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Galleries

Our thematically organised galleries emphasise networks and flows of people, ideas, belief systems, and artistic traditions.

Level 1

Trade

Galleries on the First Level tell the story of Trade. The story begins in the 9th century, with the Tang Shipwreck display. The more than 1000 pieces of ceramics, gold, and silver displayed tell the story of the bustling Indian Ocean trade, and of globalisation long before the term was coined.

Octagonal cup with musicians and a dancer

Tang Shipwreck

Nearly 1100 years ago, an Arab ship bearing a precious cargo of ceramics, gold, silver set sail from the port of Canton. Just off the shores of Sumatra, near the island of Belitung, the ship sank, and remained untouched until discovered by chance in 1998.

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Maritime Trade and Court & Company Galleries

For thousands of years, the cultures of Asia have traded, interacted, and exchanged ideas. Many works of art in this section show global demand and evidence of shifting tastes as traders moved from region to region. It also tells us how special objects were eagerly sought in lands far away, and how new works of art were created through the blending of different sources.

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Level 2

Faith and Belief

Second-Level galleries present systems of Faith and Belief; their origins in Asia, their spread across the continent by land and by sea, and their localisation each step of the way.

Ancient Religions

Masterpieces of sculpture, painting, and ritual objects trace the spread of the grand religions of India – Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, across trade routes from India to China, and on to Southeast Asia.

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Christian Art

As Christianity spread across Asia, new works of art were required to convey Christian stories, embellish churches, and motivate new converts.

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Islamic Art

Exquisite works of religious art produced by and for Islamic faithful across Asia, with a main focus on Southeast Asia, show how global notions of Islamic art were adapted across the region to create unique visual forms that reflect indigenous influences.

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Scholars

For centuries, the scholar represented an ideal in Chinese culture. Great respect was accorded to individuals who could read classical texts, write and paint, play music, pursue academic studies, and demonstrate elegance and grace. Whether a civil servant, a successful merchant, or an overseas Chinese, learned individuals played a key role in Chinese culture.

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Ancestors and Rituals

Ancestors and Rituals examines the ancestral and ritualistic beliefs of traditional societies, including some of the most remote communities in Southeast Asia. The objects on display include some of ACM’s oldest collections – originally in the old Raffles Library and Museum.

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Level 3

Materials and Design

Decorative art is the focus on the third floor, highlighting a major aspect of the museum's collection. Materials and Design affirms the museum's dedication to the aesthetics and craftsmanship of objects that illuminate global, regional and local exchanges.

Fashion and Textiles

The Fashion and Textiles gallery presents a diverse range of fashion and textiles through periodically-rotating displays, outlining how identities and cross-cultural exchanges are revealed through dress.

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Jewellery

The first permanent gallery in the world to spotlight island Southeast Asian jewellery, exhibiting its varied and complex styles, forms and uses through a showcase of artefacts from the Neolithic period to the 20th century.

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Ceramics

The Ceramics gallery presents a comprehensive survey of Chinese ceramics from the Neolithic period through the Qing dynasty. In particular, ACM's excellent collection of Dehua porcelain, also popularly known as "blanc de chine", is on display.

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Galleries

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