The permanent collection

Based on a selection of iconic works evoking Asian cultures, combining court arts with popular and tribal expression, the museum's collection reconciles genres that have traditionally been split between history, ethnography and decorative arts museums, while also embracing contemporary art whose roots can be found in the traditional.

In this section

  • China

    The green colour provides a note of harmony in the space devoted to China. Jade was the first raw material used as early as the Neolithic era. Its shapes, just like its many shades, are reproduced in bronzes, glazed earthenware and celadon.

  • Japan

    The space dedicated to Japan gather several objects testifying to ancestral know-how of great refinement. The perfectly mastered materials but also the colors and patterns participate in the search for a harmony between use and aesthetics.

  • India

    Indian art is subject to canons highly codified by texts and tradition. Therefore, it often uses the same themes by stylizing them and by miniaturizing them. From stone to ivory, this art evokes luxuriance, grace, full and sensual forms.

  • South east Asia

    Southeast Asia is a large geographic area between India and China. It includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam as well as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. These countries have been influenced by Indian and Chinese civilizations while developing an original culture.

  • Buddhism

    The religious form of Buddhism quickly spread in North India and then throughout Asia. This diffusion, which spans eleven centuries, has been an important factor in uniting different civilizations.