art · Asian art · Japan · Museums and galleries · Travelling

The Museum of Eastern Art in Turin, Italy

September 13, 2022March 4, 2023 Ben Hills-JonesLeave a comment

I visited the Museum of Eastern Art on a trip to Italy in September 2022. It is truly one of the best Asian art galleries I have ever visited and I would highly recommend going. Laid out over three floors, it covers the art of China, India, Japan, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, the Himalayas region, including Tibet and also has a section on Islamic art. For more information go to the Museum website.

Here are some of my highlights from the collection, as well as video compilation of my time in Turin and Genoa.

India

‘Buddha’s parinirvana’, showing the stupa, the symbol of the Buddha’s ultimate extinction, 2nd Century
Bharhut area (Madhya Pradesh) India

‘Ganesha’, Hindu god of wisdom, the remover of obstacles 7th century
Northern India, made of red sandstone

‘Tara – star’, Buddhist female manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, 10th century
Madhya Pradesh, India

‘Saptamatrika’, the Seven Divine Mothers with Vinadhara and Ganesha, 11th century
North India, sandstone

‘Vishnu’ – The god Vishnu with Lakshmi, goddess of fortune and riches on his right and Sarasvati, goddess of speech and knowledge on his left
12th century, North-East India, Basalt

Burma

‘Crowned Buddha’, 18th century
Arakan, Burma, lacquered and gilded bronze

‘Buddha seated in bhumisparshamudra’, 18th century
Burma, lacquered and gilded bronze

Thailand

‘Bust of Buddha Shakyamuni’, 15th century
Bronze

The Buddha in the gestures of fearlessness and reassurance, 18th century
Oxidised and gilded bronze

‘Buddha in bhumisparhamudra’, 17th century
Lacquered and gilded bronze

Pakistan & Afghanistan

‘Head of Buddha, 4th century
North-Western Pakistan or Afghanistan, stucco with traces of pigments

Japan

‘Kongo Rikishi standing on a base’, Kamakura period, 13th century
Cypress wood

‘Shokannon bodhisattva’, 14th century
Japan, cypress wood and gilded lacquer

‘Guhari Amida’, 14th century. Guhari is an esoteric version of Amida Buddha, he wears a tiara and is characterised by the vajra,
the symbol of lighting typical of tantric Buddhism
Cypress wood and gilded lacquer

‘Amida with radiant aureole’, 17th century Edo period
Lacquered and gilded wood, subsequently blackened

‘Guhari Amida’, 14th century

Tibet

‘Four dancing dakini’, 15th century
Gilded bronze

‘Sitatara’, 16th century
Gilded bronze with pigments and turquoise

‘Vajradhara’, 15th century
Gilded bronze