The Eastern Art collection numbers about 6,000 items, mostly from China and Japan. It holds a Designated status under the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Designation Scheme, which identifies and celebrates pre-eminent collections of national and international importance held in England's non-national museums, libraries and archives.

A highlight of the collection is the Schiller bequest of Chinese ceramics and other items (1946), including fine Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) and Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) ceramics. The collection also includes a world-class collection of Chinese glass - the Burrows Abbey bequest of 300 pieces (1950) - recognised as the best collection outside China.

Collections from other Asian countries include items from India, Iran, Thailand, Burma and Korea, Islamic objects from a wide geographic area including Spain, works on paper such as Chinese export paintings, Japanese prints and Indian paintings, and textiles including several hundred pieces of Chinese dress and embroidery.

image: Paper-cut of a Door God, Chinese [00222TEA]