Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 25, 2023 (Tue) -
April 21, 2024 (Sun)
Asian Gallery (Toyokan)
The galleries feature art and artifacts from regions including China, Korea, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, India, and Egypt.
- *Room 8 of the Asian Gallery (Toyokan) will be closed August 22–27, 2023 in preparation for an exhibition.
- *Room 8 of the Asian Gallery (Toyokan) will be closed October 24–29, 2023 in preparation for an exhibition.
1st floor
The Eleven-Headed Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara in a Niche (detail), Tang dynasty, 8th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Mr. Hosokawa Moritatsu)
Chinese Buddhist Sculpture
1st floor Room 1
April 25, 2023 (Tue) - April 21, 2024 (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
Oasis2 Education Space: Journey Information
2nd floor Room 2
April 1, 2023 (Sat) - March 31, 2024 (Sun)
Introducing various journeys with images
Animal-Shaped Rhyton, Iran, Parthian Empire, 3rd century BC–3rd century AD (Gift of Mr. Yamauchi Nobukazu)
Egypt and Western Asia
2nd floor Room 3
September 20, 2023 (Wed) - December 24, 2023 (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.
Banquet, Gandhara, Pakistan, Kushan dynasty, 2nd–3rd century
Sculptures from India and Gandhara
2nd floor Room 3
July 4, 2023 (Tue) - June 30, 2024 (Sun)
This gallery introduces Buddhist and Hindu sculpture 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.
Figures under a Tree, Astana Karakhoja Tombs, China, Tang dynasty, 716 (Important Cultural Property)
Art of the Western Regions
2nd floor Room 3
November 14, 2023 (Tue) - December 24, 2023 (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
Chariot Umbrella Finials, China, Warring States period, 4th–3rd century BC
The Advent of Chinese Civilization
3rd floor Room 4
November 14, 2023 (Tue) - May 12, 2024 (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.
He Vessel, China, Warring States period, 5th–4th century BC
Chinese Bronzes
3rd floor Room 5
October 31, 2023 (Tue) - February 18, 2024 (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.
Camel, China, Tang dynasty, 7th–8th century (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Burials in China
3rd floor Room 5
October 31, 2023 (Tue) - January 21, 2024 (Sun)
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.
Water Pitcher, Jingdezhen ware, China, Ming dynasty, 16th century (Gift of Mr. Sakamoto Gorō, Important Art Object)
Chinese Ceramics
3rd floor Room 5
September 5, 2023 (Tue) - December 24, 2023 (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.
Rug with Dragons and Flowers, China, Qing dynasty, 18th–19th century
Auspicious Imagery in Chinese Textiles
3rd floor Room 5
November 14, 2023 (Tue) - February 4, 2024 (Sun)
Since ancient times, people in China decorated their clothing and other belongings with images representing good fortune. The dragon, for example, represented luck, virtue, and power. Dragon motifs were also used as symbols of the emperor. In contrast, peony flowers were associated with riches and high social standing, while chrysanthemums, peaches, and butterflies represented longevity or immortality. In celebration of the Chinese New Year, this exhibition presents a variety of textiles with auspicious imagery.
Oasis6 Education Space: Fortune-telling in Asia
3rd floor Room 6
September 21, 2022 (Wed) - March 31, 2024 (Sun)
Activity area: Fortune-telling in Asia. Recommended for visitors with children.
4th floor
Stone Bas-relief, Queen Mother of the West / Chariot / Hunting, From Jinyangshan, Shandong province, China, Eastern Han dynasty, 1st-2nd century
Stone Relief Carvings of China
4th floor Room 7
April 18, 2023 (Tue) - April 14, 2024 (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 (24–220 AD). 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.
Buddhist Teachings for Muin Genkai, By Feng Zizhen (born 1257), China, Yuan dynasty, 14th century (National Treasure, Gift of Mr. Matsudaira Naoaki, On exhibit from November 28, 2023)
Masterpieces of Chinese Art: The History of Collecting in Japan
4th floor Room 8
October 31, 2023 (Tue) - December 24, 2023 (Sun)
The Tokyo National Museum holds a thematic exhibition on the masterpieces of Chinese paintings and calligraphy in its collection every autumn. This year, the exhibition focuses on the history of collecting Chinese art in Japan. Chinese artworks in Japanese collections can be divided into three categories based on when they arrived in Japan: “Old Arrivals” for objects that came to Japan before the Muromachi period (1392–1573), “Edo Arrivals” for those that arrived during the Edo period (1603–1868), and "Late Arrivals" for objects that came after the mid-1800s.
“Old Arrivals” includes stately artworks from the Tang to the Yuan dynasties (618–1368), while “Edo Arrivals” reflects the new tastes of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912). “Late Arrivals” includes traditional literati paintings and calligraphy. The works on display reflect how Japanese preferences for Chinese art changed over time.
5th floor
Box with a Scene of the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, China, Ming dynasty, 15th–16th century
Chinese Lacquerware
5th floor Room 9
September 26, 2023 (Tue) - December 24, 2023 (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 it 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 (ca. 10,000–2100 BC). Over the millennia, a number of decorative techniques evolved in China, including lacquer relief carving and lacquer with incised lines filled with gold leaf. Chinese lacquerware frequently feature abstract spiral patterns (called “pommel scrolls”) or pictorial scenes of landscapes, flowers, birds, pavilions, and people.
Cup with Figures in a Landscape, China, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Decorative Art of the Qing Dynasty
5th floor Room 9
September 26, 2023 (Tue) - December 24, 2023 (Sun)
This section of the gallery introduces decorative art from China’s Qing dynasty (1644–1912), including works of jade, cloisonné, glass, and bamboo. These works illustrate the fine craftsmanship and sophisticated design aesthetic of decorative art from this period.
Plaque with Animals, Reportedly found in 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
November 21, 2023 (Tue) - May 19, 2024 (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.
Earring, Korea, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 6th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
The Rise and Fall of Kings in Korea
5th floor Room 10
November 21, 2023 (Tue) - May 19, 2024 (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.
Water Pitcher with Ginseng Leaves, Korea, Goryeo dynasty, 12th century (Gift of Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke)
Korean Ceramics
5th floor Room 10
November 21, 2023 (Tue) - May 19, 2024 (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.
Buddhist Temple Bell, Korea, Previously owned by Ōyama Shrine, Tokushima, Goryeo dynasty, 1196 (Gift of the Ogura Foundation)
Buddhist Art of Korea
5th floor Room 10
October 11, 2023 (Wed) - April 7, 2024 (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.
Poetry Gathering, By Lee Sangkwon, Korea, Joseon dynasty, 18th–19th century (Gift of the Ogura Foundation, on exhibit through October 29, 2023)
Art of the Joseon Dynasty
5th floor Room 10
September 26, 2023 (Tue) - January 21, 2024 (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
Viṣṇu, Angkor period, 12th century
Khmer Sculpture
Basement Room 11
April 11, 2023 (Tue) - April 7, 2024 (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 l'École Française d’Extrême-Orient.
Seated Mahāvairocana
Central Java period, 9th–10th century
Gilt Bronze Statues from Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
October 11, 2023 (Wed) - April 7, 2024 (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.
Drum, 18th–19th century (Gift of Mr. Sakiyama Kisaburō)
Archaeology of India and Southeast Asia
Basement Room 12
April 11, 2023 (Tue) - April 7, 2024 (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, predominately from the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD.
Vase with Flowers, Khmer, Found in Phnom Kulen, Acquired through exchange with the French School of the Far East, Angkor period, 11th–12th century
Southeast Asian Ceramics
Basement Room 12
November 28, 2023 (Tue) - March 31, 2024 (Sun)
This section introduces ceramics from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, with a focus on objects collected by the Japanese entrepreneur Okano Shigezō.
Coat with Floral Vines, Jaipur, India, 19th century
Asian Textiles: Cashmere Shawls
Basement Room 13
November 14, 2023 (Tue) - February 4, 2024 (Sun)
Named for the Kashmir region of northwestern India, Cashmere goats are famous for their soft and lustrous wool that was made into luxurious shawls from the 16th to 18th century. Indian weavers used a labor-intensive technique, called a tapestry weave, to weave ornate patterns into the fabric as they made it, though it was also common to use the faster technique of embroidering an already-made cloth.
As demand for cashmere shawls grew in Europe and the Middle East, Persian weavers in Iran began to supply shawls as well. This gallery presents these shawls along with the opulent clothing and carpets of the ruling elite in Persia’s Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) and India’s Mughal Empire (1526–1858).
Raja Yudhisthira and Bhishma in Conversation (Razmnama), By Fatthu of the Mughal school, India, 1601
Indian Miniature Paintings
Basement Room 13
November 21, 2023 (Tue) - December 24, 2023 (Sun)
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.