Asian Art

A 15th-century life-sized bronze Water-Moon Guanyin

Water‑Moon Guanyin. Wan Bing county, Hebei province, China. 15th century. The Baltimore Museum of Art: Julius Levy Memorial Fund. BMA 1944.80

The BMA’s collection of Asian art includes more than 1,000 objects comprised of works from China, Japan, India, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and the Near East.

The strength of the collection resides in Chinese ceramics, with a particular depth in mortuary wares from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and utilitarian stonewares from the 11th through the 13th centuries.

Highlights

  • a beautiful 15th-century Ming dynasty Brush Washer
  • a 13th-century Song dynasty blackglazed Wine Jar with Resist Decoration
  • a 17th-century Zun-shaped Vase Decorated with Figural Scenes
  • a 15th-century life-sized bronze Water-Moon Guanyin
  • a large 15th-century Cizhou Storage Jar
  • a magnificent early 8th-century Figure of a Striding Camel
  • an 18th-century Serving Plate composed of 12 dishes that fit together in the form of a flower, made for the 60th birthday of China’s Kangxi Emperor

Asian art is also represented in other areas of the BMA’s collection, including 475 Japanese prints and 1,000 textiles from across Asia.

On View

The presentation of the Asian art collection conveys 2,000 years of innovation by Chinese artists from 2nd century BCE to today, and the impact that has had on cultures around the world. These two galleries, featuring ceramics, furniture, paintings and bronze, jade, and lacquer objects, provide us with an opportunity to better showcase the beauty and strength of the BMA's Asian art collection.

Contact

To connect with the Department of the Arts of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, please contact Darienne Turner, Curatorial Assistant, at AAAPI@artbma.org.

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