Asian Museum

The Museum of Asian Art is the only museum in Greece dedicated exclusively to the art and history of Asia. It was founded in 1926-1927 and houses over 11,000 exhibits, many of which were part of the private antiquities collection of Greek diplomat Grigoris Manos. The museum is housed in the English-style palace of St. George and the Archangel Michael, built in the early 19th century in the Old City, at the end of Espianda Square.

Currently, the museum houses objects from the Chinese Shang, Ming, Song, Tseu, Han, Wei, and Qing dynasties, including porcelain, bronze, ceramics, ivory, miniatures, jewelry, weapons, and masks. Items from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia, Korea, Thailand, and Siam, as well as furniture, portraits, medals, paintings, small objects belonging to the presidents of the Ionian Senate, and relics.

The Japanese collection of the Asian Art Museum contains approximately 6,200 items, most of which date from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Among the exhibits are brass weapons and samurai artifacts, prints and paintings by famous Japanese artists, ceramics and porcelain, wood carvings, musical instruments, decorative objects, inro and netsuke, NO theater masks, recording boxes (suzuribako), tableware, and clothing.