Arts of Asia

We house one of America’s foremost collections of Asian art, now displayed in newly renovated galleries. We have completed a multiyear reinstallation that celebrates the great diversity of Asian art by presenting works from Japan, Korea, China, South and Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas, as well as the arts of Buddhism. The Arts of Japan gallery features traditional forms such as paintings, woodblock prints, sculptures, and lacquerwares. We have a large, historical collection of art made by the Ainu people of northern Japan, which is prominent in the gallery, as is our important collection of ceramics by modern and contemporary masters. Among the first U.S. institutions to collect and exhibit Korean art, we hold one of the country’s premier collections. The Arts of Korea gallery offers a full range of traditional ceramic wares as well as fine paintings, costumes, home furnishings, and religious arts. The Arts of China gallery ranges from the Neolithic era (circa 3000 B.C.E.) to today. Objects in a wide variety of mediums reveal the sophistication of Chinese artistry and reflect Chinese religious, political, and intellectual traditions that continue to evolve. The Arts of Buddhism gallery offers an introduction to Buddhism through its art forms, featuring art from multiple Asian cultures. Juxtaposed icons of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other enlightened figures, as well as tools used in worship, illustrate regional variations in practice and aesthetics. Arts of Southeast Asia highlights our collection of historical art from the region, with a primary focus on sculpture depicting Hindu and Buddhist deities. The largest gallery in the suite, Arts of South Asia showcases our important holdings of art from India and surrounding regions, featuring stone sculptures from Hindu and Jain temples. Celebrating a diversity of forms and traditions, the installation includes highlights from our extensive collections of manuscript paintings and early terracotta sculptures as well as decorative objects and architectural elements. The smallest gallery in the suite, Arts of the Himalayas features sculpture and paintings from Nepal, Tibet, and neighboring regions, most of it made for use in Buddhist or Hindu religious practices.