Public programs and events at the National Museum of Asian Art.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk.Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance.©️ GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Mathieu Rabeau
East Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour.Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour.Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Formed in 2013 in Almaty by PhD and Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Zhamenkeyev, HasSak is one of Kazakhstan’s premier contemporary ethno-folklore groups. The ensemble features four highly skilled multi-instrumentalists—Yerzhan Zhamenkeyev, Darkhan Alimgazy, Askat Sagat, and Aray Kanatbek—who master over thirty traditional Kazakh instruments, including the dombyra, zhetygen, sybyzgy, and kyl-qobyz. Known for bridging ancient Nomadic musical heritage with dynamic, modern arrangements, HasSak won the Grand Prix at the international World Folk Vision competition in 2019. The group has released three studio albums, with a fourth currently in production, and has performed extensively across Kazakhstan and internationally in countries such as Germany, Austria, Türkiye, China, South Korea, Azerbaijan, and Russia.HasSak is currently participating in Heritage in Motion, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the nonprofit organization Music Unbound. The project provides professional development and networking opportunities to culture bearers and intangible cultural heritage practitioners in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Tucson, Arizona, leading up to a program at the 2027 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Experience the Sound of the Great Steppe! This performance aligns with the celebration of 35 years of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the United States and the 250th anniversary of American independence.Image provided by Raushan Jumaniyazova
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Mizushima survives, however, and becomes a monk who dedicates his life to providing proper burials for his fallen comrades. Meanwhile, his former platoon attempts to track him down by using music to express a shared sense of separation and longing for home. The Burmese Harp is adapted from Michio Takeyama’s classic novel and renowned for legendary composer Akira Ifukube’s haunting score. This epic humanist masterpiece contemplates suffering, redemption, and spiritual fortitude during the darkest periods of violence. Description adapted from Janus Films. Director: Kon Ichikawa. Country: Japan. Released: 1956. Length: 116 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.Image courtesy of Janus Films
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Third Thursday of every month. Free, no registration required. See the Peacock Room in a whole new light! Please join us for a beloved NMAA tradition: our third Thursday opening of the Peacock Room shutters. Experience this unique masterwork of art and design in a whole new way as natural light reveals details of James McNeill Whistler's painted interior and accents the gleaming surfaces of Charles Lang Freer's collection of Asian ceramics. The shutters are open from noon to 5:30 p.m. every third Thursday of each month.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk.Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Watch the Trailer International superstar Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love) embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan (Rouge). Known as the “Greta Garbo of China,“ Ruan was praised for her moving and emotive onscreen presence. But Ruan’s private life began to mirror the melodramas that brought her fame and was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids. This tumult culminated in her suicide at age 24. Kwan and Cheung paint a kaleidoscopic yet intimate portrait of the ill-fated actress, deftly blending lush period drama, archival footage, and metatextual documentary sequences of Cheung reflecting on Ruan’s legacy. The result is, much like the films of Ruan Lingyu themselves, “tender, vivid and almost overwhelmingly moving” (Time Out). Description adapted from Film Movement. Director: Stanley Kwan (Hong Kong). Released: 1991. Length: 154 min. Format: DCP. Language: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English with English subtitles.Presented by Fortune Star Media Limited, the restoration of the film was carried out from the original 35mm picture and optical soundtrack negative. The prints were repaired, cleaned, and scanned in Hong Kong, then digitally restored in 4K resolution in Bologna, Italy, by L’Immagine Ritrovata. Endorsed by the director, Stanley Kwan, the color correction was completed by Interface Video Production Ltd in Hong Kong. Copresented with JxJ – DC Jewish Film and Music which will also present two films on similar themes. Educational Partner: George Washington University Chinese Arts & Humanities Initiative. Image courtesy of Film Movement
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk.Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the first program in our Global Conversations: The Power of Art, Culture, and Diplomacy series, this discussion will explore the role of museums and cultural institutions as powerful instruments of diplomacy, collaboration, and cross-cultural understanding. Using the remarkable global rise and influence of Korean arts and culture as a point of departure, Ambassadors Burns and Kang will reflect on their distinguished careers in diplomacy and public service, the role of cultural soft power in international relations, and the ways museums, exhibitions, and cultural exchange foster dialogue across societies. Moderated by Robinson, the conversation will also examine regional and global efforts to preserve and protect cultural heritage, the importance of international partnerships in advancing mutual understanding, and the enduring power of arts and culture to strengthen connections between Asia, the United States, and the wider world.Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Sonya Pencheva
East Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at gallery 28 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance.Image: Saodat Ismailova (b. 1981); Still from Melted into the Sun; 2024; single-channel video with sound; 35 minutes; Courtesy @saodatismailova. Commissioned by Fondazione In Between Art Film and Batalha Centro de Cinema Porto
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽（無需預約） 在一小時的導覽中，我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華，包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的，讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Watch the Trailer Preceded by a live performance of the sword dance and suicide by Lady Yuji from the Peking opera Farewell My Concubine, presented by DC Beauty of Beijing Opera. Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) grow up enduring the harsh training of the Peking Opera Academy, where instructors regularly beat the students to instill in them the discipline needed to master the complex physical and vocal techniques of this ancient art. As the two boys mature, they develop complementary talents: Dieyi, with his fine, delicate features, assumes the female roles while Xiaolou plays masculine warlords. Their dramatic identities become real for Dieyi when he falls in love with Xiaolou, who fails to fully reciprocate his affections and marries a courtesan, Juxian (Gong Li), creating a dangerous, jealousy-filled romantic triangle. Hailed as a “cultural achievement” (The New York Times) and widely considered one of the most important motion pictures ever made, Farewell My Concubine is a “gorgeous, intoxicating epic” (Los Angeles Times) that is both “visually spectacular” and “sumptuous in every respect” (Time Out). Spanning fifty years from the early twentieth century to the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, Chen Kaige’s passionate, exquisitely shot film captures the vast historical scope of a changing country while revealing the intimate and touching details of a unique, tender, heartrending love story. Based on the bestselling novel by Lillian Lee, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Films in Global History” by TIME magazine, was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and remains the only Chinese-language film to ever win the Palme d’Or. Description courtesy of Film Movement. Director: Chen Kaige (China, Hong Kong). Released: 1993. Length: 170 min. Format: DCP. Language: Mandarin with English subtitles.Copresented with JxJ – DC Jewish Film and Music which will also present two films on similar themes. Educational Partner: George Washington University Chinese Arts & Humanities Initiative.Image courtesy of Film Movement
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
How does art communicate how we imagine the supernatural? In this tour, you’ll meet scary ghosts, powerful demons, and comical monsters in works of art from Japan. Learn about theatrical plays and folktales that feature these supernatural beings and the heroes, guardians, and everyday people they menace.Image: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892); A Ghost Jizō Startles a Near-sighted Old Man at Asajigahara from the series Crazy Pictures of Famous Places in Tōkyō (Tōkyō kaika kyōga meishō); Japan, 1881; print; ink and color on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection, S2021.5.363
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The Peacock Room is as awe inspiring for its rich detail as it is notorious for the rupture the project caused between the artist and his patron. Whistler designed the space for shipping magnate Frederick Leyland between 1876 and 1877. Leyland expected a few modest alterations to his new dining room, where he intended to display his collection of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. The room Whistler ultimately completed, mostly without his patron’s consent, was a lavish space covered floor to ceiling in depictions of peacocks and designs inspired by their plumage in shades of blue, green, and gold. Learn more about the Peacock Room. Dr. Merrill is the author of several books on Whistler, including The Peacock Room: A Cultural Biography (1998) and our recent co-publication, The Performance of Art: Whistler, Wilde & the “Ten O’Clock” Lecture, which will be available for purchase.Linda Merrill, teaching professor in art history at Emory University, was curator of American art at the Freer Gallery of Art (now the National Museum of Asian Art) from 1985 to 1998, when she became the first Margaret and Terry Stent Curator of American Art at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Dr. Merrill has published several books on Whistler and his contemporaries, including An Ideal Country: Paintings by Dwight William Tyron in the Freer Gallery of Art (1990), A Pot of Paint: Aesthetics on Trial in Whistler v. Ruskin (1992), Freer: A Legacy of Art (1993) with Thomas Lawton, With Kindest Regards: The Correspondence of Charles Lang Freer and James McNeill Whistler, 1890–1903 (1995), and The Peacock Room: A Cultural Biography (1998). She organized the exhibition After Whistler: The Artist and His Influence on American Painting for the High Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2003 and recently co-curated with Ruth Allen an exhibition for Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum, Recasting Antiquity: Whistler, Tanagra, and the Female Form (2024). Dr. Merrill received her BA in English from Smith College and her PhD in the history of art from the University of London, where she studied on a Marshall Scholarship. She has taught American art at Emory since 2013.Image: James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United States, 1876–1877; oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk.Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Join objects conservator Ellen Chase to explore the blue-and-white ceramics displayed in the Peacock Room. Learn how artists in China used cobalt pigments and brushes to create their distinctive designs, and discover how conservators study, care for, and preserve them. Examine a replica ceramic and conservation materials up close while gaining a deeper understanding of these works of art.Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Colleen Dugan
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Watch the Trailer Lotte Reiniger’s 1926 adaptation of tales from The Thousand and One Nights is widely believed to be the very first animated feature film. The Adventures of Prince Achmed uses striking silhouette cutouts inspired by traditional Indonesian wayang shadow puppets and gorgeous color tinting. These methods bring to life the story of an Arabian prince who is whisked away on a flying horse to an enchanted land where he tangles with an evil sorcerer, rescues a princess, and joins forces with none other than Aladdin. Painstakingly composed frame by frame over the course of three years by Reiniger, this landmark work is both an enchanting storybook saga and a retina-delighting triumph of visual imagination. Description adapted from the Criterion Collection. Presented in a digital restoration by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum e.V. Director: Lotte Reiniger. Country: Germany. Released: 1926. Length: 65 min. Format: Restored DCP. Silent with English intertitles.Opening Short Film: The Palace of the Arabian Nights A true cinema pioneer, Georges Méliès specialized in “trick films,” which used early special effects to craft whimsical fantasies such as this one, probably the first film adaptation of The Thousand and One Nights. It depicts the adventures of a brave prince who goes on a dangerous mystical quest to win the hand of his beloved. Director: Georges Méliès. Country: France. Released: 1905. Length: 14 min. Format: Restored DCP. Silent.The Rahim AlHaj Trio features two-time Grammy nominee, National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist, and Iraqi oud virtuoso and composer Rahim AlHaj joined by Iraqi santour maestro Ahmed Albandawi and world percussion master Nick Baker. The trio perform AlHaj’s intricate compositions. Rahim’s music delicately combines traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary styling and influence. His compositions evoke the experience of exile from his homeland and of new beginnings in his adopted country. His pieces establish new concepts without altering the foundation of the traditional “Iraqi School of Oud.” The Rahim AlHaj Trio’s debut CD, One Sky (Smithsonian Folkways), is a deeply immersive sonic experience as the three world-renowned musicians weave transfixing textures and melodies that transport listeners to a world of tranquility and beauty. Rahim AlHaj will also give a solo performance in the lobby of the From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art exhibition at 2 p.m. on October 24.Image courtesy of Kino Lorber
East Building · Asian Art Museum
What happens to art that lives outside? In this hands-on workshop, children ages 3–8 and their caregivers explore outdoor sculptures at the museum and learn how conservators care for artworks exposed to sun, rain, and more. Then, kids make their own outdoor art and take it home to observe how it stands up to the elements.Image credit: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
What happens to art that lives outside? In this hands-on workshop, children ages 3–8 and their caregivers explore outdoor sculptures at the museum and learn how conservators care for artworks exposed to sun, rain, and more. Then, kids make their own outdoor art and take it home to observe how it stands up to the elements.Image credit: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution
East Building · Asian Art Museum
AlHaj and his trio also accompany our screening of The Adventures of Prince Achmed.Rahim AlHaj has performed around the globe and is considered one of the finest oud players in the world. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, he moved to the US as a political refugee in 2000 and later became a US citizen. Since he began playing oud at age nine, he has studied under Munir Bashir (considered by many to be the greatest oud player of the twentieth century) and Salim Abdul Kareem at the Institute of Music in Baghdad, Iraq. AlHaj has won many accolades and awards, including two Grammy nominations and the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. He has recorded and performed with various master musicians such as genre-busting American guitarist Bill Frisell, Indian sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, and indie-rock pioneers REM. He has composed pieces for solo oud, string quartet, symphony, and beyond. Bio adapted from Avokado Artists.Image courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk.Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain.James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61
West Building · Asian Art Museum
For six decades, Musicians from Marlboro tours have offered audiences throughout North America and beyond a glimpse into the magic that happens each summer in Vermont. Each Marlboro tour program is curated by Co-Artistic Directors Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss from among the most exceptional collaborations from previous summers. Unlike typical touring ensembles, these groups are formed through Marlboro’s unique intergenerational approach, pairing world-renowned mentors with exceptional younger professionals. The results offer audiences the chance to discover seldom-heard masterworks and enjoy fresh, spirited interpretations of chamber music favorites, all born from weeks of immersive rehearsal and shared musical life at Marlboro. As part of our 2026–2027 Meyer Concert Season, we welcome back the Marlboro touring ensembles. The first of three performances with this long-standing partner is led by founding and former first violinist of the Doric Quartet, Alex Redington, and Jonathan Leibovitz, an emerging clarinetist hailed for his “ability to mesmerize the listener in everything he does” (BBC Music Magazine). At the heart of this touring program is music by two former Marlboro composers in residence: Brett Dean and Kaija Saariaho. The program culminates with Mozart’s beloved Clarinet Quintet, a piece that gloriously blends operatic melodies for the clarinet with intimate string writing. The program features:Haydn’s String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 33, No. 1 Dean’s String Quartet No. 3 “Hidden Agendas” (2019) Saariaho’s Aure (2011) Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581 Musicians include clarinetist Jonathan Leibovitz, violinists Leo Appel and Alex Redington, violist Samuel Rosenthal, and cellist Elena Ariza.This performance is part of the Bill and Mary Meyer Concert Series. The Bill and Mary Meyer Concert Series is generously made possible by the Bill and Mary Meyer Concert Series Endowment. Suntory is the Lead Corporate Sponsor of the 2026–2027 concert series.Image by Ethan Davis, provided by Marlboro Music.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more.Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
Calling all readers! We’re starting a quarterly virtual book club, hosted by NPR’s Emily Kwong. You may recognize her from the hit podcast Inheriting about AAPI family history. Our club will meet once each season, with fresh recommendations from some of our favorite Asian-owned bookstores (including Loyalty Bookstore and Yu & Me Books). Expect: open-ended questions, organic conversation, and a structured activity. To kick off the club, our first book is Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. Grab a copy from the museum store on your next visit.About Martyr! A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Electrifying, funny, and wholly original, Kaveh Akbar’s debut novel is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others. Martyr! is a New York Times bestseller, National Book Award finalist, one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2024, and a TIME Must-Read Book of 2024. “Kaveh Akbar is one of my favorite writers. Ever.“—Tommy Orange, Pulitzer Prize–nominated author of There There “Martyr! is nothing short of miraculous.“—The New York Times Book Review Synopsis adapted from Penguin Random House.Meet Your Host Emily Kwong Emily Kwong (she/her) is an NPR audio journalist working at the crossroads of history, science, and family memory. She is the host of two shows: Short Wave, NPR’s science podcast, and Inheriting, LAist’s show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families. Her reporting style is driven by empathy and context—rooted in a sense of people’s lives continuing on long after the story ends. Season 2 of Inheriting will debut in January 2027 and is about five families shaped by five immigration policies passed down through the generations. You can find her on Instagram @kwongsong. Emily loves to curl up with a good book and her orange cat Zuko. She’s very excited to host the first ever virtual book club for the National Museum of Asian Art.Book cover courtesy of Penguin Random House.
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk.Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour.Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b
West Building · Asian Art Museum
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way.Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Zombie Costumes Welcome! Watch the Trailer Yeon Sang-ho’s global phenomenon Train to Busan arrives back in theaters to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. What begins as a simple birthday trip for a father and daughter turns into a high-octane fight for survival when a zombie outbreak ravages South Korea. Trapped on a speeding train, they must navigate a landscape of terror to reach safety. Experience the relentless action and heart-wrenching drama on the big screen like never before. Director: Yeon Sang-ho. Country: Korea. Released: 2016. Length: 128 min. Format: DCP. Language: Korean with English subtitles.Image courtesy of Well Go USA
West Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk.Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
East Building · Asian Art Museum
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance.©️ GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Mathieu Rabeau