinese Lacquerware
5th floor Room 9
June 8, 2021 (Tue) - September 5, 2021 (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
China, Qing dynasty, 19th century (Gift of Mr. Kamiya Denbei)
Decorative Art of the Qing Dynasty
5th floor Room 9
June 8, 2021 (Tue) - September 5, 2021 (Sun)
This gallery 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.
Bronze Ornamental Fitting, 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)
Polished Stone Tools and Metal Tools of Korea
5th floor Room 10
April 27, 2021 (Tue) - October 24, 2021 (Sun)
This part highlights Korean polished stone tools and metal objects that had a great influence on Japan's Yayoi culture.
Earring
China, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 6th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
The Rise and Fall of Kings in Korea
5th floor Room 10
April 27, 2021 (Tue) - October 24, 2021 (Sun)
This gallery presents artifacts from Korea’s Three Kingdoms period (57 BC–668 AD), an era when powerful rulers vied for control of the Korean Peninsula. The three kingdoms were comprised of Goguryeo in the north, Baekje in the southwest, and Silla in the southeast. A fourth state, known as the Gaya confederacy, also existed in the south before being annexed by Silla.
Each region made full use of the materials of the time—namely, gold, silver, bronze, iron, glass, and jade—to create distinct ornaments and other objects including, armor, horse tack, clay tiles, and pottery.
Equestrian Figurine
Korea, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 5th-6th century (Important Art Object, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Korean Ceramics
5th floor Room 10
April 27, 2021 (Tue) - October 24, 2021 (Sun)
This gallery introduces Korean ceramics from the Proto–Three Kingdoms period (1st century BC–3rd century AD) to the Joseon dynasty(1392–1910).
Buddhist Temple Bell, Goryeo dynasty, 1196 (Gift of The Ogura Foundation)
Buddhist Art of Korea
5th floor Room 10
April 6, 2021 (Tue) - September 20, 2021 (Mon)
This gallery features the essence of Korean Buddhist art.
Brush Stand, Korea, Joseon dynasty, 19th–20th century
Art of the Joseon Dynasty
5th floor Room 10
April 6, 2021 (Tue) - June 27, 2021 (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.