Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art National Museum of Asian Art
Toggle Menu Search

Site Search

The Collections and Archives

Research

Two individuals loook closely at an islamic manuscript

In This Section

Research is at the center of the National Museum of Asian Art, whether it underlies the installations in the galleries, the concepts behind our public programs, or the design of our website. We welcome visiting scholars, students, and the interested public to use our library and study our collections.

Since the founding of the museum in 1923, the museums have published scholarship by our own staff and others related to the collections and the cultures they represent. You may read that work here, as well as learn about our research-related activities.

Three individuals look closely at two bronze vessels and a lid

Freer Research Center

The Freer Research Center fosters innovative object-based inquiries into Asian art and American art of the Aesthetic Movement, offers access to the museum’s resources and staff expertise, and organizes fellowships, programs, and publications.

Learn More
  • a detail of a woodblock print showing a body of water with waves, people walking along the beach and a stand.

    FRC Fellowships

    Our fellowships offer year-round research opportunities for scholars of all academic levels to pursue their projects full-time with the support of the museum’s staff and resources.

  • A woman holds up a magnifying glass before a detailed painting of a palace, framed against a deep blue wall.

    FRC Programs

    Our symposia, lectures, workshops, and study days explore themes tied to the museum’s exhibitions and collections, with an emphasis on training the next generation of scholars.

  • Photograph of a group of men on a boat, looking across a palace on the lake

    FRC Publications

    Our publications address important topics within Asian and American art scholarship, celebrate the museum’s collections, and memorialize convenings.

Conservator repairing the arm of a wooden guardian statue

Conservation and Scientific Research

The Department of Conservation and Scientific Research combines conservation and scientific methods to study works of art. Our scientists and conservators strive to improve methods of preservation, educate others in conservation practices, and conduct research into materials.

Learn More
  • A woman holds an open book amid bookshelves in library stacks.

    Library

    The Library originated as a collection of four thousand monographs, periodical issues, offprints, and sales catalogues that Charles Lang Freer donated to the Smithsonian Institution as part of his gift to the nation. With more than eighty-six thousand volumes, the library now is considered one of the finest repositories of Asian art resources in the United States.

    Learn More
  • detail from an archival photo showing several figures walking in the street

    Archives

    The Archives includes over one thousand cubic feet of material dating from the sixteenth through the twenty-first century. Rich and diverse materials include the personal and professional papers of preeminent art historians, archaeologists, artists, dealers, and collectors, plus major collections of nineteenth- and twentieth-century photography and audiovisual media of Asia and the Islamic World.

    Learn More
  • a row of books on a bookshelf

    Publications

    Browse the National Museum of Asian Art’s publications. We publish compelling books and journals that advance scholarship and celebrate our collections. Find online resources, cutting-edge research, exhibition catalogues, collection guides, and more.

    Browse All Publications
  • Interns view Chinese landscape paintings with associate curator for Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, Stephen Allee.

    Fellowships & Internships

    Fellowships are available to support graduate students and visiting scholars through the National Museum of Asian Art, the Smithsonian, or outside institutions. Paid internships are available for undergraduate and graduate students in several departments across the museum, and are designed as workplace-based learning opportunities guided by experienced staff mentors.

    View All Opportunities

Resources for Researchers

  • Library

    Browse over eighty-six thousand volumes in one of the finest repositories of Asian art publications in the United States.

    Search the Library

  • Archives

    Access the personal and professional papers of art historians, archaeologists, artists, dealers, and collectors, as well as nineteenth- and twentieth-century photography and audiovisual media.

    Search the Archives

  • Collections

    Explore our holdings of more than forty-six thousand objects, with opportunities for in-depth study in collections storage.

    Access the Collections

  • Publications

    Find online resources, cutting-edge research, exhibition catalogues, collection guides, and more.

    Browse Publications

  • Image Services & Permissions

    Review our image use guidelines and request image services or reproduction permissions.

    Learn More

Stay Connected

Get the latest updates and announcements about everything that's going on at the museum.

Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter

  • 1050 Independence Ave. SW
    Washington, DC 20013
    202.633.1000

© 2024 Smithsonian Institution