01 About Us - The World's Top Private ASIAN ART Collection & First Buddhist Holocaust Museum
Asia's first Nobel-Laureate Tagore said Korea is one of the beacons of Asian civilization and President Lee Jae-myung has said that the "Korean Government will promote and preserve the traditional culture of Korea that has Buddhism as its foundation". In order to promote Asian pride and culture, the Ronin Soho Museum has assembled one of the world's top Collections of Asian Art and Buddhist Treasures that have been displayed at the biggest Asian Art Exhibit sponsored by the Government of Canada and praised by Governments of USA, Canada, India and Japan as well as the Only Art Museum ever to be staged at the Olympics and Paralympic Games. In fact, the Ronin Soho Museum organized the largest Asian Art Exhibit ever held in Canada - called "Enlightenment" sponsored by the Govt of Canada -- inaugurated and highly praised by the Minister of Immigration & Citizenship as well as India's Secretary General of Foreign Affairs - and attended by the Lt. Governor on behalf of the British Royal Family as well as Japanese Diplomats. We also organized the only Asian Art Exhibits ever featured at the Olympics & Paralympic Games and Panam & Parapan Am Games which the media dubbed "the biggest attraction" at the biggest sporting event ever held in North America. Our prestigious location in the heart of Canada's most coveted "Bay Street Corridor" was inaugurated by the Major General of the Armed Forces. Our Head Museum is near the most famous Landmark in Japan that has been painted by many of the history's greatest painters including Hokusai and Sesshu (who inspired Monet and Renoir). We are also exploring options of launching a historic museum in Korea as well. Our plans include fostering artistic and cultural cooperation between Japan and Korea -- as well as China and other parts of Asia that idolize Bodhidharma (Daruma/Dalma/Tamo) and have a shared Buddhist heritage and civilization. The Museum will thus give Asians a sense of pride in their ancestral culture, heritage, traditions, art and civilizational identity as a whole. The Museum will also sponsor film projects, speaking events and art exhibits to introduce Asian philosophy, customs, culture, costumes and traditions to today's and tomorrow's generations.
02 Praised by Canada's Prime Ministers, Ambassadors & Generals
03 Collection Highlights
Our Museum houses one of the rarest collections of Asian Art as well as THE most important collection of Buddhist, Greco-Roman Gandharan and Japanese treasures in the world. Here are the details of some of the Collection:
1] Relics and artifacts of Buddha: We are one of the only museums in the world with actual, authentic relics of the historic Buddha in 2000 year old stupas or reliquaries along with the Buddha's footprint and Buddha's bowl -- all from Afghanistan where Buddhism originated in the Greco-Roman Gandhara civilization. These relics of the Buddha are even registered with the courts of India as authentic representations of the historic Buddha to be treated with utmost care. We also co-own and manage 36 Heritage Temples of National Importance in India and our Avalokiteshwara statue is kept at the Indian Museum which further proves our provenance and authenticity.
2] The world's oldest Greco-Roman Buddhist statuary: We have many rare items that are the earliest prototypes of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas from the Greco-Roman region of Gandhara (present day Pakistan and Afghanistan) which has a very special meaning in Korea and Japan. Highlights include the oldest gold and silver Avalokiteshwara and a Starving Buddha as well as key scenes from the Buddha's Life. In addition, there are coins, jewelry and artifacts from various Buddhist monarchs of India right up to tje Pala Dynasty which was the last Buddhist dynasty of South Asia.This is all the more important in Korea as they depict the religion from where Marananta is said to have brought Buddhism to Korea in the 4th century -- and from where Buddhism moved on to Japan thereafter. Hence, this Gandhara Collection is extremely important to both Japan and Korea.
3] Largest Collection of artworks dedicated to Bodhidharma - Asia's greatest warrior saint is known as Daruma in Japan, Dalma in Korea and Tamo in China and is widely credited as the founder of Zen Buddhism as well as Asian Martial Arts. This rare Assemblage includes artworks on Bodhidharma by the greatest in history including Hokusai, Haranobu, Sesshu Toyo and the Kano Family -- as well as the greatest Buddhist warrior in history Miyamoto Musashi -- and even saints like Ikkyu Sojun and Takuan Soho among others. We also have the largest paintings of the Nio Guardians by Sotetsu Tawaraya -- one of the most important painters in Japan's history -- as Nio Guardians can be seen at temples of Japan, Korea, China and all of East Asia and have its origins at the Shaolin Temple. Bodhidharma is the biggest icon in Japan, Korea and China and an entire gallery dedicated to him is a way to foster cultural ties between all 3 powerhouse nations.
4] Artworks of the top Buddhist saints: The Museum will display rare handwritten scrolls by the greatest saints that shaped Asian civilization throughout history -- from Japan's greatest Buddhist saints including Shinran and Nichiren - to China's greatest Buddhist saint Xuanzhang (whose movie was sent to the Oscars by the Chinese Government) to Sri Lanka's Anagarika Dhammapala (who along with Okakura Tenshin brought Buddhism back to India) among others. These saints played a crucial role in shaping Asian civilization as well as promoting cultural links between Korea, Japan, China and Asian Tigers.
5] Largest collection of objects linked to the Tokugawa Clan who also established Japan-Korean Diplomatic Relations: Many historians credit Tokugawa Ieyasu as one of history's greatest rulers who even established diplomatic ties and peace with Korea as well as became the most important patron of Buddhism in the last 500 years. When Christian invaders threatened to destroy Buddhism in Japan, Tokugawa ordered the State Protection of all Buddhist temples and mandated that every Japanese family must sign up with a Buddhist temple. This strong leadership is responsible for the preservation of Kyoto as the world's top Buddhist city and Japanese Buddhism as being instrumental in rebuilding stupas across India as well as promoting Buddhism all over the world. In honour of Tokugawa -- whose HBO show Shogun has taken Hollywood by storm winning a record number of awards -- our Museum will have the largest collection of Tokugawa treasures including full Yoroi Armour sets with the Aoi mon, Ganbais, full sets of Katanas, Furniture, Prayer Items, Eboshis and more. Moreover, the Museum will foster friendly ties between Korea and Japan which is a priority of both governments -- as Tokugawa made it a point to end all hostilities between Joseon (Korea) and Japan and pursue a policy of peace, diplomacy and mutually beneficial trade.
6] Honouring Asia's greatest Warriors: Many great warriors dedicated their lives to actually battling to preserve Asian culture, heritage and Buddhist civilization and it is very important to honour them and use them as role models to promote strong patriotism and pride in future generations. Therefore the Museum will house rare objects, weapons, armours, battle flags and costumes including Takeda Shingen, Honda Tadakatsu, Kato Kiyomasa, Li Naomasa and the like. There will also be rare masterworks by Miyamoto Musashi who is celebrated worldwide as the greatest warrior of all time and a devout Buddhist. The jewel in the crown is the actual Seal of Takeda Shingen -- who is one of the architects of Japanese civilization and whose name means "Devotee of Buddha". Other important works include a painting of the great Buddhist warrior Benkei -- who defeated 300 Samurai in combat -- by the great painter Hokusai who inspired Monet and Renoir.
7] Asian Costumes, Coins and Cultural Items: The museum will also house the rarest Haoris, Kimonos, Hakamas, Kamishimos, Eboshis, Obis, Getas and all types of clothes bearing authentic kamon Crests. Many of these original antique pieces will be featured in the upcoming movie on Dalma. It wlll also carry rare cultural artifacts from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Korea and Mongolia to celebrate the diversity of Buddhist culture.
8] First Buddhist Holocaust Museum: The Ronin Soho Museum has also partnered with the famous Simon Wiesenthal Center on landmark events to honour both the victims of the Shoah as well as Buddhist Genocide that saw the destruction of Buddhism in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Museum will thus sponsor films, exhibits and events to promote Asian Art, culture, history, heritage and civilization as a whole. More information can be found at BuddhaFiles.com