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.

Kilia culture marble figurine known as the Stargazer from Western Anatolia, c. 3000 BCE

The Stargazer (c.3000 BCE)

Antiquities Asia Kilia Culture Sculpture

This marble stargazer figure from Western Anatolia tilts upward with a simple, flat form.

Indian limestone relief panel from Nagarjunakonda showing Buddha as a fiery pillar, 200s CE

Veneration of the Buddha as a Fiery Pillar (200s CE)

Antiquities Asia India Sculpture

Carved in the 200s CE, this limestone panel from Nagarjunakonda, India, frames Buddha as a flaming pillar with celestial figures as a veneration.

Ilkhanid Iranian brass ewer with silver inlay, twelve-sided body, 1300–1350

Twelve-Sided Ewer (1300-1350 CE)

Antiquities Asia Household Items Iran

Made between 1300 and 1350 CE, this brass ewer from Iran’s Ilkhanid period bears silver-inlaid sphinxes and human-headed script.

Khmer bronze naga finial with multiple heads, Angkor period, 1100s CE

Naga Finial (1100s CE)

Antiquities Asia Ceremonial & Religious Khmer

Cast during the Angkor period (9th–15th centuries), this bronze piece shows a multiheaded naga.

Khmer bronze Buddha seated under a multi-headed naga hood, 1100s CE

Naga Enthroned Buddha (1100s CE)

Antiquities Asia Khmer Sculpture

Cast around the 12th century, this bronze figure from Cambodia seats a meditating Buddha under a multi-headed naga hood.

Priest King or Deity (Ca.1600 BCE)

Antiquities Asia Hittite Empire Sculpture

Carved around 1600 BCE, this basalt priest king from North Syria stands tall with a horned crown and bone-inlaid eyes, holding a bowl.

Negoro Tray (1392–1573 CE)

Antiquities Asia Ceremonial & Religious Japan

A wooden tray from Japan’s Muromachi period, adorned with red-over-black Negoro lacquer, crafted for Buddhist rituals, showcasing elegance and spiritual duality.

Helmet of Ivan IV the Terrible, dated 1533

Ivan the 4th (Terribles) Helmet (1533 CE)

Antiquities Armour and Weapons Asia Russia

A peak-shaped steel helmet from 1533, adorned with gilded floral engravings, crafted in Moscow for the future Tsar Ivan the 4th, blending martial utility with regal splendor.