Asia

This category includes antiquities from the vast and culturally diverse regions of Asia. The objects illustrate long-standing artistic traditions and the ways in which material culture expressed religious ideas, social values, and connections between communities across time.

Prince Shotoku at Age Two, Japanese wooden statue with lacquer and inlaid eyes

Prince Shotoku at Age Two (1300s CE)

Antiquities Asia Japan Sculpture

This wooden statue, adorned with lacquer and rock-crystal inlaid eyes depicts Prince Shōtoku Taishi at age two.

Winged Atlas from Gandhara, gray schist sculpture, 100–300 CE

Winged Atlas (100-300 CE)

Antiquities Asia Kushan Empire Sculpture

This atlas figure blends Greek mythological motifs with Buddhist iconography, showcasing the cultural crossroads of the Kushan Empire.

Vajrasattva (1100s-1200s CE)

Antiquities Asia Khmer Sculpture

The statue depicts Vajrasattva holding a vajra (thunderbolt) in the right hand and a ghanta (bell) in the left.

Japanese wooden deity figure in magnolia wood with traces of color, 1100s CE.

Wooden Deity (1100s CE)

Antiquities Asia Japan Sculpture

A 100 cm magnolia wood figure deity with traces of color, blending Buddhist tenbu and Shinto kami iconography.

Majapahit terracotta piggy bank from Java shaped as a wild boar, 1300–1400s CE.

Java Piggy Bank (1300-1400s CE)

Antiquities Asia Coins and Currency Indonesia

This Majapahit Dynasty terracotta piggy bank from Java, Indonesia, shaped as a wild boar with a fierce expression and coin slot, reflects the empire’s economic prosperity and Hindu-Buddhist artistry

Amitabha Triad (1400s CE)

Antiquities Asia Ceremonial & Religious Korea

This 1400s Joseon dynasty bronze sculpture depicts Amitabha Buddha with Ksitigarbha and Avalokitesvara bodhisattvas, embodying Pure Land Buddhism, together they form the amitabha triad.

Qing dynasty soapstone landscape carving, c. 1644–1911.

Soapstone Landscape (c.1644-1911 CE)

Antiquities Asia China Household Items

This Qing dynasty soapstone landscape, intricately carved to depict a serene mountain scene with a waterfall, temple, and hidden Buddha, serves as a meditative desk ornament.

Buddhist Ritual Bell (1300s CE)

Antiquities Asia Ceremonial & Religious Korea

This bronze vajra ritual bell from Korea’s Goryeo period (1300s) features a five-pronged vajra handle and incised Buddhist motifs

Echizen-ware earthenware storage jar with natural ash glaze, 1400s CE

Echizen Ware Storage Jar (1400s CE)

Antiquities Asia Household Items Japan

This Echizen Ware storage jar from the 1400s Muromachi period, crafted from stoneware with natural ash glaze, embodies Zen-inspired wabi-sabi aesthetics.