Spring Special Exhibition
March 14 - June 7
Tales of Ancient Gold
Please note that this information pertains to an upcoming exhibition.
Gold—a metal, whose brilliance never fades—has served as offerings to the gods, emblems of royal and noble authority, and gifts for the dead for over six thousand years.
This exhibition presents gold works dating from before the Common Era, drawn from our collection and some of Japan’s foremost holdings, together with the stories that surround them. On view are mysterious divine figures cast from natural gold-silver alloys of the ancient Orient, sacred animals and plants engraved on golden vessels, treasures commemorating military victories and the fates of their owners, immense quantities of gold dedicated to temples, delicate bridal ornaments, a golden horse offered in exchange for a celestial steed in China, and dazzling works from ancient America where gold symbolized the sun and crowned the heads of kings.
We invite you to discover these rare and extraordinary golden masterpieces—treasures fashioned with the highest skill.
Information
- Exhibition Term
- March 14, 2026 - June 7, 2026
- Open Hours
- 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (last entry: 4:00 pm)
- Closed Days
- Every Monday (or next business day if Monday is a national holiday)
- Admission Fees
- [Adults] 1,300 yen [High school/university students] 1,100 yen [Elementary/junior high school students] Free
Prices include access to all exhibits.
- Venue
- North Wing
- Audio Guides
- There
※Objects are subject to change during exhibition period.
Exhibition Highlights
Solar Mask and Pectoral
Colombia, 2nd century B.C.–2nd century A.D.
Figurines of Priests
Bactria, late 6th century B.C.
Small Figure of Horse
China, Western Han dynasty, 2nd century B.C.
Three straps
Mesopotamia or western Iran 8th-6th B.C.
Bracelet with Lions’ Heads
Bactria, 2nd century B.C.
Belt Buckle
China, Han dynasty, 3rd century B.C.–3rd century A.D.
Goblet with Bulls
Northwestern Iran, 12th–11th century B.C.
Torque with a Pendant
Achaemenid Persia, 4th century B.C.