Words and Things: Buddhist Texts and Ritual Objects from Japan comprises nearly 50 objects from the private collection of Boston-based literature scholars Sylvan Barnet and William Burto, who have amassed an exceptional collection of Buddhist works from Japan. Exploring the significance of words in Buddhist practice, the exhibition features exquisite fragments of Buddhist sutras (narratives based on the life and teachings of the Buddha) written in gold and silver ink on indigo paper; 7th-century wooden pagodas; and ritual objects that include an extraordinary bamboo sutra cover, bronze sutra container, wooden reliquary, bronze vajra, and bronze finials.

Related Publication
The Written Image: Japanese Calligraphy and Painting from the Sylvan Barnet and William Burto Collection is available at the Museum's Hirsch Library.