Art of East Asia
The Museum’s holdings from China, Japan, and Korea include a range of paintings, ceramics, and metalwork. Highlights from the collection have been recently reinstalled in galleries conceived as a series of architectural experiences, moving through Chinese tomb art, icons from Buddhist shrines, Korean domestic arts, Daoist worksshown in a formal Chinese reception hall, and objects arranged in a Japanese living space. Throughout, hands-on elements offer visitors chances to interact with the art in a tactile way. The East Asian galleries were designed by the firm of Staples & Charles, and were partially funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Art of South and Southeast Asia
Art from South and Southeast Asia makes up the largest part of the Museum’s Asian collections. This region includes the modern countries of India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (called South Asia); as well as Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor, and the Philippines (called Southeast Asia).
The world-renowned Edwin Binney 3rd Collection of Indian painting forms the core of this part of the Museum’s collections. Works of art from the Binney Collection are always on view in Gallery 10, with a new selection every six months. The Museum also holds religious sculpture of the Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu traditions, dating from the 2nd to the 18th century, on view in Gallery 9.
Art of the Islamic World
The Islamic World includes North Africa, the Middle East, and Iran, and the Museum’s collection is particularly strong in works of Persian art, especially ceramics and manuscript paintings. These are displayed in Gallery 11 next to the South Asian paintings, highlighting the cross-cultural connections between the two regions.