Sculptures from Southeast Asia
-
Head of the Crowned Buddha
Ayutthaya period, 16th–17th century (Gift of Mr. Miki Sakae)Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 12
October 20, 2026 (Tue) - May 9, 2027 (Sun)This section presents religious sculptures from Southeast Asia, a major crossroads of trade between East and West. In the fourth century, the seafaring peoples of this region began to utilize the monsoon winds for maritime navigation. Trade routes known as the Maritime Silk Roads flourished, propelling the exchange of goods, religious beliefs, concepts of kingship, and artistic styles.
As the region became more interconnected, sacred images from India stimulated the production of religious imagery throughout Southeast Asia. People subsequently adapted these images within their respective belief systems and social contexts.
Southeast Asian religious sculpture takes Indian art as its prototype in many respects, but it was also shaped by the distinctive aesthetics of each region. The objects of veneration varied by period and place. However, the mutual influence of Buddhism and Hinduism, expressed visually in religious sculpture, is one of the defining characteristics of Southeast Asian art.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Head of the Crowned Buddha | Ayutthaya period, 16th–17th century | Gift of Mr. Miki Sakae, TC-74 | ||||
| Highlight | Buddha Seated on a Nāga | Angkor, Cambodia, Acquired through exchange with the French School of the Far East | Angkor period, 12th–13th century | TC-377 | |||
| Highlight | Buddha Seated on a Nāga | Thailand | Rattanakosin period, 19th century | TC-13 | |||
| Highlight | The Buddha Entering Nirvana | China or Myanmar | 18th–19th century | TC-180 | |||
| Highlight | The Horse-Headed God Vājimukha | Cambodia or Thailand | Pre-Angkor period, 7th–8th century | Gift of Dr. Yamamoto Tatsurō, TC-795 | |||
| Highlight | Nandi | Indonesia, Previously owned by Okano Shigezō | 14th–15th century | Gift of , TC-832 | |||
| Highlight | Four-Armed Deity | Eastern Java, Indonesia, Previously owned by Okano Shigezō | 14th–15th century | Gift of , TC-830 |