Gourd-shaped Jingdezhen Wucai Vase 五彩金襴手瓢形大瓶

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Standing over 60 cm tall, this gourd-shaped porcelain vase is a piece of Jingdezhen wucai (five-color) overglaze enamel and gold pottery. Created in 16th-century Ming dynasty China, it is now housed at the Tokyo National Museum.

Figure of Juro (God of Longevity) 色絵寿老置物

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Housed at the Tokyo National Museum, this is a mid-19th-century pottery figure of Jurō—the god of longevity and one of the Seven Lucky Gods—made by the prominent Kyoto ware potter Ninnami Dōhachi (1783–1855), who is well-known for his tea ceremony wares.

To learn more about the Japanese Seven Lucky Gods, check out the table below the photo!

Cambodian Statue With Thumb Up イエーイ！な仏像

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"I have a lot of money. Money follows me like chicks do! I'm cool and have everything! YAY!!" ...said this 10cm-tall statue. Or was it just my hallucination?

Goryeo Celadon and Colors of Japan 高麗青磁は青？緑？

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Housed at the Tokyo National Museum, these Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) wares grew in production from the mid-10th century and reached their artistic peak in the 12th century. Their luminous jade-green glaze, paired with delicate carved and inlaid decoration, is breathtakingly elegant.

Jingdezhen Dish 黄釉蓮花形皿

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Housed at the Tokyo National Museum, this Jingdezhen dish was crafted with a yellow glaze during China's Qing dynasty. Its bright yellow is so beautiful and powerful that it always reminds me of the yellow tulips in the second photo. Such vibrant tulips always make me feel happier, and they may have also inspired potters during the Ming and Qing dynasties to recreate such a lively yellow in their ceramics.

Chakrasamvara in Union With Consort or Yab-Yum チャクラサンヴァラ父母仏立像

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Nepalese and Tibetan deities are remarkably open to love and less ascetic, aren't they? A prime example is Chakrasamvara—a wrathful deity—and his consort. Their unabashed expression of love is often surprising to Japanese people.

Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Kannon 千手観音菩薩坐像

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I know it’s a bit disrespectful, but the statue's arms look like Hattifatteners to me. This is a 14th-century thousand-armed Kannon bodhisattva housed at the Tokyo National Museum. It has 42 arms in total—including the two main ones—meant to help people in need.

Celadon Lid Rest for Tea Ceremony 青磁三閑人蓋置

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This 17th-century, 3cm-tall celadon kettle lid rest is shaped like three figures. It was made during China's Ming dynasty and is now housed at the Tokyo National Museum. Kettle lid rests of this type—featuring three children holding hands—were a favorite of the tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522–1591).

Incense Burner - Lions Smile in Asia 織部獅子鈕香炉 - 獅子はアジアで笑う

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This is an Oribe-style Mino ware incense burner with a lion-shaped knob, housed at the Tokyo National Museum. Its green glaze is beautiful, isn't it? Created in 1612, Mino ware refers to pottery produced in Mino Province (present-day Gifu Prefecture), while the Oribe style is a design tradition that emerged in the late 16th century under the guidance of Furuta Oribe. 

The Temptation of St. Anthony by David Teniers the Younger 聖アントニウスの誘惑

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Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! 

Can you hear it? I just heard it and couldn't help but chuckle. This poor little frog being poked with a stick—while flying on something like a fish or an alligator with both arms raised—was just so cute, wasn't it?

Beach Vitex (Vitex Rotundifolia) ハマゴウ（浜拷）

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Native to seashores throughout the Pacific, the beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) can be found across Japan, producing pale purple flowers from July to September. I didn't know about this plant, but it has been appreciated in Japan since the Heian period (794–1185): its dried fruits were used in pillows to improve sleep and in traditional medicine, while its leaves and stems were burned as an incense to repel mosquitoes. And surprisingly, it's now used to flavor craft gin made in Hiroshima! I want to taste the gin!