National Museum of Asian Art

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Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Eunbi Kim

Performances Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per order). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge. Pianist Eunbi Kim’s sonic memoir it feels like a dream features a soundworld of classical music threaded with an indie-pop awareness. Meanwhile, hypnotic projected visuals by new media artist Xuan expand the experience. This immersive multimedia performance explores questions of family and identity, offering listeners a space to meditate on the dreams they carry and pass on. it feels like a dream includes works by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Angélica Negrón, Pauchi Sasaki, and Sophia Jani for piano, pre-recorded voices, and electronics, written for and performed by Kim. The evening also premieres The Dreamers, a new work by Corey Chang written for Kim and commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. The work incorporates a poem that Kim’s father wrote more than thirty years ago, shortly after immigrating to the US… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eunbi-kim-tickets-2001091935848?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: Performances. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Thursday, November 12, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 13, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.   All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, November 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Conservation Cart Talk | Preparing Art for Display

Lectures & Discussions The same techniques museums use to care for artwork can help protect treasured items at home. Join paper conservator Kesha Talbert for a behind-the-scenes look at how conservators prepare works on paper for display. Learn about conservation-friendly approaches for displaying photographs, prints, and documents, and see how professional practices can be adapted for personal keepsakes. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: North Corridor. Cost: Free. Registration optional. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2003457768116?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Demonstrations. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, November 13, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Destiny

Films Part melodrama, part musical extravaganza, and part plea for religious tolerance, this film by the celebrated Egyptian director Youssef Chahine is the story of the medieval philosopher Ibn-Rashd (known in the West as Averroes). A tireless warrior for free speech, literacy, and rationalism, he strives to preserve the works of Aristotle and other great thinkers while being harassed by conservative clerics. Meanwhile, his followers counteract the zealots’ austerity through exuberant song and dance. While not based on The Thousand and One Nights, we’re including it in this film series because its setting in the multicultural society of twelfth-century Muslim-ruled Cordoba evokes the tales’ era and atmosphere. “Rip-roaring entertainment . . . a hot-blooded romantic adventure” raved Stephen Holden in The New York Times. Director: Youssef Chahine. Countries: France, Egypt. Released: 1998. Length: 137 min. Format: 35mm. Languages: Arabic and French with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Pyramide International. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://1001nights.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Friday, November 13, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM.

Art Guardians | Family Workshop: Painting Rescue

How do conservators save a painting when the paint begins to flake away? Discover the answer in this hands-on workshop for children ages 6–11 and their caregivers. Explore South Asian and Southeast Asian artworks in The Art of Knowing, then learn how conservators keep paintings intact. Through simple experiments, investigate how liquids can travel through tiny spaces—the same process conservators use to guide adhesive beneath fragile paint flakes. Then create your own artwork using the same scientific principle, known as capillary action, to make colorful designs. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: ImaginAsia Studio. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2003822908260?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Related Exhibition: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Art Guardians | Family Workshop: Painting Rescue

How do conservators save a painting when the paint begins to flake away? Discover the answer in this hands-on workshop for children ages 6–11 and their caregivers. Explore South Asian and Southeast Asian artworks in The Art of Knowing, then learn how conservators keep paintings intact. Through simple experiments, investigate how liquids can travel through tiny spaces—the same process conservators use to guide adhesive beneath fragile paint flakes. Then create your own artwork using the same scientific principle, known as capillary action, to make colorful designs. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: ImaginAsia Studio. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2003822908260?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Kids & Families. Workshops. Related Exhibition: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM.

Curator Tour | Melted into the Sun

Gallery Talks & Tours Join curator Carol Huh for a tour of Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun. This exhibition presents film and installation artist Saodat Ismailova’s work, grounded in Central Asia’s complex histories and ancient myths. Weaving together her own footage, rare archival film, and text, she evokes a vivid sense of place and reflects on the resilience of culture. Please meet at gallery 28 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Saodat Ismailova (b. 1981); Still from Melted into the Sun; 2024; single-channel video with sound; 35 minutes; Courtesy @saodatismailova. Commissioned by Fondazione In Between Art Film and Batalha Centro de Cinema Porto. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 28. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998887829306?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽

Gallery Talks & Tours Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each docent chooses an artwork to present in their own way, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed. 國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽(無需預約) 在一小時的導覽中,我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華,包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的,讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓(佛利爾美術館)咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sunday, November 15, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 15, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 15, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

First Light

Films Followed by a conversation with director James J. Robinson and a reception featuring Australian wine and snacks from the Philippines! This screening is copresented with the Embassy of the Philippines and the Embassy of Australia in celebration of the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States and Australia. Watch the Trailer Australia’s official 99th Academy Awards entry is an elegant and quietly devastating examination of belief, community, and institutional corruption in a mountain community, centered around a rustic nuns’ convent and a conspicuously majestic church. Forty-something Sister Yolanda (Ruby Ruiz) lives in a colonial mountain convent and works at the local hospital where she is admired for her kindness and piety. After giving last rites to a young man involved in a horrific construction accident, the nun is troubled by the nature of his death. She starts to piece together the circumstances of the accident in her gentle way and through her… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-light-tickets-2003009981775?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Sunday, November 15, 2026, 3:00 PM – 6:30 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 15, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 16, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 16, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.   All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Virtual Tour | Art of South Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Encounter South Asian art from across the Indian subcontinent in this free, online tour. Journey through time, from historical sculptures to contemporary art and photography. This tour highlights both the diversity and unity of South Asian art, and it brings together works from the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Image: Krishna Entertains His Companions; India, Himachal Pradesh state, Guler or Chamba, ca. 1760–1765; opaque watercolor and gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection—funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S2018.1.8. Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_U28QeG4KTGKKEnbA5D6K-A. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Captioning. Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Late Autumn

Films This portrait of family love and conflict centers on Ayako, a young woman who resists marriage because she does not want to leave her widowed mother alone. Three friends of the late husband seek to find matches for Ayako to no avail. But Ayako’s resolve changes when her mother begins to consider her own remarriage. Late Autumn reworks plot elements and themes of Ozu’s 1949 masterpiece Late Spring. Actress Setsuko Hara played the daughter in the earlier film and returns here as the widowed parent, pointing to Ozu’s regular theme of life’s repeating cycles. Description adapted from Janus Films. Director: Yasujiro Ozu. Country: Japan. Released: 1960. Length: 128 min. Format: 35mm. Language: Japanese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Janus Films. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/schedule/6a1609ad738727be3b1d2245. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:10 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Peacock Room Shutters Open

Third Thursday of every month. Free, no registration required.   See the Peacock Room in a whole new light! Please join us for a beloved NMAA tradition: our third Thursday opening of the Peacock Room shutters. Experience this unique masterwork of art and design in a whole new way as natural light reveals details of James McNeill Whistler's painted interior and accents the gleaming surfaces of Charles Lang Freer's collection of Asian ceramics.    The shutters are open from noon to 5:30 p.m. every third Thursday of each month. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Freer gallery 12 (Peacock Room). Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Gallery Talks & Tours. Thursday, November 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 19, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 19, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 20, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 20, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.   All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, November 20, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 20, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Curator Tour (In French) | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours Découvrez des chefs-d’œuvre des arts de l’islam dans les collections du musée du Louvre lors de cette visite guidée exclusive en français avec le commissaire de l‘exposition Simon Rettig. Pour la première et unique fois, une sélection exceptionnelle de 26 objets traverse l’Atlantique et vient aux États-Unis. Dans From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, admirez des œuvres remarquables créées entre le VIIe et le XIXe siècle et provenant d’Espagne, d’Égypte, d’Iran ou de l’Inde. Au cours de cette visite, Simon Rettig, conservateur des arts de l’Islam au Musée National d’Art Asiatique de l’Institution Smithsonian, retrace également les parcours extraordinaires de ces chefs-d’œuvre et explique comment ils acquièrent une puissance et une signification renouvelées, à mesure qu’ils changent de mains. Rendez-vous à l’entrée de la salle 23 pour la visite. Inscription à l’avance recommandée. Places limitées. ©️Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Raphaël Chipault. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2003836657384?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Curator Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours For the first time ever, an exceptional selection of masterpieces is crossing the Atlantic and coming to the United States. In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area that extends from Spain to India. In these exclusive tours, curator Simon Rettig shares the extraordinary journeys these works took and explains how they were invested with power and meaning along the way.  Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. ©️ GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Mathieu Rabeau. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1992444053800?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Fashion Show with MOJA Design Studio

Workshops MOJA Design Studio’s 2026 fashion collection is inspired by Nut, the ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky, and reimagines her celestial realm as a symbol of protection, resilience, and renewal. Through contemporary couture, the collection celebrates the eternal cycles of the sun and moon and the promise of a new dawn, reminding us that light will always return. This event is a collaboration between the Egyptian Cultural and Educational Bureau (ECEB), Embassy of Egypt, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, and under the auspices of H.E. Mohamed El-Molla, Ambassador of Egypt in Washington. , Images provided by Moja Design. Co-sponsor: Egyptian Cultural and Educational Bureau (ECEB), Embassy of Egypt. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fashion-show-with-moja-design-studio-tickets-2003741678299?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Workshops. Demonstrations. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Saturday, November 21, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

The Thief of Bagdad

Films Live Musical Accompaniment by Andrew Simpson Watch the Trailer Inspired by The Thousand and One Nights, Raoul Walsh’s The Thief of Bagdad is a spectacular accomplishment of production design and special effects. This fantasy epic continues to amaze audiences and inspire filmmakers a century after it was made. Douglas Fairbanks stars as a carefree pickpocket who falls in love with a princess (Julanne Johnston). He can only win her hand by retrieving the rarest treasures on earth, a quest that grows more fantastic with each passing thrill. An indefatigable Fairbanks battles a fire-breathing dragon in caverns of flame, fights a giant underwater spider, and soars into the clouds on a magic carpet. Presented in a 4K restoration produced by Patrick Stanbury of Photoplay Productions. Pianist and local favorite Andrew Simpson provides live accompaniment. Description adapted from Kino Lorber. Director: Raoul Walsh. Country: United States. Released: 1924. Length: 154 min. Format: Restored DCP. Silent with English… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://1001nights.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Sunday, November 22, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:45 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 22, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 22, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 23, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 23, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 23, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 23, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 24, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 24, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 24, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, November 25, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, November 25, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, November 25, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 26, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 26, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, November 26, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Trunk Show: The Moeller Collection

Explore antique and vintage Japanese textiles and home goods from the private collection of Ann Marie Moeller, a respected scholar, lecturer, and longtime advocate for the study and appreciation of traditional Japanese textiles. In addition to kimono, haori, and obi, this collection includes Japanese dolls, ceramics, lacquerware, netsuke, baskets, calligraphy, tea ceremony objects, and other works reflecting the breadth and beauty of Japanese material culture. This special sale offers a rare opportunity to purchase pieces from a thoughtfully assembled collection built over decades of study, travel, and engagement with Japanese arts and traditions. Image courtesy of Kyoto Kimono, LLC. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: NMAA Shop. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 27, 2026, 10:00 AM – Sunday, November 29, 2026, 5:30 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 27, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, November 27, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 28, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, November 28, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Jennifer Berry. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 29, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 29, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 29, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 29, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, November 29, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 30, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 30, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 30, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, November 30, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.   All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Virtual Tour | Winter Scenes in the Arts of Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Wish you could explore our museum’s collections without having to brave the winter weather? Immerse yourself in cold-weather artworks on this guided virtual tour. Explore snowy landscapes, seasonal traditions, and the beauty of nature through the coldest season. Image: Utagawa Toyoharu (1735–1814); A Winter Party; Japan, 18th–19th century; color and gold on silk; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1900.113. Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cmZy1m6xSue4eMP9wUflPg. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Captioning. Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Curator Tour | Woven and Cast

Gallery Talks & Tours Join Curator Jan Stuart for unique insights into the exhibition Woven and Cast, which connects two sets of media, cultures, and time periods: Chinese textiles of the Ming and Qing dynasties and contemporary Japanese metalwork. Discover how various materials shine, explore shared motifs, and decode the symbols, techniques, and craftsmanship that make up these works. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Shirley Z. Johnson: F2015.7; F2022.1.4.1–2; F2022.1.12; F2022.1.13.1–2; F2022.1.14.1–2; F2022.1.16.1–2; and F2022.1.21. National Museum of Asian Art Collection, Bequest of Shirley Z. Johnson: Hasuda Shūgorō / S2022.8.5, © Hasuda Sachiyo; Hosoya Michiru / S2022.8.17, © Hosoya Michiru; Mitsumoto Takeshi / S2022.8.26 and S2022.8.27.1, © Mitsumoto Takeshi; Tanaka Terukazu / S2022.8.30, © Tanaka Terukazu; Ōnuma Chihiro / S2022.8.35, © Ōnuma Chihiro; Ōsumi Yukie / S2022.8.40, © Ōsumi Yukie; Iede Takahiro / S2022.8.45, © Iede Takahiro; and Hannya Taiju /… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1994682820010?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Woven and Cast: Chinese Textiles and Japanese Metalwork from the Shirley Z. Johnson Collection. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.   All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, December 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Artful Movement | SEL Webinar for Students K–3

Kids and Family Get ready to observe, chat, and move with art! In these webinars, students (grades K–3) will look carefully at a work of art through facilitated exploration. Then, they will breathe, stretch, and flow through a guided mindful movement. This month's theme is "Friends of Winter: Strong and Resilient" These sessions are perfect for families, homeschool groups, virtual schools, and teachers who may want to review a recording with their students after the live session. Everyone who registers gets a link to the recording. Each session includes American Sign Language interpretation. Sessions take place on Fridays from 1 to 1:30 p.m. We present these webinars in partnership with Create Calm. Kano School; Pine Tree, Autumn Foliage, Flowers and Snow (detail); Japan, 17th century?; color and gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1899.93. Event Location: Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J7wmPklwQuC86Ht_UWR6tQ. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J7wmPklwQuC86Ht_UWR6tQ. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Friday, December 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 4, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

The Arabian Nights: Volume 1, The Restless One

Films Watch the Trailer We conclude our series Beyond Aladdin: The Thousand and One Nights on Film with Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes’s ambitious trilogy that transports the tales’ narrator, Scheherazade, to modern Portugal. There, she weaves a tapestry of stories blending comedy, emotion, and documentary. Though they work together as a trilogy, each film stands alone. The first volume juxtaposes three absurdist tales of life under Portugal’s austerity measures in the 2010s, linked in the same surprising ways as The Thousand and One Nights. A rooster is put on trial for crowing too early in the morning. A mermaid emerges from a whale that explodes. And a group of impotent economists search for a cure (an apt metaphor for Portugal’s economic condition at the time). Intended for mature audiences. Director: Miguel Gomes. Countries: Portugal, Germany, France, Switzerland. Released: 2015. Length: 126 min. Format: DCP. Languages: Portuguese, English, French, German, and Mandarin with English subtitles. Image… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://1001nights.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Friday, December 4, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:15 PM.

Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽

Gallery Talks & Tours Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each tour is unique, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed. 國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽(無需預約) 在一小時的導覽中,我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華,包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的,讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓(佛利爾美術館)咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Saturday, December 5, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

The Arabian Nights: Volume 2, The Desolate One

Films Watch the Trailer We conclude our series Beyond Aladdin: The Thousand and One Nights on Film with Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes’s ambitious trilogy that transports the tales’ narrator, Scheherazade, to modern Portugal. There, she weaves a tapestry of stories blending comedy, emotion, and documentary. Though they work together as a trilogy, each film stands alone. An oddball playfulness undergirded by darkness pervades the second volume. It begins with the story of an escaped serial killer who becomes a folk hero by evading the police in ever more ludicrous ways (including teleportation!). In the spirit of The Thousand and One Nights’ narrative swerves, the film shifts to a judge overseeing a seemingly endless trial in which the crimes multiply into realms of the absurd. Finally, the story shifts again to a poodle looking for a new owner in a chaotic, rundown apartment complex. Intended for mature audiences. Director: Miguel Gomes. Countries: Portugal, Germany, France, Switzerland. Released: 2015.… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://1001nights.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices. Saturday, December 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:15 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 5, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Sketch & Discover Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours Join docent Sushmita Mazumdar every first Sunday of the month as she guides you to use pencil and paper to consider the unique ideas and expressions of Asian artists from various traditions spanning the continent across centuries. All materials will be provided. No reservation needed. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 6, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

The Arabian Nights: Volume 3, The Enchanted One

Films Watch the Trailer We conclude our series Beyond Aladdin: The Thousand and One Nights on Film with Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes’s ambitious trilogy that transports the tales’ narrator, Scheherazade, to modern Portugal, where she weaves a tapestry of stories blending comedy, poignance, and documentary. Though they work together as a trilogy, each film stands alone. In the final volume, Scheherazade herself appears, telling tales of the many uniquely talented suitors who have pursued her, and meeting her father, the Grand Vizier, for a ride on a Lisbon Ferris wheel. Then, in classic Thousand and One Nights (and Gomesian) fashion, she absorbs us in a completely different tale that takes up the bulk of the film: a documentary about a group of brawny working-class guys from troubled backgrounds who tenderly and lovingly train tiny chaffinches to sing in an annual contest. This blend of the heartbreaking and the absurd is the perfect conclusion to Gomes’s magnificent trilogy. Intended for mature… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://1001nights.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices. Sunday, December 6, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:15 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 6, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 6, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 7, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 7, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.   All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Curator Tour | Treasures of Chinese Art

Gallery Talks & Tours Join curator Jan Stuart on a tour of ceramics and paintings from China's last dynasties, the Ming and Qing (14th to early 20th century). The imperial court and the scholar class were major patrons and consumers of these arts, which shared many symbols and styles in common. Please meet at gallery 13 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image credit: Amorous Meeting in a Room Interior; formerly attributed to Zhou Wenju (傳)周文矩 (act. mid-10th century); China, late 18th century; ink and color on silk; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1916.517. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 13. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curator-tour-treasures-of-chinese-art-tickets-1995986430143?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Films In this World War II drama, a mysterious British officer interned by the Japanese as a prisoner of war catches the interest of the camp commander. Meanwhile, another POW who can speak both languages tries to bridge the emotional and language divides between captor and prisoner. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a multilayered, brutal, at times erotic tale of culture clash and one of Ōshima’s greatest successes. Rock stars David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto play the leads, and Sakamoto composed the film’s hypnotic score. Actor-director Takeshi Kitano also takes the stage in his first dramatic role. Director: Nagisa Ōshima. Country: Japan. Released: 1983. Length: 123 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Janus Films. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/schedule/6a160e457b17557fe084f1ca. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:05 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 10, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 10, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 11, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections.   All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, December 11, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 11, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 11, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Curator Tour (In French) | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours Découvrez des chefs-d’œuvre des arts de l’islam dans les collections du musée du Louvre lors de cette visite guidée exclusive en français avec le commissaire de l‘exposition Simon Rettig. Pour la première et unique fois, une sélection exceptionnelle de 26 objets traverse l’Atlantique et vient aux États-Unis. Dans From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, admirez des œuvres remarquables créées entre le VIIe et le XIXe siècle et provenant d’Espagne, d’Égypte, d’Iran ou de l’Inde. Au cours de cette visite, Simon Rettig, conservateur des arts de l’Islam au Musée National d’Art Asiatique de l’Institution Smithsonian, retrace également les parcours extraordinaires de ces chefs-d’œuvre et explique comment ils acquièrent une puissance et une signification renouvelées, à mesure qu’ils changent de mains. Rendez-vous à l’entrée de la salle 23 pour la visite. Inscription à l’avance recommandée. Places limitées. ©️Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Raphaël Chipault. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2003837185965?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 12, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Curator Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours For the first time ever, an exceptional selection of masterpieces is crossing the Atlantic and coming to the United States. In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area that extends from Spain to India. In these exclusive tours, curator Simon Rettig shares the extraordinary journeys these works took and explains how they were invested with power and meaning along the way.  Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. ©️ GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Mathieu Rabeau. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1992444130028?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 12, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 13, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 14, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Virtual Tour | Winter Scenes in the Arts of Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Wish you could explore our museum’s collections without having to brave the winter weather? Immerse yourself in cold-weather artworks on this guided virtual tour. Explore snowy landscapes, seasonal traditions, and the beauty of nature through the coldest season. Image: Utagawa Toyoharu (1735–1814); A Winter Party; Japan, 18th–19th century; color and gold on silk; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1900.113. Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q_q8_n5KQlavlB-8Sa2oyQ. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Captioning. Tuesday, December 15, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Peacock Room Shutters Open

Third Thursday of every month. Free, no registration required.   See the Peacock Room in a whole new light! Please join us for a beloved NMAA tradition: our third Thursday opening of the Peacock Room shutters. Experience this unique masterwork of art and design in a whole new way as natural light reveals details of James McNeill Whistler's painted interior and accents the gleaming surfaces of Charles Lang Freer's collection of Asian ceramics.    The shutters are open from noon to 5:30 p.m. every third Thursday of each month. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Freer gallery 12 (Peacock Room). Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Gallery Talks & Tours. Thursday, December 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 17, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 18, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 19, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 19, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽

Gallery Talks & Tours Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each docent chooses an artwork to present in their own way, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed. 國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽(無需預約) 在一小時的導覽中,我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華,包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的,讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓(佛利爾美術館)咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sunday, December 20, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 20, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 20, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 20, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 21, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 21, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 22, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 23, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, December 23, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 24, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, December 24, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, December 25, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 26, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 26, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 26, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, December 26, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 27, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, December 27, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, December 28, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 29, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 29, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | From the Louvre

Gallery Talks & Tours In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 29, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.