Beginning in the 1860s with a selection of enamel, bronze and jade artefacts from China, the NGV’s Asian Art collection has grown to encompass almost five thousand works from across the continent, including paintings, calligraphy, woodblock prints, bronzes, lacquer, glass, furniture, textiles, and ceramics and jades from the Neolithic age.
This vast collection spans 5000 years of traditional and contemporary art from China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, and other South-Asian and South-East Asian countries, making it one of the leading Asian art collections in Australia.
The NGV’s Asian Art collection is an important portal for visitors to gain a greater understanding of the cultural and artistic practices of this dynamic region.