Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 22, 2025 (Tue) -
April 19, 2026 (Sun)
October 4, 2025 (Sat), Asian Gallery (Toyokan)
The galleries feature art and artifacts from regions including China, Korea, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, India, and Egypt.
1st floor
Buddha with Two Attendants, China, Eastern Wei dynasty, 6th century, (Important Cultural Property)
Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 22, 2025 (Tue) - April 19, 2026 (Sun)
Buddhism began to spread in China around the turn of the first millennium, about 500 years after its founding in India. In the 5th and 6th centuries, the number of Chinese Buddhists rapidly increased and numerous temples were established. This gallery presents Buddhist statues created from the 5th to 9th century, a golden age in the history of Chinese sculpture.
2nd floor
Tiles with Multicolor Glazes
Northwestern Iran, Iron Age, 8th–7th century BC
Egypt and Western Asia
2nd floor Room 3
September 9, 2025 (Tue) - December 21, 2025 (Sun)
This section of the gallery features ancient art and artifacts from regions that gave rise to some of humanity’s earliest civilizations, including West Asia, Egypt, and the eastern Mediterranean. The Egyptian collection includes stoneware and earthenware objects from Pre-dynastic Egypt (circa 6000–3150 BC) as well as reliefs, mummies, and decorative art from Dynastic Egypt. Other objects frequently on view include Bronze Age burial goods from West Asia and the eastern Mediterranean, tablets bearing cuneiform script from Mesopotamia, and sculptures and pottery from ancient Iran.
Head of a Buddha
Hadda, Afghanistan, 3rd–5th century
Sculptures from India and Gandhara
2nd floor Room 3
July 1, 2025 (Tue) - December 21, 2025 (Sun)
This gallery introduces Buddhist and Hindu sculptures from India and Gandhara. Buddhist art flourished in northern India during the Kushan dynasty (1st–3rd century). The production of Buddhist statues began in Gandhara (northwestern Pakistan) and Mathura (northern and central India) around the 1st century, with a particular emphasis on sculptures depicting the life of Gautama Buddha in Gandhara.
Buddhist Reliquary
Found in Kucha, China, Ōtani collection, 6th–7th century
Art of the Western Regions
2nd floor Room 3
September 30, 2025 (Tue) - November 24, 2025 (Mon)
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
Seal with the Inscription "True Seal of the Emperor"
China, Qin–Western Han dynasty, 3rd–2nd century BC (Gift of Mr. Abe Fusajirō)
The Advent of Chinese Civilization
3rd floor Room 4
June 17, 2025 (Tue) - November 3, 2025 (Mon)
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.
Wine Warmer (Jia)
China Erlitou culture (Xia dynasty)–Shang dynasty, 18th–16th century BC
Chinese Bronzes
3rd floor Room 5
June 3, 2025 (Tue) - October 19, 2025 (Sun)
This section of the gallery focuses on bronzes, mainly from the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–ca. 1100 BC) to the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), including ritual vessels, musical instruments, weapons, and horse tack. It also features mirrors and other bronzes from Northern China, tracing the development of early Chinese aesthetics.
Attendant
Reportedly found in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, Western Han dynasty, 2nd century BC
Burials in China
3rd floor Room 5
June 17, 2025 (Tue) - November 3, 2025 (Mon)
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.
Pillow with a Peony
Cizhou ware, China, Northern Song dynasty, 12th century (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
August 19, 2025 (Tue) - December 7, 2025 (Sun)
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 Floral Vines, Named "Bamboo Vine Damask"
China, Passed down by the Maeda clan, Ming dynasty, 15th–16th century
Prized Textiles
3rd floor Room 5
August 5, 2025 (Tue) - November 3, 2025 (Mon)
In Japan, “prized textiles” (meibutsu gire) are textiles that have been collected and admired by tea masters, who used them to make pouches for tea utensils. They also used these textiles to frame works of calligraphy and painting for display in teahouses.
The textiles come from various regions including China, India, and Iran. They range from plain-weave silk to elaborate damask and gold brocade. In Japan, some of these textiles were given names based on their previous owners or the Buddhist temples where they were stored.
Oasis6 Education Space: Fortune-telling in Asia
3rd floor Room 6
April 2, 2024 (Tue) - March 31, 2027 (Wed)
Activity area: Fortune-telling in Asia. Recommended for visitors with children.
4th floor
Stone Bas-reliefBuilding / Tinglan and the wooden doll, etc., From Xiaotangshan, Shandong province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st-2nd century
Stone Relief Carvings of China
4th floor Room 7
April 22, 2025 (Tue) - April 19, 2026 (Sun)
This section of the gallery features stone relief carvings from China. They were excavated from tombs found in eastern China and date to the Eastern Han dynasty (1st–2nd century). The tombs consisted of a subterranean chamber to house the sarcophagus with a shrine above ground for bereaved families to perform rituals. The stone walls, pillars, and supports of these tombs were decorated with bas-relief scenes of everyday life, historical events, and contemporary belief systems.
Cat with Sparrows
By Byeon Sangbyeok, Korean Peninsula, Joseon dynasty, 18th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation, On exhibit through October 19, 2025)
Calligraphy, Painting, and Cultural Exchange during the Joseon Dynasty
4th floor Room 8
September 23, 2025 (Tue) - November 16, 2025 (Sun)
This exhibition features exceptional paintings and calligraphy from the Museum Collection that were created during Korea’s Joseon dynasty (1392–1910).
These artworks are shown alongside records of cultural exchange between Japan and Korea from the same period.
The paintings are organized by theme — landscapes, folk customs and tales, flowers and birds, and Buddhist subjects — highlighting the variety and appeal of each genre.
The calligraphy is displayed together with works by Chinese scholars who influenced or interacted with Korean calligraphers, emphasizing the significance of these cultural connections.
To evoke the setting in which such works would have been appreciated, the exhibition also presents furnishings and stationery reminiscent of a scholar’s study during the Joseon period.
5th floor
Buddha with Two Attendants
Korean Peninsula, Hōryūji Treasures, Three Kingdoms period, 6th–7th century, Korea (Important Cultural Property)
Culture of the Korean Peninsula in Japan
5th floor Room 9
September 23, 2025 (Tue) - December 21, 2025 (Sun)
Japan and the countries on the Korean Peninsula have shared a long history of exchange that dates back to prehistoric times. Objects featured in this exhibition include Buddhist statues that are symbolic of the initial period when Buddhism was first introduced to Japan via the Korean Peninsula and Korean tea bowls commissioned by Japanese individuals. Also included is a sutra box that was passed down at a temple built by a samurai lord in western Japan who actively engaged in trade with the Korean Peninsula.
We hope that this exhibition will provide an opportunity for you to acknowledge that people of Japan have carefully preserved cultural properties that originated in the Korean Peninsula and that they have nurtured Japanese culture while taking in elements of Korean culture.
Korean Patchwork("Jogakbo")
Korean Peninsula, 19th–20th century
Time Traveling through Korea: Encountering People from Different Times (Part 1)
5th floor Room 10
September 23, 2025 (Tue) - December 21, 2025 (Sun)
This exhibition features Korean archaeological artifacts, sculptures, ceramics, metalwork, lacquerware, and textiles dating from the Three Kingdoms period (4th century–668) to the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910).
Designed as a journey through time, the exhibition invites visitors to step into different eras and places and to encounter the people who once lived there.
Themes such as tomb culture, court culture, and Buddhist art are explored through a wide range of works showcasing the depth and distinctiveness of Korean culture.
Hairpin, Knife, and Glasses Case
Korean Peninsula, 19th–20th century
Time Traveling through Korea: Encountering People from Different Times (Part 2)
5th floor Room 10
September 23, 2025 (Tue) - December 21, 2025 (Sun)
This exhibition features Korean archaeological artifacts, sculptures, ceramics, metalwork, lacquerware, and textiles dating from the Three Kingdoms period (4th century–668) to the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910).
Designed as a journey through time, the exhibition invites visitors to step into different eras and places and to encounter the people who once lived there.
Themes such as tomb culture, court culture, and Buddhist art are explored through a wide range of works showcasing the depth and distinctiveness of Korean culture.
Basement
Lintel (detail), Acquired through exchange with the French School of the Far East, Angkor period, 11th century
Khmer Sculpture
Basement Room 11
April 15, 2025 (Tue) - April 19, 2026 (Sun)
Cambodia’s Angkor period (ca. 9th century–15th century) saw the development of a unique Khmer culture, as epitomized by Angkor Wat, a huge temple complex built from the end of the 11th century to the 12th century during the golden age of the Khmer Empire. This section introduces Khmer sculpture, with a focus on Buddhist and Hindu statues and reliefs from Angkor’s temples. These were acquired in 1944 through an exchange project with the French research institute the French School of the Far East.
The Buddha
Myanmar, Konbaung dynasty, 18th century
Gilt Bronze Statues from Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
September 9, 2025 (Tue) - December 21, 2025 (Sun)
Sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist deities have been produced in Southeast Asia for millennia. Though originally inspired by Indian art, each region developed its own distinct styles. This section features gilt-bronze statues of Buddhist deities and Hindu gods from Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Human-shaped Object
Reportedly found in Uttar Pradesh, India, Copper Hoard culture, ca. 1500 BC
Archaeology of India and Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
May 27, 2025 (Tue) - May 31, 2026 (Sun)
This gallery explores India’s prehistoric culture through a variety of archaeological artifacts, from wedge-shaped stones from the early Paleolithic period over 600,000 years ago, to copper objects from the Copper Hoard culture that flourished in the 2nd millennium BC after the fall of the Indus civilization. This section also introduces a diverse range of archaeological materials from Southeast Asia, with a focus on weapons, personal ornaments, and other artifacts from the bronzeware culture that prospered in northern Thailand’s Ban Chiang region, predominantly from the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD.
Twelve-Sided Stemmed Dish with Imaginary Animals
Thai Lan Na style, 16th–17th century
Southeast Asian Ceramics
Basement Room 12
September 30, 2025 (Tue) - February 1, 2026 (Sun)
This section introduces ceramics from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, with a focus on objects collected by the Japanese entrepreneur Okano Shigezō.
Waist Cloth (Sarong) with Flowers, Trees, Birds, and Animals (detail)
Pekalongan, Java, Indonesia,19th century
Asian Textiles: Textiles of Indonesia
Basement Room 13
August 5, 2025 (Tue) - November 3, 2025 (Mon)
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.
Ladies Enjoying Music by a Riverbank
By the Murshidabad school, India, 18th century
Indian Miniature Paintings
Basement Room 13
September 9, 2025 (Tue) - October 13, 2025 (Mon)
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.
Kris
Eastern Java, Indonesia, 17th–18th century, (Gift of Mr. J. C. Bijleveld)
Ethnic Cultures of Asia: The Kris: A Mysterious Weapon from Indonesia
Basement Room 13
June 24, 2025 (Tue) - November 16, 2025 (Sun)
The kris is a dagger that was used widely on the Malay Peninsula and the surrounding islands in Southeast Asia. A kris consists of a blade, a hilt, and a sheath that are made of different materials, and each of these components is distinctively shaped. Kris blades are either straight or wavy, and many of them have unique patterns created through their forging process during which multiple types of metals were wrought.
Kris daggers were believed to possess magical powers, granting their owners protection and serving as symbols of the owners’ prestige. Even today, kris daggers are worn by Indonesian men around their waists as part of their traditional attire at ceremonial occasions such as weddings. They are not only weapons, but also works of art, as well as objects symbolizing their owners’ spirituality and social standing.