Three months after birth, babies learn to smile when seeing their parents’ face. And their parents smile back. Smiles are an innate facial expression that connects us to those who and that which nurture us. About 2,600 years ago, the smile put life into Greek sculpture, which until then had a rigid countenance. This attractive expression is called the archaic smile.

    If we look around, we find that such a kind of expression is seen in many places in the ancient world. Perhaps it was a manifestation of the bountiful love of the gods and buddhas of nature that gave us life and the wish of human beings to receive these blessings.

    In celebrating our tenth anniversary this summer, MIHO MUSEUM would like to take you on a journey through the Mediterranean, the Near East, the Asian continent, and to Japan, to visit smiles and to experience the gentle spirit of antiquity.