Friends of Asian Art
The Friends of Asian Art brings together individuals from around the world who have a serious interest in the arts of China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas in order to support the acquisitions and activities of the Department of Asian Art and to foster a wider appreciation and understanding of Asian cultures. The Friends enjoy scholarly programs throughout the year, including curatorial seminars, exhibition viewings, guest talks, and close examination of artworks and techniques represented in the Asian Art collection. Acquisitions purchased with the support of Friends of Asian Art funds are presented at the Friends annual meeting and dinner.
Annual Dues: $10,000 (a portion of dues is tax-deductible)
Under-Forty Annual Dues: $5,000 (a portion of dues is tax-deductible)
For information regarding the Friends of Asian Art, please contact Inae Rurup, Assistant Manager for Friends of Asian Art at 212 570 3836 or faa@metmuseum.org.
Highlights of Past Events
- Annual black-tie dinner with curatorial presentations of recent acquisitions made with Friends support
- Private curatorial tours of the exhibitions The Tale of Genji: A Japanese Classic Illuminated (2019); Diamond Mountains: Travel and Nostalgia in Korean Art (2018); and Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.–A.D. 220) (2017)
- Special preview in the Asian Art storeroom of Contemporary Japanese Ceramics in Historical Context, followed by a reception with the collectors at a private home
- A curatorial discussion on the inspiration behind the great seventeenth and eighteenth-century painting traditions found in the foothills of the Himalayas in a tour of Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North India
- Private storeroom viewing and curatorial discussion on rediscovered treasures in The Met’s collection featuring works of Chinese and Japanese lacquers
- "An Inside Look at Textiles: Conservation and Care," featuring conservators from the Department of Textile Conservation and the Antonio Ratti Textile Center
Above: After Xie Huan (Chinese, 1377–1452). Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden (detail), ca. 1437. China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Handscroll; ink and color on silk; 14 5/8 x 95 3/4 in. (37.1 x 243.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1989 (1989.141.3)