Illustrations of Buddhist iconography are available in almost all published works on the collection of museums in countries professing Buddhism. These materials are important for study and research by scholars not only in those lands themselves but by others throughout the world. In these days of global intercommunication this has become more apparent. Yet the relevant collections are not easily available except by personal visit which, again, is not easy to undertake. Trade and commerce have grown globally, but exchange of scholars for obvious reasons have remained limited. In order to obviate difficulties such as these, one other way is to interchange publications on the necessary collections.

The present publication is a sincere effort in this direction specially on the category of objects relating to Buddhist iconography in the two major museums in Japan, the National Museums of Tokyo and Kyoto.

The specimens included here in both the cases cover not only those of Buddhist iconographical interest in the countries concerned but those from other parts of the world, as are collected and stored or exhibited in these institutions.

The treatment has been item with no order of chronology or any restriction to any medium of execution.