Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 20, 2021 (Tue) -
April 24, 2022 (Sun)
October 14, 2021 (Thu), 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.
Reliquary, Reportedly from Subashi, China, Ōtani collection, 6th–7th century
Art of the Western Regions
2nd floor Room 3
September 14, 2021 (Tue) - October 31, 2021 (Sun)
This room mainly features artifacts discovered at Silk Road sites by the Japanese Ōtani expeditions at the start of the 20th century. Works are exhibited on rotation and illustrate the wide range of art and religious objects found in the diverse cultures along the Silk Road.
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.
Textile with Clouds and an Auspicious BirdSilk tapestry (kesi) with gold leaf
Liao dynasty, 10th century (Gift of Ms. Tajima Fusae)
Chinese Silk Tapestry (Kesi)
3rd floor Room 5
September 28, 2021 (Tue) - December 5, 2021 (Sun)
The term kesi refers to slit tapestry. To make this kind of tapestry, different colors of horizontal (weft) threads are woven over and under the vertical (warp) threads only for a specific portion of the pattern, doubling back in on themselves when the desired width is reached. This method creates small gaps between each color in the pattern.
Kesi tapestry weaving grew extremely sophisticated during the Song dynasty (960–1279), and weavers began to produce richly-patterned tapestries that rivaled paintings in complexity and design. This exhibition traces the development of kesi textiles from northern China’s Liao dynasty (916–1125) to the Yuan (1271–1368) and Ming dynasties (1368–1644).
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.
Thousand Character Classic in Cursive Script (detail)
By Zhu Shunsui, Edo period, 1663 (Gift of Mr. Ikeda Daishirō)
Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Imported to Edo Japan
4th floor Room 8
September 7, 2021 (Tue) - October 17, 2021 (Sun)
This exhibition introduces art imported to Edo Japan through four chapters: 1) Ōbaku: A New Wave of Zen Buddhism, 2) Bird-and-Flower Paintings by Shen Quan, 3) Paintings and Calligraphy by Chinese Visitors to Edo Japan, and 4) Ichikawa Beian’s Reception of Chinese Calligraphy.
5th floor
Box in the Shape of Interlocking Diamonds with Children at PlayLacquer inlay with gold
China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong era (1736–95)
Chinese Lacquerware
5th floor Room 9
September 7, 2021 (Tue) - December 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.
Scepter (Ruyi) with a Watch, China, Qing dynasty, 19th century (Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige)
Decorative Art of the Qing Dynasty
5th floor Room 9
September 7, 2021 (Tue) - December 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).
Reliquary with Three-Storied Pagodas, Reportedly found on Mount Namsan, Gyeongju, Korea, Unified Silla dynasty, 8th century (Important Art Object, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Buddhist Art of Korea
5th floor Room 10
September 22, 2021 (Wed) - April 10, 2022 (Sun)
Buddhism began to spread on the Korean Peninsula during the 4th and 5th centuries. This section introduces Buddhist art from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC–668 AD), the Unified Silla dynasty (669–935), and the Goryeo dynasty (935–1392), including gilt-bronze statues, bricks, roof tiles, and ritual implements.
Two-Tiered Wardrobe with Phoenixes and Symbols of Longevity (Bandaji), Joseon dynasty, 19th century
Art of the Joseon Dynasty
5th floor Room 10
September 22, 2021 (Wed) - December 5, 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.
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.