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Atmospheric shots of the National Museum of Asian Art.

Curiosity Welcomed.

Explore Art + Culture
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    Open daily, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

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    1050 Independence Ave. SW
    Washington, DC

Art from the Ancient World to Today

A row of sculpted figures, green with patina, all side by side in the grass and posed in active stances as they stretch their arms up to support a large white stone slab.
<em>Public Figures</em> (detail), Do Ho Suh (b. 1962, South Korea), 1998–2023, Jesmonite, aluminum, polyester resin, © Do Ho Suh, 2024. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London
Two semi-transparent, spectral figures from Japanese prints, arranged side-by-side against a black background. The figure on the left stares at the viewer with wide eyes, an open mouth, and a large mane of hair that is standing on end. The figure on the right, his blue-and-white face scowling, wears elaborate armor and brandishes a weapon, while his right hand is outstretched.
Composite image: <em>Akogi</em> (detail), from the series <em>Nōgaku zue</em>, Tsukioka Kōgyo (1869–1927), Japan, Meiji era, March 1, 1899, woodblock print, ink and color on paper, Robert O. Muller Collection, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, S2003.8.2898; <em>Nakamura Utaemon III as Taira no Tomomori</em> (detail), Ryūsai Shigeharu (1803–1853), Publisher: Wataya Kihei (ca. 1809–1885), Japan, Edo period, 1831, woodblock print, ink and color on paper, The Anne van Biema Collection, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, S2004.3.279
Printed image of a bridge over a river, against a dusky blue sky.
Kiyosu Bridge, Kawase Hasui (1883–1957), Japan, 1931, woodblock print, ink and color on paper, Robert O. Muller Collection, S2003.8.762

Seek Cultural Connections

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Dig Deeper

From Chinese art to the arts of the Islamic world, from Biblical manuscripts to Southeast Asian art, from the ancient Near East to the United States—our collections speak to the many meanings of Asia and its relationship to the rest of the world.

Experience Our Collections

How does place inform art? What role does place play in what is made, how it’s made, and who makes it? How does the art of one country or continent influence others?

Investigate the intersections of artworks from around the world through their unique stories and contexts.

What materials were available during different eras? How have artistic techniques changed over time? Why do aesthetic styles evolve?

Transport yourself to the past to better understand the world today.

What kinds of objects can you find in an art museum? How does the definition of art change across cultures, places, and time periods?

Appreciate the beauty of art and the everyday.

What's On

Close-up detail of a stone relief sculpture with a series of figures standing side by side.
Scenes from the life of the Buddha, Pakistan or Afghanistan, Kushan dynasty, late 2nd–early 3rd century, stone, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1949.9a-d

Here’s what you can experience now. Be curious, be challenged, be inspired.
View All Current Exhibitions

Look out for these exciting exhibitions coming soon.
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An educator gestures to an audience of children, standing before a projected image of a colorful painted image of a woman.

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A child coloring a stylized image of a animal.
A group of children all point at a work of art on the wall.

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painting detail
students looking at computer

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Presentation, Preservation, and Perspectives

We’re committed to placing masterworks of Asian art in dialogue with each other, with history, and with our American collection. We are committed to looking at the past critically, engaging with the present honestly, and envisioning the future inclusively.

Our Vision & Values

Our vision is to transform the National Museum of Asian Art into a space where a wide range of visitors can come together to celebrate, learn about, and interact with Asian art and cultures, including their intersection with America. In our second century, we’re becoming a space to convene, learn, reflect, and forge connections through art.

Chase F. Robinson
Director of the National Museum of Asian Art

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The Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery: two buildings, one museum. Come see us at our home on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

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Curiosity needs to be nurtured. The support of people like you helps us keep our programming vital and accessible to everyone—from enthusiastic K–12 students to leading scholars, from our local community to our international audiences.

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