Museum of East Asian Art, Art museum in Bennett Street, Bath, England
The Museum of East Asian Art is an art museum in Bath dedicated to objects from China, Japan, and Korea. The collection of roughly 2000 pieces includes ceramics, jade, bronze, and bamboo carvings that span different regions and periods of East Asian art history.
The museum was founded in 1993 by Brian McElney, a lawyer who had spent years practicing in Hong Kong. His collection began in 1958 with the purchase of an ivory carving and eventually grew into one of Britain's significant collections of East Asian art.
The collection features porcelain pieces commissioned by 18th-century Bath families, decorated with their coats of arms and made in China. These objects reflect the personal connections that linked the city to distant trading networks of that era.
The museum opens Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, and Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00. Wheelchair access is limited, so it is worth checking in advance which areas you can reach.
In 2018 the museum fell victim to a theft in which 48 objects were stolen. Thanks to police work, several of these valuable pieces were later returned to the collection.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
