Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku w Warszawie

MUSEUM'S MISSION TO BRING ASIAN AND PACIFIC CULTURES CLOSER TOGETHER

We collect, study and make available the tangible and intangible heritage of the region. We create a space for meetings, dialogue and reflection on the diversity of societies and our own identity. We impart reliable knowledge, breaking down stereotypes and promoting openness.

The Asia-Pacific Museum was established in 1973 from a collection donated to the Polish state by Andrzej Wawrzyniak. At the time, it numbered more than 4,000 works of art and ethnographic objects from Indonesia and was the fruit of the donor's nine-year stay at a diplomatic post in the country. Today, the museum's collection includes more than 23,000 artifacts from almost all countries of the Asian continent and much of Oceania.

In addition to the founding Indonesian collection - which includes magnificent white weapons, rich textiles, countless theatrical dolls and masks, musical instruments, sculptures and paintings by contemporary artists - Mongolia, India, Nepal, Tibet, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, China, Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are particularly richly represented in the Museum's collection.

Almost since its inception, the Museum has collected not only collections of Asian origin, but also works by Polish artists inspired by Asia. Particularly noteworthy here are the works of Andrzej Strumiłła, in whose work Asia is constantly present, as well as those of Aleksander Kobzdej, Tadeusz Kulisiewicz, Roman Opałka and Stanisław Poznański.

FIXED EXHIBITION

The permanent exhibition "Journeys to the East" was created just before the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Asia and Pacific Museum. The exhibition brings visitors into direct contact with more than 1,000 unique objects that illustrate the richness and diversity of Asian cultures. Among the collections on display are objects from Arab countries, examples of Qajar-era textiles and paintings from Iran, a collection of clothing, jewelry and handicrafts from Central Asia, as well as objects related to the lives and religions of the nomadic peoples of Mongolia. The museum's most numerous collection of artifacts is made up of items from Indonesia's many islands, including masks, theater puppets, costumes and traditional white weapons, including krises believed to be endowed with magical powers.

In the coming years, the Asia-Pacific Museum will invite visitors to explore new galleries dedicated to Central and East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania.

Together, they will form a whole to introduce visitors to the cultures of Asia in a clear, geographical layout and present a selection of the most interesting and valuable artifacts in the Museum's collection.

Read More