Taking a deep breath to relax, I concentrated on the intricacies of the pieces on display. There are two pieces I will long remember. One was a milky white oval-shaped box studded with gold and gemstones. The other was a touching carving of a boy resting with his water buffalo. How artisans of those periods managed to created such delicacy with simple tools is remarkable. I did wonder if these had been created in a supportive artistic environment or to appease a despot. I was alone in the gallery for perhaps forty minutes long enough to study each piece without distraction– a rare occurrence in the popular museum.