Key	Imgs	Short Description
2022_DC_SISG_Splendid_Land	132	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur November 19, 2022 – May 14, 2023 Around 1700, artists in Udaipur (a court in northwest India) began creating immersive paintings that conveyed the mood (bhava) of the city’s palaces, lakes, and mountains. These large paintings and their emphasis on lived...
2020_DC_SISG_Age_Old	123	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Age Old Cities: A Virtual Journey from Palmyra to Mosul Age Old Cities: A Virtual Journey from Palmyra to Mosul January 25, 2020 – October 25, 2020 Journey to three cities in the Middle East—Palmyra and Aleppo in Syria and Mosul in Iraq—in this virtual exhibition organized by the Arab World Institute, Paris, and created in collaboration with UNESCO. These...
2022_DC_SISG_Yemen_Incense	41	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Ancient Yemen: Incense, Art, and Trade Ancient Yemen: Incense, Art, and Trade September 3, 2022 – Indefinitely Nestled in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen became a major hub for the trade of incense during the first millennium BCE. This trade reached its climax between the first century BCE and the second century CE....
2023_DC_SISG_Anyang	119	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings February 25, 2023 – April 28, 2024 Anyang: China’s Ancient City of Kings is the first major exhibition in the United States dedicated to Anyang, the capital of China’s Shang dynasty (occupied ca. 1250 BCE–ca. 1050 BCE). The source of China’s earliest surviving...
2015_DC_SISG_Art_Gift	19	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Art of the Gift: Recent Aquisitions Art of the Gift: Recent Aquisitions July 25, 2015 – December 13, 2015 The beauty and diversity of Asian art are evident throughout the collections of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Since the opening of the Freer in 1923 and the Sackler in 1987, generous gifts and funds...
2023_DC_SISG_AyO	76	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Ay-Ō's Happy Rainbow Hell Ay-Ō's Happy Rainbow Hell March 25, 2023 – September 10, 2023 Social Media Share Tools Immerse yourself in Ay-Ō’s world of sensory experience, exploration, and fun. Born in 1931, the Japanese artist Ay-Ō (pronounced “eye-oh”) moved to New York in 1958, where he would soon become a member of the...
2016_DC_SISG_Buddah	25	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Body of Devotion: The Cosmic Buddha in 3D Body of Devotion: The Cosmic Buddha in 3D January 30, 2016 – December 2016 Like all Buddhas (fully enlightened beings), the Cosmic Buddha, a life-size limestone figure of Vairochana, is wrapped in the simple robe of a monk. What makes this sixth-century Chinese object exceptional are the detailed...
2017_DC_SISG_Chinamania	40	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Chinamania Chinamania July 9, 2016 – June 4, 2017 Chinamania, the craze for Chinese blue-and-white ceramics, swept London in the nineteenth century and still endures in the West. Contemporary artist Walter McConnell, inspired by his travels in China and the kilns as Jindgzhen, interrogates this phenomenon...
2023_DC_SISG_Connecting	36	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Connecting Stories at the National Museum of Asian Art Connecting Stories at the National Museum of Asian Art April 29, 2023 – Ongoing The National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923, becoming the first art museum on the National Mall. At the museum, we continually renew our commitment to the communities represented by the works in our collections and to...
2017_DC_SISG_Felines	111	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt October 14, 2017 – January 15, 2018 Cats’ personalities have made them internet stars today. In ancient Egypt, cats were associated with divinities, as revealed in Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt. Cat coffins and representations of the cat-headed goddess...
2019_DC_SISG_Empresses	305	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Empresses of China's Forbidden City, 1644-1912 Empresses of China's Forbidden City, 1644-1912 March 30, 2019 – June 23, 2019 The lives of the Qing dynasty empresses offer a compelling tale of opulence and influence as told in this first-ever, in-depth exhibition of the subject. From their royal portraits and costumes they wore to Buddhist art...
2017_DC_SISG_Encountering	116	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia October 14, 2017 – November 29, 2020 Visitors can step into a Tibetan Buddhist shrine, linger at a Sri Lankan stupa, travel with an eighth-century Korean monk and discover remarkable objects in Encountering the Buddha. The exhibition draws upon the...
2021_DC_SISG_Fashioning	37	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Fashioning an Empire: Safavid Textiles from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Fashioning an Empire: Safavid Textiles from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha December 18, 2021 – May 15, 2022 With their sumptuous surfaces, original designs, and technical sophistication, luxury textiles played a critical role in the social, cultural, religious, and economic life of Safavid Iran...
2017_DC_SISG_Feast	54	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Feast Your Eyes Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran October 14, 2017 – Indefinitely Originally open in 2012, in celebration of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's 25th anniversary, a selection from the Freer and Sackler's extraordinary collection of luxury metalwork from ancient Iran—an area extending...
2017_DC_SISG_Elephant	26	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Glazed Elephant: Ceramic Traditions in Cambodia The Glazed Elephant: Ceramic Traditions in Cambodia April 15, 2017 – TBA Water-pouring elephants; lime pots shaped like birds, rabbits, and lions; bottles with human faces and hands folded in reverence: these vessels feature in the ceramic traditions of the Angkor kingdom (802–1431). The Glazed...
2016_DC_SISG_Heart	53	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Heart of an Empire: Herzfeld's Discovery of Pasargadae Heart of an Empire: Herzfeld's Discovery of Pasargadae February 13, 2016 – July 31, 2016 Located in the dasht-i murghab, or “plain of the water bird,” in southwestern Iran, Pasargadae was the first capital of the ancient Achaemenid Persian Empire (circa 540 BCE) and the last resting place of Cyrus the...
2022_DC_SISG_Roof	36	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Once Upon a Roof: Vanished Korean Architecture Once Upon a Roof: Vanished Korean Architecture May 21, 2022 – October 30, 2022 Roof tiles made of fired clay are key elements of traditional Korean architecture. They not only protected wooden structures from the weather; they also carried aesthetic value and symbolic meaning. One special type of...
2023_DC_SISG_Unfolds	65	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Palace Life Unfolds: Conserving a Chinese Lacquer Screen Palace Life Unfolds: Conserving a Chinese Lacquer Screen July 15, 2023 – January 28, 2024 On display for the first time after a major conservation project, this Chinese lacquer screen dated to 1672 is a delight, featuring newly revealed intricate details that had been obscured by centuries of wear and...
2023_DC_SISG_Gathering	37	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Park Chan-kyong: Gathering Park Chan-kyong: Gathering October 7, 2023 – October 13, 2024 Seoul-based artist Park Chan-kyong has gained international recognition for his use of photography and film to examine the complex history of modern Korea. Park Chan-kyong: Gathering is the first solo presentation of his work in a major...
2015_DC_SISG_Lucre	69	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Peacock Room REMIX: Darren Waterston's Filthy Lucre Peacock Room REMIX: Darren Waterston's Filthy Lucre May 16, 2015 – November 29, 2016 Filthy Lucre, an immersive installation by painter Darren Waterston, reimagines James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room—an icon of American art—as a decadent ruin collapsing under the weight of its own creative...
2015_DC_SISG_Shiota	6	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Perspectives: Chiharu Shiota Perspectives: Chiharu Shiota August 30, 2014 – June 7, 2015 Haunted by the traces that the human body leaves behind, the work amasses personal memories of lost individuals and past moments through an accumulation of discarded shoes and notes collected by the artist. Shiota studied at Kyoto Seike...
2015_DC_SISG_Baladi	13	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Perspectives: Lara Baladi Perspectives: Lara Baladi August 29, 2015 – June 5, 2016 Egyptian-Lebanese artist Lara Baladi (born 1969) experiments with the photographic medium, investigating its history and its role in shaping perceptions of the Middle East—particularly Egypt, where she is based. This installation centers on Oum...
2017_DC_SISG_Perspectives	7	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Perspectives: Michael Joo Perspectives: Michael Joo July 2, 2016 – July 9, 2017 Inspired by the migration patterns of Korean red-crowned cranes, Brooklyn-based artist Michael Joo (b. 1966, Ithaca, NY) has created a monumental installation specifically for the Freer|Sackler. The birds’ movements are visualized as lines in space...
2021_DC_SISG_Spirals	22	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Prehistoric Spirals: Earthenware from Thailand Prehistoric Spirals: Earthenware from Thailand December 18, 2021 – Ongoing Red painted spirals swirl in distinct patterns across the surfaces of these vessels, testifying to the sophisticated material and aesthetic cultures of northeastern Thailand more than two thousand years ago. Their makers...
2017_DC_SISG_Resound	26	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Resound: Bells of Ancient China Resound: Bells of Ancient China October 14, 2017 – TBD Musical innovations in the Bronze Age meld with today’s digital technology in this interactive exploration of ancient Chinese bells. Thousands of years ago, Chinese musicians worked with foundry technicians to cast matched sets of bronze bells of...
2022_DC_SISG_Revealing	38	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia's Sacred Mountain Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia's Sacred Mountain April 30, 2022 – September 18, 2022 Revealing Krishna transports visitors to a sacred mountain in the floodplains of southern Cambodia. The exhibition showcases a monumental sculpture of the Hindu god Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to protect...
2024_03_18C4_SISG_Staging	3	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Staging the Supernatura Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints March 23, 2024 – October 6, 2024 Throughout Japanese cultural history, the boundary between the real world and the world of supernatural beings has been remarkably porous. Certain sites, states of mind, or periods in the lunar cycle...
2024_03_26C2_SISG_Staging	156	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Staging the Supernatura Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints March 23, 2024 – October 6, 2024 Throughout Japanese cultural history, the boundary between the real world and the world of supernatural beings has been remarkably porous. Certain sites, states of mind, or periods in the lunar cycle... (Partially reviewed)
2024_03_18C3_SISG_Striking	36	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork March 2, 2024 – early 2026 Metalworking is at once powerful and delicate. Immense labor and heat are required to extract pure metals from ore to form alloys that are then made into flat metal sheets. The technique of hammering introduces powerful blows...
2017_DC_SISG_Gupta	14	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Terminal: Subodh Gupta Subodh Gupta October 14, 2017 – June 24, 2018 Internationally acclaimed artist Subodh Gupta transforms familiar household objects, such as stainless steel and brass vessels often found in India, into wondrous structures. The Freer|Sackler features the artist’s monumental installation Terminal....
2023_DC_SISG_Knowing	58	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas March 25, 2023 – TBA The Art of Knowing brings together highlights from our collections to explore religious and practical knowledge across time, space, and cultures. Featuring stone sculptures, gilt bronzes, and painted manuscripts...
2017_DC_SISG_Quran	46	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: The Art of the Qur'an The Art of the Qur'an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts October 22, 2016 – February 20, 2017 In recognition of one of the world’s extraordinary collections of Qur’ans, the Freer|Sackler is hosting a landmark exhibition, the first of its kind in the United States. Almost seventy of...
2016_DC_SISG_Lost_Symphony	39	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: The Lost Symphony: Whistler and the Perfection of Art The Lost Symphony: Whistler and the Perfection of Art January 16, 2016 – May 30, 2016 Three Girls would have been a seminal work in the stylistic development of American artist James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903)—if he had completed it. He intended to hang the large painting opposite his Princess from...
2018_DC_SISG_Prince	32	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: The Prince and the Shah: Royal Portraits from Qajar Iran The Prince and the Shah: Royal Portraits from Qajar Iran February 24, 2018 – August 5, 2018 In our age of social media and selfies, it may be difficult to grasp the importance of painted portraits and studio photographs in nineteenth-century Iran. During this time, known as the Qajar era, rulers such...
2022_DC_SISG_Shrine	25	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room March 5, 2022 – Indefinitely The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room includes more than two hundred bronzes, paintings, silk hangings, and carpets that were created in Tibet, China, and Mongolia between the thirteenth and early twentieth centuries. Arranged to reflect Tibetan...
2023_DC_SISG_Shrine	8	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room March 5, 2022 – Indefinitely The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room includes more than two hundred bronzes, paintings, silk hangings, and carpets that were created in Tibet, China, and Mongolia between the thirteenth and early twentieth centuries. Arranged to reflect Tibetan...
2018_DC_SISG_Dye_For	23	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: To Dye For: Ikats from Central Asia To Dye For: Ikats from Central Asia March 24, 2018 – July 29, 2018 With their brilliant designs, ikats are among the most distinct fabrics produced in Central Asia. The name, derived from the Malaysian word for “to tie,” refers to the distinct technique of making these textiles: bundles of threads are...
2015_DC_SISG_Travellers	65	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Traveler's Eye: Scenes of Asia The Traveler's Eye: Scenes of Asia November 22, 2014–May 31, 2015 Travel shapes how we see the world. Long after a trip has ended, images made to guide, track, and represent travelers and their journeys continue to influence our views of other cultures and our own cultural identities. Featuring more...
2022_DC_SISG_Underdogs	91	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Underdogs and Antiheroes: Japanese Prints from the Moskowitz Collection Underdogs and Antiheroes: Japanese Prints from the Moskowitz Collection March 19, 2022 – January 29, 2023 Expect the unexpected. The exhibition Underdogs and Antiheroes: Japanese Prints from the Moskowitz Collection focuses on the captivating stories and urban legends of individuals living on the...
2022_DC_SISG_Unstill	24	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Unstill Waters: Contemporary Photography from India Unstill Waters: Contemporary Photography from India December 10, 2022 – June 11, 2023 Unstill Waters: Contemporary Photography from India foregrounds landscapes of India, real and reimagined, as powerful means of examining environmental and social issues concerning us all. Through still and moving...
2008_DC_SISG_Monkeys	2	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Xu Bing: Monkeys Grasp for the Moon Xu Bing: Monkeys Grasp for the Moon 2004 – Indefinitely This whimsical sculpture was originally created as a temporary display by expatriate Chinese artist Xu Bing (b. 1955) for the 2001 exhibition Word Play: Contemporary Art by Xu Bing. In order for it to remain on permanent view, it was re-created...
2017_DC_SISG_Monkeys	48	DC -- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -- Exhibit: Xu Bing: Monkeys Grasp for the Moon Xu Bing: Monkeys Grasp for the Moon 2004 – Indefinitely This whimsical sculpture was originally created as a temporary display by expatriate Chinese artist Xu Bing (b. 1955) for the 2001 exhibition Word Play: Contemporary Art by Xu Bing. In order for it to remain on permanent view, it was re-created...

Contact: Bruce Guthrie