All of Asia under one roof
KUALA LUMPUR: Home to almost 6,000 pieces of rare treasures, University of Malaya's Museum of Asian Art is a mine of information on the cultures of the Asian people.



The 140 sq m gallery features art pieces that reflect the aesthetic values and tastes of Asians, and the continent's diversity of cultures .



The first item on the museum's inventory is a bronze head of the Buddha from the Chiengsen period (1400-1550AD). It was displayed at the university's library in 1962.



In June 1980, the construction of the museum was completed. It is a building with three floors of exhibition space, one each for the Indians and the Chinese, and one to display the art and history of Islam.



The Indian section shows a collection of stone sculptures from as early as the Sathavana period. There are also Jain and Buddhist iconography.



The Chinese section has an impressive collection of ceramics and porcelain, representing almost all the periods in the art form's history.



On the floor dedicated to Islam, blue and white porcelain from Kashan's period, and miniature paintings from Persia and West Asia are among the chief attractions.



The exhibits in the Islam section portray the innovative and artistic side of the religion, while conveying the message that it does not condone violence.



The astrology corner in the section has the Astrolabe, which were used by the Muslim to determine the times for the five daily prayers and the qiblah.



There is an European plate from the 19th century, which has an intricate pattern inspired by the art movement in Islam



The museum also features "Malaysiana", a primarily Malay collection of weapons, household items, textiles, decorative items and jewellery. There are works in brass and silver, basketry and wood-carvings. The Malay practice of chewing the sirih, or betel leaf, is also shown with the display of the tepak sirih.



There is the gamelan, a set of traditional Malay royal music instruments. Visitors can play these instruments with the assistance of the staff.



The museum has the largest collection of water droppers from Southeast Asia in the country, with samples from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan among them.







The museum will hold seminar sessions for groups of visitors or students interested in gaining more information on the exhibits upon request.



Head of the museum unit, Abdul Aziz Rashid, said he hopes to see the museum become the biggest reference museum in the world one day.



It receives 9,000 visitors a year, a figure he wants to see increase by the year.



Among its efforts to attract more people was its recent exhibition called "Atomic Bombing Devastation: Exhibition of the 1945 Hiroshima & Nagasaki Tragedies", held from Aug 20 to Oct 31.



Survivors from Japan were invited to share their experiences of living through World War 2, and the impact of the bombings on their lives.



The museum is open from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. Admission is free.



For details, call 03-7967 3805 or visit www.museum.um.edu.my.