Tokyo's Mori Art Museum is currently hosting one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of Chinese artifacts that has ever been held in Japan. "China: Crossroads of Culture" is an incredible amalgam of treasures and art objects from the entire first millennium of Chinese history, beginning with pieces from the Eastern Han dynasty (25-200 A.D.) and concluding with an amazing array of items from the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.).
Intellectual developments
Half of this impressive exhibition consists of Chinese National Treasures, and its more than 360 pieces include gold and silver objects, terracotta and wooden figurines, jade, glassware, textiles, wall paintings and Buddhist sculptures.
Incorporating a wealth of recent archaeological finds, the exhibition is also a representation of the latest intellectual developments in the analysis of Chinese culture and art history. Its impetus is to delineate the immense and, until recently, underestimated influence of Silk Road trade on Chinese culture, and to trace the mix of cultural influences that resulted from the repeated incursions of invaders since the Eastern Han dynasty.