Asian art from the Freer and Sackler online

Laurel's picture

If you're in Washington DC, the Freer and Sackler Galleries (part of the Smithsonian) are really worth a visit -- they have one of the best collections of East Asian, South Asian, and Middle Eastern art in the world (and admission is free!). If you're not in DC, they also have an excellent website that you can use to browse the collections or search for images -- they have hundreds of images online, including paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and manuscripts.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/default.htm

There is also a selection of online exhibitions, with all sorts of background information that reallly tells the story behind the art: http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online.htm#

You can even create your own personal gallery to save your favorite images. This site would be great for teachers to use in class to talk about Asian arts and culture, or for anyone to spend time browsing beautiful works of art!

Eve's picture

There is also a Sackler in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While the collection is not as extensive as the one in DC, it is still worth a visit (and is in close proximity to two other fine museums). Also, for those in the Boston Area, the Museum of Fine Art has a splendid collection of East Asian art.

Laurel's picture

Thanks, Eve! The Sackler at Harvard is actually named after the same benefactor, Arthur M. Sackler -- he was a really generous guy!

Another great resource for Asian art and cultural objects, both in person and online, is the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Their interactive onine tour of the "Yin Yu Tang" traditional Qing dynasty house from Huizhou, China is especially fun to explore.

http://www.pem.org/yinyutang/