How is Asia defined? In essence, Asia is an idea constructed by ever-changing geographical, political and cultural perceptions. The ancient Greeks first used the term to describe lands immediately east of the Aegean Sea. Europeans would later use synonymous terms such as the “Orient” and “East” that are now acknowledged as Eurocentric and oppositional (“Orient/Occident”; “East/West”). Today, “Asia” is the preferred term for the continent’s aggregate of countries, territories, and regions.

Collecting Art of Asia displays a sampling of art from the Museum’s collection produced across a broad span of time by artists born in areas currently within the borders of the following regions and countries:

East Asia China, Japan, and South Korea

Southeast Asia Cambodia and Thailand

South Asia India and Pakistan

Learn more about the arts and history of Asia:Recommended websites

Asia Society Museum asiasocietymuseum.org

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution asia.si.edu

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline of Art History metmuseum.org/toah

Online Museum Resources on Asian Art/Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University afemuseums.easia.columbia.edu