The Museum collects East Asian ceramics and decorative arts and is especially noted for its holdings of Korean ceramics, Chinese textiles, Japanese arms and armor, and tea ware by such 20th-century masters as Shoji Hamada and Tatsuko Shimaoka.

The William and Edith Cleary Collection, consisting of over 600 Indian and Persian miniature paintings and drawings, forms the cornerstone of this expanding collection area. This collection features important works from the Mughal and Rajput schools as well as a selection of Company School paintings. The fugitive nature of the brilliantly-colored miniature paintings calls for special care, and their display is rotated frequently, allowing for the exploration of various themes.

The gift of Thai and Burmese sculpture and decorative arts from the Doris Duke Foundation for Southeast Asian Art and Culture grants a glimpse into rich religious tradition and the role of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. This collection demonstrates how the regional diversity of Buddhist art and architecture in Southeast Asia is connected across the countries of the Asian continent by a common vocabulary of belief.

Works from this collection are located on the Museum’s Ground Floor.

Take a virtual tour of works from our Asian Art collection.