Folio from a Falnama (Book of omens): recto, Prophet Muhammad’s night journey (Mi’raj); verso, text. Qazvin, Iran, Safavid period (1501–1722), opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper.
1050 Independence Avenue, SW. Entered from Enid A. Haupt Garden through ground-level pavilion. Open daily from 10 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Closed December 25. Metrorail: Smithsonian station. Smithsonian information: 202-633-1000 asia.si.edu
Bell (yong zhong) from a set of six graduated bells, China, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–221 BCE), bronze.
In 1987, Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913–1987) founded the museum that now bears his name with his gift of more than a thousand works of Asian art. Asia’s distinctive artistic and cultural traditions are featured in exhibitions based on the museum’s permanent collection and on those presented by other leading collections and institutions around the world. An active program on contemporary art explores the photography, video, film, installation art, ceramics, sculpture, and other forms of art that are being produced in Asia today. Other exhibitions examine art produced centuries in the past, such as the Shahnama, Iran’s national epic written by the poet Firdawsi more than a millennium ago, or Japanese tales of the terrifying monster Shuten Doji.
Album page, The Angel of Death Descends on Shaddad ibn Ad. Iran, Qazvin, Safavid period, mid-1550s-early 1560s, opaque watercolor and gold on paper.
The Sackler Gallery possesses one of the world’s largest collections of works by the renowned Japanese artist Hokusai, and its collections are rich in Japanese woodblock prints and examples of manga. The collection also includes ornately decorated manuscripts and detailed portraits created in Mughal India. Galleries are devoted to innovative displays of the permanent collection, including works from China, India, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas, and to major international exhibitions that bring the best in Asian art and culture to Washington. Members of local Asian communities often help craft the gallery’s vibrant public programs, and regular lectures bring renowned experts from around the world.
Xu Bing (b. 1955), Monkeys Grasp for the Moon, China, 2004, lacquer on Baltic birchwood.
Rhyton, Iran, Sasanian period, CE 300–400, silver and gilt.
AT A GLANCE
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, together with the connected Freer Gallery of Art, contains one of the world’s finest collections of Asian art. In addition to innovative presentations from the permanent collection, the Sackler features exciting traveling international exhibitions that display exceptional art from Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, and the Islamic world, ranging from the ancient to the contemporary.
The Sackler Gallery involves families through its popular “ImaginAsia,” a weekend program offering hands-on activities that encourage families to explore an exhibition and create a related project to take home. The workshops begin in the classroom on the second level. For more information and a full schedule, visit asia.si.edu.
Two-headed bust, Jordan, ca. 6500 BCE, plaster and bitumen; lent by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan.
Woman’s robe (munisak), Central Asia, 1850–75, silk and velvet.
Enter from Independence Avenue through a ground-level pavilion and proceed to exhibition areas on three lower levels. The Freer Gallery of Art, with related exhibitions and programs, is accessible by an underground gallery.
Located in the entrance pavilion, information desks are staffed by volunteers from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. daily.
Free guided tours are offered daily, except Wednesdays and federal holidays. Group tours are available with four weeks’ advance registration. For more information, visit asia.si.edu/tour; to schedule a tour, e–mail asiatours@si.edu.
The shop, located on the first level, features a carefully curated selection of gifts and keepsakes inspired by the museum’s collections and Asian cultures. Items include porcelain, crafts, jewelry, textiles, books, prints, and cards.
A Smithsonian Library serving the Freer and Sackler Galleries is located in the Sackler. The most comprehensive Asian art resource in the United States, the library contains more than 80,000 volumes and regular periodicals. Library hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Visit asia.si.edu/research/library for more information or to search the online catalog.
Researchers may examine the more than 100,000 historical documents and photographic images in the archives, located in the Sackler. The Archives is open by appointment; visit asia.si.edu/research/archives for more information or to request an appointment.
