Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

About our special exhibition "The Print Generation," the Washington Post says: "Fresh techniques and independent outlooks shaped the new prints, but they didn’t banish the traditional interests in natural beauty, ingenious compositions and the contemplation of everyday life. For Japanese printmaking, sosaku hanga was a reinterpretation, not a rebellion." https://wapo.st/3VLDsWy

Update: there will be no change to our operating status. In the event of a government shutdown, our museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will remain OPEN through at least Thursday, Dec. 26. Please note that we are closed on Dec. 25. Visit si.edu for updates. Image: Richard Lippold’s “Ad Astra” on view outside our National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Can you see the visual connection between these two paintings made respectively in Iran and France? In the Great Mongol Shahnama, the royal figure of Shah Zav enthroned borrows certain features from the depiction of Christ in Majesty in an illuminated French missal, a Catholic liturgical book for celebrating Mass, exceptionally on loan from the Getty Museum collections. In particular, the use of blue and red for the garments is striking, as both colors are associated with divinity and Christian faith in medieval Europe. Although no Western manuscripts from the period have survived in Iran, references in historical sources suggest the presence of such volumes in the thirteenth and fourteenth century, which may have provided Persian artists with models and inspiration. Come and see this and other fascinating artistic juxtapositions in “An Epic of Kings: The Great Mongol Shahnama,” on view until January 12, 2025. https://s.si.edu/3DkaO8u Part of our #PersianArt collection. #SmithsonianAsianArt Images: Shah Zav enthroned (detail). Folio from the Great Mongol Shahnama. Iran, probably Tabriz, Ilkhanid dynasty, ca. 1330. Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper. National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection. Purchase—Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, S1986.107 Christ in Majesty (detail). Missal. France, Lyon, begun after 1234 and completed before 1262. Tempera colors and gold leaf on parchment. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. Ludwig V 5, 83.MG.80.105

Out now: The 54th volume of Ars Orientalis, co-published with University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Learn about this volume's exciting changes, inviting articles related to arts of Asia without restriction: https://s.si.edu/3P61hoo

❄️ Happy holidays! We're open daily except December 25. ❄️ Come in from the cold, and learn something new with tours and programs happening every day: https://s.si.edu/3po51I6 #CuriosityWelcomed

Our new publication "Buddhism and the Senses: A Guide to the Good and Bad" considers how Buddhist texts and artworks from around the world engage with sensory experiences. Read more about this collection of essays and the scholars involved: https://s.si.edu/49veSyX

Calling all scholars! The Ebrahimi Fellowship promotes excellence in research and publication on #PersianArt, from the ancient to the contemporary period. Now open. Apply here: https://s.si.edu/3NxJExf

Join free guided tours of "An Epic of Kings: The Great Mongol Shahnama" and closely examine monumental and boldly illustrated pages from a celebrated medieval Persian manuscript! https://s.si.edu/3UlCoYv

Thank you for supporting #GivingTuesday! We have accomplished so much in 2024 and cannot wait for what 2025 has in store.

It’s #GivingTuesday! We depend on your donations to curate exhibitions, conduct research, and share the arts and cultures of Asia around the world! Make a gift today: https://s.si.edu/4i05ve7