Special Exhibition Song and Yuan Buddhist Painting: Early Chinese Masterpieces in Japan

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Special Exhibition Song and Yuan Buddhist Painting: Early Chinese Masterpieces in Japan

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General Information
Description of Exhibition

General Information

Exhibition Title: Special Exhibition
Song and Yuan Buddhist Painting: Early Chinese Masterpieces in Japan

Period: September 20–November 16, 2025
The exhibition has two installations:
Part I: September 20–October 19, 2025
Part II: October 21–November 16, 2025
Some artworks may be rotated within these installation periods.

Venue: Kyoto National Museum, Heisei Chishinkan Wing

Transportation: JR, Kintetsu Railway, Keihan Railway, Hankyu Railway, City Bus

Closed

Mondays　*The museum will be open on Monday, October 13, and Monday, November 3, 2025.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Special Exhibition Hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (entrance until 5:00 p.m.)
Fridays, 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (entrance until 7:30 p.m.)

Organized by: Kyoto National Museum; The Mainichi Newspapers; The Kyoto Shimbun

With the support of: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.; Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

Description of Exhibition

Japan is home to some of the most significant early Chinese Buddhist paintings in the world. Japanese monks and envoys who traveled to Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasty China—renowned for its sophisticated Buddhist artistic tradition—brought numerous works back across the sea. These masterpieces were typically enshrined in temples, where they were preserved for hundreds of years. Chinese Buddhist paintings served not only as devotional objects but also as important models for Japanese artists, becoming deeply integrated into Japanese culture. The paintings imported between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries are of particularly high artistic quality. This exhibition explores the distinctive characteristics and rich diversity of Song and Yuan Buddhist paintings, delving into the enduring allure of these rare treasures that have been cherished in Japan for centuries.

National Treasure
Peacock Wisdom Queen (Mahāmāyūrī)
Ninna-ji Temple, Kyoto
[on view: September 20–October 19, 2025]

National Treasure
Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara), Gibbons, and Crane
By Muqi
Daitoku-ji Temple, Kyoto
[on view: October 21–November 16, 2025]

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