Durham University Oriental Museum

About

The Oriental Museum is the only museum in the North of England devoted entirely to the art and archaeology of the great cultures of North Africa and Asia.

Our world class collections cover Ancient Egypt, West Asia, the Himalayas, India, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. Objects on display range in date from prehistoric to contemporary art works. Come along and see ancient Egyptian mummies, Chinese porcelain created for the imperial court, Japanese woodblock prints and head-hunting swords from Borneo.

What's new?
The Oriental Museum is currently undergoing a major redevelopment programme. This began in 2009 with the first of our Ancient Egyptian galleries, focusing on the highlights of our Egyptian collectoin. This gallery includes statues, jewellery and treasures from Egyptian tombs. In 2011 we opened the second Egyptian gallery, focused on families and schools. Open the drawers to see the animal amulets or dress like an Egyptian.

Two new Chinese galleries have followed. Marvels of China offers an introduction to this amazing culture. Highlights include the famous carved bed and costume from the imperial court. The Malcolm MacDonald Gallery focuses on the museum's incredible collections of Chinese ceramics and jade.

In 2013 new galleries for Japan and Korea opened mixing historic material with contemporary art, pop culture and street fashion. In Japan you can see samurai armour and weapons alongside kimono and beautiful prints. In Korea, see historic furniture alongside contemporary ceramics. In late 2014 new displays relating to West Asia, focusing in particuar on the early development of Islam opened focusing on calligraphy, trade and science to support changes in the National Curriculum.

New for February 2015 is the latest stage in the redevelopment: a new gallery focusing on the Himalayas, India and Southeast Asia. From Buddhist statues to Hindu shrines, ancient sculpture to the impact of modern tourism, this gallery explores some of the incredibly diverse art and archaeology of this vast region.