The Victoria and Albert Museum's Asian collections include objects from East Asia, South and South-East Asia, and the Middle East. They are rich in a broad range of artistic media and illustrate many different aspects of religious, courtly and everyday life.

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South & South East Asia resources

This is the subject hub for South & South East Asia Resources

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East Asia

This is the subject hub for East Asia

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Asian Department

The collections of the Asian Department cover a period of more than 5000 years, from 3,500 BC to the present day, and a huge region that encompasses China, Korea and Japan; South-East Asia, from Burma to Indonesia; Pakistan, India and the other countries of South Asia; Central Asia, from Tibet to the Caspian Sea; and the Middle East.

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About the Asian collections

The V&A collections of Asian art, including Islamic, Chinese and Indian collections.

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The Indian subcontinent: land and culture

The Indian subcontinent is a vast area the size of Europe, and is today divided into the separate countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Within the subcontinent itself, there  is a wide variety of peoples, languages and religions.

British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age

31 March–12 August 2012

Showcasing over 300 British design objects, this exhibition celebrates the best of British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games' to the summer of 2012.

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The Story of Suleyman: Celebrity Elephants and Other Exotica in Renaissance Portugal

The Story of Suleyman: Celebrity Elephants and Other Exotica in Renaissance Portugal

The incredible story of a brave, small elephant, Suleyman, and his decade-long passage by land and sea from Asia and across Europe.

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Event - Arts of Asia 11/12

Mon 12 September 2011–Mon 26 March 2012

COURSE: Discover the Arts of Asia, 1500–1900 in this popular Year Course focusing on the rich diversity of artistic traditions found within the vast territories of the Islamic Middle East, South Asia and China. You can book the full course, or select individual terms or days. Mondays, 12 September 2011 – 16 July 2012 (over 3 terms)

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