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Colourful painted portrait of a man with a beard wearing a jeweled turban. He is writing a letter with a feather pen on a desk full of items. The background is a simple green ground and blue sky embellished with landmarks of different cities and other objects.
Global Arts, Cultures & Design

Asia

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  5. Asia

Our collections from Asia represent its cultural diversity. More than 50,000 items from across the continent allow an insight into artistic exchange, trade relations, imperial histories and religious beliefs.

  • The top of a black bock with pearl embellishments depicting trees, birds, and animals. There is a large latch or hinge in the top middle.

    East and Central Asia

    Find out more
  • Silk rug depicting an angular tree with branches full of flowers. It is surrounded by a red border with various embellishments.

    West, South and Southeast Asia

    Find out more

Meet the team

  • Friederike Voigt

    Friederike Voigt

    Principal Curator, West, South and Southeast Asian collections
  • Louise Boyd

    Dr Louise Reilly

    Curator, Japanese and Ainu collections
  • Rosanna Nicolson

    Rosanna Nicolson

    Assistant Curator, West, South and Southeast Asia

Asia stories

  1. Detail of a painting depicting two women sitting on a mat working with textiles
    Discover

    A closer look at a Korean scroll painting

    In our collection we have six Korean hanging scrolls that all date from the beginning of the 20th century. This was a time of great change that marked the end of the long-running Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910) and the beginning of the…
    Keep reading
  2. Detail of a long rectangular painting depicting flowers
    Discover

    Exploring painting styles of Korean hanging scrolls

    In our collection we have six Korean hanging scrolls that all date from the beginning of the 20th century. This was a time of great change that marked the end of the long-running Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910) and the beginning of the…
    Keep reading
  3. A large ceramic bowl with colourful decorative scenes of flowers and landscapes.
    Discover

    An introduction to our Chinese collection

    From ancient ceramics to imperial jade, oracle bones to contemporary propaganda posters, our Chinese collection spans over four thousand years and includes around 21,000 items.
    Keep reading

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