Asian Art Museum

The Museum of Asian Art in San Francisco is one of the largest museums in America and Europe dedicated to Asian art. The museum’s collection includes more than 18,000 unique works of painting, sculpture, porcelain, ceramics, wood and fabrics. It presents a panorama of Asian art and culture for more than 6,000 years of human history.

The museum owes its origin to the American millionaire, collector and philanthropist Avery Brandedge, president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972. He donated more than 7,700 exhibits to the museum, including a gilded bronze statue of the fourth century Buddha.

The permanent collection of the museum is 2,500 exhibits demonstrating the art of South and Southeast Asia, Persia, China, Korea, Japan, the Himalayas, Turkey, India and other countries. In addition, the museum organizes thematic and traveling exhibitions. For example, the archaeological exhibition, which attracted 800,000 visitors over a period of eight weeks, or the Wisdom and Compassion exhibition, which the Dalai Lama opened in 1991, and the Treasures of China collection.