Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 20, 2021 (Tue) -
April 24, 2022 (Sun)
August 1, 2021 (Sun), 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
Eye Idol, Excavated at Tell Brak, Syria, Late Chalcolithic 3 Period, ca. 3800-3600 BC (Gift of Dr. Furusawa Shizuko)
Artifacts from West Asia and Egypt
2nd floor Room 3
July 20, 2021 (Tue) - December 5, 2021 (Sun)
This part introduces artifacts from West Asia and Egypt, known as the cradle of the earliest civilizations.
Seated Buddha
Kushan dynasty, 2nd-3rd century
Sculptures from India and Gandhara
2nd floor Room 3
June 29, 2021 (Tue) - July 3, 2022 (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.
Head of a Female Tomb Figure, Astana-Karakhoja Tombs, China, Ōtani collection, Tang dynasty, 8th century
Art of the Western Regions
2nd floor Room 3
June 22, 2021 (Tue) - August 1, 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.
Bo Bell, Coiling dragon design, Warring States period, 5th century BC (Gift of Ms. Sakamoto Kiku)
Chinese Bronzes
3rd floor Room 5
June 29, 2021 (Tue) - November 7, 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.
Model of a Well, Eastern Han dynasty, 2nd–3rd century (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Burials in China
3rd floor Room 5
June 29, 2021 (Tue) - November 7, 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).
Stemmed Bowl with Vines, Porcelain with underglaze blue, Jingdezhen ware, China, Ming dynasty, Xuande era (1426–35)
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
June 15, 2021 (Tue) - November 7, 2021 (Sun)
This gallery presents the changing expressions of Chinese ceramics from the 7th to the 19th century.
Album of Antique Textiles, 16th–19th century
Chinese Textiles: Albums of Antique Textiles
3rd floor Room 5
July 6, 2021 (Tue) - September 26, 2021 (Sun)
Album of Antique Textiles, 16th–19th centuryJapanese tea masters of the Edo period (1603–1868) prized textiles from overseas, many of which were imported from China. To catalog their collections, they compiled albums showcasing samples of gold brocades and damasks along with different types of striped and multicolored textiles. Tea masters prized these small pieces of cloth and dutifully added labels to each one as they bound them into albums. They used these albums to improve their knowledge of imported textiles and also as guides to appraise fabrics used in tea ceremonies or for tea utensils.
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.
Cranes and Pines in the Kunlun Mountains (detail)
By Lu Qian, China, Ming dynasty, 16th–17th century
Chinese Painting: Auspicious Subjects in Chinese Paintings
4th floor Room 8
July 27, 2021 (Tue) - September 5, 2021 (Sun)
In China, flowers, birds, and animals have been used to symbolize wishes for happiness, such as a long life, wealth, fertility, prosperity, and peace. These auspicious motifs were selected as subjects for paintings, and have been depicted continuously since ancient times. Since emperors, scholars, and ordinary people all shared a similar love for auspicious subjects, each of them depicted these themes in a style that suited their own taste. This exhibition features works with auspicious themes from the Tokyo National Museum collection as well as borrowed works.
Poems in Standard Script
(detail), By Wen Zhengming, China, Ming dynasty, 1552 (Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō)Chinese Calligraphy: The Diversity of Expression in Chinese Calligraphy
4th floor Room 8
July 20, 2021 (Tue) - September 5, 2021 (Sun)
Calligraphy on paper and silk using the brush and ink has a wide variety of forms, depending on how the brush and ink are used, how the characters are written, and how they are composed on the paper. In China, calligraphy became increasingly commercial from the 16th century, and forms and expressions diversified in response to demand. This exhibition features calligraphy from the mid-Ming and early Qing dynasties, as well as calligraphy from the 16th and 17th centuries, showing the diversity of expression in Chinese calligraphy
Characters for Plaque in Running Script (detail)
By He Shaoji, China, Qing dynasty, 1870 (Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujirō)
Chinese Literati
4th floor Room 8
July 20, 2021 (Tue) - September 5, 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
June 29, 2021 (Tue) - September 20, 2021 (Mon)
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
Buddha Seated on Naga (Snake deity), Acquired through exchange with l'École française d'Extrême-Orient, Angkor period, 12th-13th century
Khmer Sculpture
Basement Room 11
July 6, 2021 (Tue) - February 20, 2022 (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.
Portrait of Crown Prince ‘Abbas Mirza (detail), Qajar Iran, ca. 1818–1820
14 Dynasties and a Region: The History and Culture of the Muslim World: The Collection of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Basement Rooms 12 & 13
July 6, 2021 (Tue) - February 20, 2022 (Sun)
This special thematic exhibition does not limit its scope to a particular nation or region, but instead features Islamic art from all over the world. It was made possible through the generous cooperation of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and their willingness to loan works from their impressive collection of Islamic masterpieces.
Islam was founded as a monotheistic religion in the 7th century by the Prophet Muhammad (ca. 570–632) on the Arabian Peninsula. After its founding, Islam gradually spread outward to Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia, eventually reaching East and Southeast Asia. It is currently the world’s second most widely practiced religion next to Christianity. Many Islamic dynasties rose and fell as the religion spread across the globe, and each one developed its own version of Islamic culture enriched by elements of local cultures.
This exhibition showcases decorative art objects and historical materials that highlight the diversity within Islamic culture and promote a deeper understanding of the Islamic world.