Japan

Himeji Castle is among the finest surviving examples of the defensive structures built in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries as samurai strongholds and symbols of power. Learn more.

Hawk on oak tree, by Soga Nichokuan (Japanese, active approx. 1624–1658), approx. 1630–1650. Hanging scroll; Ink on paper. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60D18.

Virudhaka (Japanese: Zochoten), Buddhist Guardian King of the South and Dhritarashtra (Japanese: Jikokuten), Buddhist Guardian King of the East. Heian Period (794-1185), approx. 950-1000. Japan. Wood and pigments. The Avery Brundage Collection, B6S318+.

Gourd-shaped incense container, 1625–1675. Attributed to Nonomura Ninsei (active 1625–1675). Japan; Kyoto. Kyoto ware, stoneware with underglaze iron-oxide decoration. Museum Purchase, B74P5.

Review the following steps to assist you in learning the art of meditation.

Melinda Takeuchi, Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Department of Art History at Stanford University, discusses the coded meanings behind a woodblock print in the Asian Art Museum’s collection.

Futon cover with turtles and family crest, Meiji period (1868-1912). Japan. Indigo-dyed cotton with stencil-applied and hand drawn paste-resist (tsutsugaki) decoration. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Newsom, B74M3.

Fresh water jar, approx.1573–1615. Japan; Mie prefecture. Iga ware, stoneware with natural ash glaze. Museum Purchase, B68P4.

Incense Container with design of plovers, 1500–1600. Japan. Muromachi period (1392–1573). Lacquered wood and sea shell. Gift by transfer from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, B85M14.