AMSTERDAM.- In the exhibition Asian Bronze. 4,000 years of beauty, the Rijksmuseum brings together more than 75 bronze masterpieces, from prehistoric artefacts to contemporary artworks, from India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal and Korea. Most of these works are on display in the Netherlands for the first time and more than 15 of them have never been shown in Europe before. Statues of the Buddha, Shiva and Vishnu, among other images, impressively show how heaven was often depicted in bronze on earth. All the senses are stimulated by bronze mirrors, weapons, bells, wine vessels and incense burners, often spectacularly depicted in the shape of lions, elephants or mythical creatures. The exhibition runs until January 12, 2025 in the Rijksmuseum.

For the first time

The exhibition features works from six museums in various Asian countries. The National Museum in Bangkok, for example, has loaned six works, including Buddha seated under the hood of a seven-headed nāga, which is leaving Thailand for the first time since it was cast in the 12th or 13th century. Works will also come from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Bangkok. Other loans come from India (National Museum, New Delhi; Bihar Museum, Patna), Indonesia (Museum Sonobudoyo, Yogyakarta) and Pakistan (National Museum, Karachi).

Famous collections

In addition to the artworks from Asian museums, the exhibition features masterpieces from collections in Europe and the United States. These exhibits include a wine vessel in the form of an elephant (China, Shang dynasty, 18th-11th century BCE) from the Musée Guimet, Paris, and the figure of Yashoda with the Infant Krishna (India, 12th century CE) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The exhibition also presents several works from the Rijksmuseum’s own Asian collection, including Shiva Nataraja (India, 12th century CE) and the recently acquired statue of Guhyasamaja Aksobhya (Tibet, 15th century CE), which will be on view for the first time.

Research

The Rijksmuseum holds a large collection of bronze figures from Asia. We conduct extensive research into these objects, to gather new knowledge on the composition of the bronze itself as well as the various casting techniques and other processes involved in their manufacture. The results of this research form the basis of this exhibition, which is also an opportunity to situate our collection in an international context.

Design

Dutch designer Aldo Bakker (1971) designs the exhibition. He previously designed the exhibition Small Wonders in the Rijksmuseum. Irma Boom is responsible for the graphic design.

Book

A book is being released to accompany Asian Bronze. 4000 Years of Beauty, written by the curators of the exhibition. Dutch and English language versions available. Price €35. Dutch version, ISBN 978-94-6208-885-6; English version, ISBN 978-94-6208-886-3.

Multimedia tour

Listen to the chimes of 3,000-year-old bells and learn all about bronze casting, the lost-wax technique and the rainbow of colour tones that can be achieved through the application of natural and artificial patinas. There are Dutch and English versions of the multimedia tour, which is available for rent at the multimedia desk for €6.50 or free of charge in the Rijksmuseum app.