Hirayama Ikuo (1930-2009) is a contemporary Japanese master painter who focused on the Buddhism-themed paintings and developed a school of his own in the Japanese art circle. Having long been committed to the preservation of Dunhuang cultural relics, he made outstanding contributions to the cultural exchange between China and Japan. He founded Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum mainly to house the cultural relics along the Silk Road that were collected and donated by him over the years.
The exhibition “Silk Road Antiquities from Hirayama Ikuo Collection” showcases 200 pieces/sets of collection from the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum and one piece from the NMC. The vast majority of these collected items date back to sometime between 2,000 BC and 800 AD.
The exhibition is staged in four sections by region, namely, The Great Ocean—the Mediterranean of diversified cultures, King of the Four Quarters—Tigris & Euphrates and Iran, Zeus and Buddha—Central Asia and India with cultural integration, and Wonders in the East—scenes at the east end of the Silk Road.