Negoro Tray (1392–1573 CE)
A wooden tray from Japan’s Muromachi period, adorned with red-over-black Negoro lacquer, crafted for Buddhist rituals, showcasing elegance and spiritual duality.
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.
Ivan the 4th (Terribles) Helmet (1533 CE)
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.
Buddha of the Future, Miroku Bosatsu (Late 600s CE)
A bronze figure from the late 600s, depicting Maitreya (Buddha of the future) with incised details, finished with traces of gilding.
Bronze Statue of Ganesha (1070 CE)
A bronze figure from c. 1070, depicting Ganesha with an elephant head, cast with four arms and a modaka.
Nataraja, Shiva as the Lord of Dance (1000s CE)
A bronze nataraja statue from the 1000s, portraying Shiva dancing within a flame ring, cast with four arms and a dwarf base.
Guardian Figure Nio: II (1185-1333 CE)
A wooden statue from the 1200s, depicting an open-mouthed Nio guardian, assembled with yosegi-zukuri technique and faded polychromy.
Shinto Deity: II (900s CE)
A wooden figure from the 900s, representing a Shinto kami, carved with Tang-style robes and traces of polychromy.
Portable Buddhist Temple (900s CE)
A kaolinite buddhist temple from the 900s, displaying scenes from the Buddha’s life, carved with niches on each side.
Bodhisattva of Compassion as Lokeshvara the Sky Flyer (Khasarpana) (Late 1000s CE)
A stone figure from the late 1000s, depicting Lokeshvara with Amitabha crown, carved from kaolinite with traces of pigment.