Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 20, 2021 (Tue) -
April 24, 2022 (Sun)
November 26, 2021 (Fri), 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 Buddha
Ōtani collection, 3rd-4th century
Art of the Western Regions
2nd floor Room 3
November 2, 2021 (Tue) - December 5, 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
Carved Monster
Reportedly found at Yinxu, Anyang, Henan Province, China, Shang dynasty, 13th–11th century BC
The Advent of Chinese Civilization
3rd floor Room 4
November 16, 2021 (Tue) - May 15, 2022 (Sun)
This section of the gallery traces the development of Chinese civilization through ancient pottery, jade objects, texts, and bronzes. The collection includes Neolithic pottery from the Loess Plateau, a range of stone tools from Northern China, jade objects and oracle-bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–ca. 1100 BC), and roof tiles from each era.
Bu JarTaotie design, China, Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC (Gift of Ms. Sakamoto Kiku)
Chinese Bronzes
3rd floor Room 5
November 9, 2021 (Tue) - April 17, 2022 (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 Guardian AnimalEarthenware, China, Western Jin dynasty, 3rd–4th century (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Burials in China
3rd floor Room 5
November 9, 2021 (Tue) - March 21, 2022 (Mon)
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).
Lobed Dish, Glazed stoneware, Yue ware, China, Five Dynasties period, 10th century
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
November 9, 2021 (Tue) - March 21, 2022 (Mon)
This section of the gallery explores the history of Chinese ceramics, spanning the 7th to 19th century. The objects on view are rotated on a regular basis, but typically feature examples of fine porcelain made for the imperial household at the Jingdezhen imperial kilns alongside objects produced for commercial purposes in private kilns and elsewhere.
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.
Certificate of Recognition
By Yuanwu Keqin, China, Northern Song dynasty, 1124 (National Treasure, Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki)
Buddhist Paintings and Calligraphy
4th floor Room 8
October 19, 2021 (Tue) - December 5, 2021 (Sun)
This year’s exhibition of masterpieces of Chinese painting and calligraphy focuses on Buddhist art. Copies of sutras, records about carving Buddhist sculptures, paintings with Buddhist subjects, and calligraphy by Chan (Zen) monks still captivate us through their detailed representations of religious doctrines and deep devotion of the artist. Calligraphy and paintings by Chinese Chan priests from the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties were introduced to Japan through exchanges between China and Japan, and were highly valued in the world of the tea ceremony.
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.
Crown, Attributed provenance: Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, Three Kingdoms period (Gaya), 5th century (Important Art Object, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Polished Stone Tools and Metal Tools of Korea
5th floor Room 10
October 26, 2021 (Tue) - May 22, 2022 (Sun)
This section of the gallery introduces archeological artifacts from Korea, including stone and bronze weapons and sophisticated cast ornamental fittings with animal motifs. It also features mirrors, hooked belt fittings, and other items associated with the Lelang Commandery, an administrative division established by China’s Han dynasty in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
Headgear, With design in openwork, Attributed provenance: Changnyeong, Korea, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 6th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
The Rise and Fall of Kings in Korea
5th floor Room 10
October 26, 2021 (Tue) - May 22, 2022 (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.
Long-Necked Jar with Linked Arcs, Reportedly found in South Jeolla Province, Korea, Three Kingdoms period (Baekje), 6th–7th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Korean Ceramics
5th floor Room 10
October 26, 2021 (Tue) - May 22, 2022 (Sun)
This gallery introduces Korean ceramics from the Proto-Three Kingdoms period (ca. 1st century BC–3rd century AD) to the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). The development of Korean ceramics during the Proto–Three Kingdoms period was influenced by the Lelang Commandery, an outpost established by China’s Han dynasty in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Rulers of powerful states struggled for supremacy during this period, resulting in a rich variety of distinct ceramic aesthetics in each region. Under Chinese influence, a blue-green glaze called celadon began to be produced in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty (935–1392). Over time, celadon wares took on a distinct gray-green coloring that came to be known as Goryeo celadon. The production of pottery then diversified during the Joseon dynasty to include white porcelain and Buncheong ware, a type of stoneware often featuring designs in white slip and iron pigment.
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.