Release Date: March 19, 2004

Exhibitions of Art in Non-Western Traditions
at the National Gallery of Art

Throughout its history, the National Gallery of Art has presented exhibitions of art from other nations and in non-Western traditions to supplement works on view from its own collections. The thoughtful and scholarly presentation of outstanding art from around the world throughout history encourages better understanding between peoples and nations.

This information was excerpted from the list of exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art from 1941 to the present. Those with a component from a Middle-Eastern or Arab nation are highlighted. Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum is on view at the National Gallery of Art, July 18, 2004 - February 6, 2005.

Art of Australia, 1788-1941
October 2 - 26, 1941

More than 70 paintings, watercolors, drawings, bark drawings, and sculpture were included in this exhibition. It was the first comprehensive exhibition of Australian art shown in the United States.

Ancient Egyptian Sculpture
February 1 - 28, 1949

28 small pieces spanning 3,000 years, from the Fourth Dynasty c. 2700 B.C. to Hellenistic 30 B.C., were lent by C.S. Gulbenkian.

South African Art
July 31 - September 5, 1949

The exhibition of contemporary South African paintings, drawings, and sculpture, sponsored by the government of the Union of South Africa, was selected by the Union Department of Education in collaboration with the South African Association of Arts.

Japanese Painting and Sculpture from the Sixth Century A.D. to the Nineteenth Century
January 25 - February 25, 1953

The exhibition consisted of 77 paintings and 14 sculptures dating from the sixth to the 19th century. It came from the Commission for Protection of Cultural Properties of the Government of Japan in Tokyo.

Asian Artists in Crystal from Steuben Glass
January 18 - February 19, 1956

36 decorative glass objects were shown, engraved with designs by artists from 16 countries in the Far and Near East. The exhibition was sent overseas for a two-year tour to the home countries of the participating artists, opening in Seoul, Korea, and ending in Cairo, Egypt.

A Century and a Half of Painting in Argentina
April 17 - May 17, 1956

113 paintings provided a survey of art and life since independence from Spain in 1810. The exhibition consisted primarily of portraits of outstanding personalities; there were also scenes of life, landscapes, and battles by both primitive artists and those trained in European traditions. Assembled under the direction of an Argentine committee with the support of their embassy, the exhibition was a gesture of goodwill on the part of the government of Argentina. This first comprehensive exhibition of Argentine painting to be shown outside of Buenos Aires was circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Masterpieces of Korean Art
December 15, 1957 - January 12, 1958

187 objects were selected by a joint Korean and American committee to present a cross section of Korean art from 200 B.C. to about 1900. This was the first large exhibition of Korean art to be seen outside the Far East. It was held under the auspices of the government of the Republic of Korea, and organized with the cooperation of the Department of State, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the American-Korean Foundation.

Haniwa--Japanese Burial Mound Figures
January 10 - February 21, 1960

57 objects (55 shown in catalogue) were exhibited, among them ancient clay vessels, human figures, and animals found in the gravesites of early Japan, dating from 2500 B.C. to 700 A.D. They were sent to the United States by the Japanese government to commemorate the centennial of diplomatic relations between the countries.

Chinese Art Treasures
May 28 - August 13 1961

An exhibition of 253 objects (231 in catalogue) was chosen from the Chinese National Palace Museum and the Chinese National Central Museum, Taichung, Taiwan, and sponsored by the government of the Republic of China.

Tutankhamun Treasures
November 3 - December 3, 1961

34 small objects from the Cairo Museum were selected from the more than 2,000 found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. The exhibition was opened by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Ambassador Dr. Mostafa Kamel, and the Minister of Culture of the United Arab Republic, Dr. Sarwat Okasha.

7000 Years of Iranian Art
June 7 - July 19, 1964

737 catalogued objects were on view, dating from prehistoric times to the late 19th century and including pottery, metalwork of bronze, gold, and silver, weapons and jewelry, paintings, carpets, and textiles.

Treasures of Peruvian Gold
October 14 - November 28, 1965

101 objects, pre-Columbian ceremonial and ornamental vessels, masks, figurines, and jewelry made of beaten gold, were on loan from seven public and private collections in Peru.

Art Treasures of Turkey
June 5 - July 17, 1966

281 objects, dating from Stone Age 6000 B.C. to 20th-century Ottoman culture, were presented in a survey of Turkish history, arranged after negotiations with the Turkish government. The exhibition covered the invasions by conquerors who left their distinctive artifacts behind, the cultures of Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, succeeded by the Christian empire of Constantine and followed by the Seldjuk and the Ottoman Turks. Many of the loans were from the Topkapi Museum.

African Sculpture
January 29 - March 1, 1970

This exhibition of sculpture from tribes of Africa presented 193 historical pieces. Ritual figures and masks in wood, stone, metal, and ivory came from public and private collections in Europe, Africa, and North America. The exhibition was sponsored by the chiefs of the diplomatic missions from 34 African nations.

African Art and Motion
May 5 - September 22, 1974

160 objects from 20 nations were selected for this exhibition, which was based on the concept that African art can only be understood through a grasp of African dance and ritual and in the special language of body motion: implied, arrested, or expressed. The elaborate installation incorporated five audio-visual stations of continuous film, recordings, and videotape, showing works in use in dance or ceremony. Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis toured the exhibition.

The Exhibition of Archaeological Finds of the People's Republic of China
December 13, 1974 - March 30, 1975

385 objects were selected from thousands excavated in the People's Republic of China from 1949 to 1972. Included were bronzes, pottery, and textiles ranging from prehistory to the late 14th century A.D. Special features were the bronze "flying horse" of Kansu a burial suit of jade laced with threads of gold.

Treasures of Tutankhamun
November 17, 1976 - March 15, 1977

55 objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun included the boy-king's solid gold funeral mask, a gilded wood figure of the goddess Selket, lamps, jars, jewelry, furniture, and other objects for the afterlife. A combination of the age-old fascination with ancient Egypt, the legendary allure of gold and precious stones, and the funeral trappings of the boy-king created an immense popular reaction. Visitors waited up to eight hours before the building opened to view the exhibition.

The Tokugawa Collection: Nō Robes and Masks
April 10 - May 22, 1977

86 robes, 30 masks, and 29 headbands and caps made for use in Nō dramas came from the Tokugawa family collection in Nagoya, Japan. Many of the hand-woven, hand-dyed silk objects were from the 17th and 18th century. The display was replaced every two weeks in three separate installations to protect these delicate objects from excessive exposure to light. The exhibition was organized by the Japan Society of New York.

The Art of the Pacific Islands
July 1, 1979 - February 17, 1980

More than 400 figures, masks, canoe ornaments, shields and weapons, ceremonial implements, carved house posts, shell ornaments, and feather capes from Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, and New Guinea were exhibited. These objects were made before or collected at the earliest contact by Westerners.

Wonders of the Age: Masterpieces of Early Safavid Painting, 1501-1576
December 16, 1979 - March 2, 1980

85 miniatures were presented in this exhibition of 16th-century Persian painting.

Art of Aztec Mexico: Treasures of Tenochtitlan
September 28, 1983 - April 1, 1984 (extended from January 8)

Most of the 86 objects of stone, clay, metal, wood, mosaic, and feathers had been excavated recently at the site of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan in Mexico City. The exhibition was a joint project of the National Gallery with the pre-Columbian section of Dumbarton Oaks.

The Sculpture of India: 3000 B.C.-1300 A.D.
May 5 - September 2, 1985

104 works in stone, ivory, and bronze were selected for this survey of early Indian sculpture. Two recently discovered pillars were added on 12 June, on the occasion of the visit of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The exhibition inaugurated the Festival of India, a series of artistic events across the United States in 1985-1986 illuminating the history and culture of India.

The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
January 25 - May 26, 1987 (extended from May 17)

Decorative arts from the Ottoman empire during the reign of Sultan Suleyman I (1520-1566) were shown including 68 illustrated books and manuscripts; 55 kaftans, embroideries, and rugs; 51 ceramics and tiles; and 40 imperial items of gold, silver, and rock crystal embellished with gems. Over 130 objects came from the Topkapi Palace Museum and other national museums in Istanbul.

Japan: The Shaping of Daimyo Culture 1185-1868
October 30, 1988 - January 23, 1989

More than 450 objects illustrated Japanese art and ritual during 700 years of patronage by warrior-aristocrats, the feudal baron daimyo. Many of the objects shown were officially designated in Japan as National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties, and Important Art Objects. The fragility of many objects necessitated rotations of five different groups for four weeks each and replacement with other works of the same general type. A traditional Nō stage was built on the mezzanine for special performances, and a teahouse and garden were constructed on the ground floor near an area where traditional tea ceremonies were held on several occasions. The exhibition was organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan and the Japan Foundation with the National Gallery.

The Sculpture of Indonesia
July 1 - November 4, 1990

136 works included Buddhist and Hindu life-size stone sculpture, bronzes, and gold figures dating from the eighth to the 15th century. This was the first exhibition in the United States dedicated to ancient Indonesian art. It marked the opening of the 1990-1991 Festival of Indonesia, an 18-month celebration of Indonesian culture in the United States.

The Art of Glass: Masterpieces from the Corning Museum
December 9, 1990 - April 14, 1991

On view were 121 decorative and utilitarian works from the Corning Museum of Glass, surveying 35 centuries of glass-making technology and stylistic developments from ancient Egyptian, Roman, Islamic, and Asian cultures to contemporary American and European examples. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, and the National Gallery of Art organized the exhibition.

Circa 1492: Art in the Age of Exploration
October 12, 1991 - January 12, 1992

More than 600 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, maps, scientific instruments, and decorative arts objects were brought together from five continents. The exhibition was a survey of the world's visual culture around 1492. Works were arranged in three sections: I. Europe and the Mediterranean World (Portugal, Spain, Italy, other parts of Europe, West Africa, and the Islamic world); II. Toward Cathay (Japan, Korea, China, and India); and III. The Americas (Aztec, Inca, and other cultures from what are now the West Indies, southeast United States, Costa Rica, and Colombia).

Olmec Art of Ancient Mexico
June 30 - October 20, 1996

The exhibition, the first comprehensive show of Olmec art, consisted of 120 Olmec objects from public and private collections. The installation included 15 monumental works, among them the 13-ton colossal head from San Lorenzo that left Mexico for the first time for this exhibition, as well as jade and serpentine figures and jade masks.

Splendors of Imperial China: Treasures from the National Palace Museum, Taipei
January 19 - April 6, 1997

118 paintings and 213 objects from the neolithic era through the 18th century were borrowed from the National Palace Museum. Included were paintings, calligraphy, jades, bronzes, ceramics, lacquerware, and other decorative arts, nearly two-thirds of which had never been exhibited in the United States before, and some works classified as national treasures. Several pieces were unique to the Washington venue. Works on silk or paper were rotated periodically during the show to limit their exposure to light.

Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia: Millennium of Glory
June 26 - September 28, 1997

This was the first comprehensive exhibition of Cambodian sculpture to be shown in the United States. It included 99 works spanning more than 1,000 years, from the sixth to the 16th century, many from the collections of the National Museum of Phnom Penh and the Musée Guimet in Paris.

Edo: Art in Japan 1615-1868
November 15, 1998 - February 15, 1999

The exhibition, the first comprehensive survey of Japanese art of the Edo period (1615-1865) in the United States, presented 281 objects, including painted scrolls and screens, costumes, armor, sculpture, ceramics, and woodblock prints. 47 of the works were designated National Treasures of Japan, and many had never before left the country. 150 of the works, deemed too fragile for long exposure to light, were exchanged for other works in rotation.

The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from The People's Republic of China
September 19, 1999 - January 2, 2000

The exhibition featured 206 objects created between 5000 B.C. and 960 A.D., representing five dynasties of Chinese rule. The exhibition was a sequel to the exhibition of Chinese archaeological finds shown at the National Gallery of Art in 1974.

The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt
June 30 - October 14, 2002

This exhibition exploring the ancient Egyptian concept of the afterlife included 143 objects on loan from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor Museum of Ancient Art, and the site of Deir el-Bahari. Some of the objects had not previously been on public display and many had never been seen outside Egypt. A full-scale reproduction of the burial chamber of Thutmose III (1490-1436 B.C.) was fabricated for the exhibition.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:

Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov

Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov

If you are a member of the press and would like to be added to our press list, click here.

Exhibitions of Art in Non-Western Traditions at the National Gallery of Art

Exhibitions of Art in Non-Western Traditions
at the National Gallery of Art