The Museum’s collections of Asian art span nearly five millennia and encompass the cultures of China, the Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.

​

In 2007, the Museum launched an initiative to create dedicated galleries for the collection, beginning with a gallery for the arts of Korea. Galleries for the arts of India, China, and Japan followed in 2009, 2010, and 2012 respectively. Houston’s Asian communities, as well as international museum and foundation partners, generously supported the construction of the galleries and purchased of works of art.

​

Since 2007, the novel installation of ancient, modern, and contemporary objects in the same room has engaged visitors in a dialogue that conveys transnational and global narratives within the ancient and modern worlds. The display of fragile textiles, lacquers, and works on paper changes approximately every three months, allowing the Asian art department to create focused installations and to showcase more works from the collection.

​

Arts of Asia also includes contemporary art, collected by the Museum across many collecting areas. ► Browse all of the Museum's contemporary artworks.