Durham University, Oriental Museum, University museum in Durham, England
The Oriental Museum at Durham University is a university museum on the southern campus of the city, displaying objects from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The collection covers works from China, Egypt, Korea, India and Japan, spread across several galleries.
The museum opened in 1960 to support teaching and research in Oriental studies at the university. Over the following decades, the collection grew through donations and acquisitions from private collectors and institutions.
The Chinese pottery collection shows pieces from many periods, ranging from everyday objects to fine porcelain made for the imperial court. Walking through the gallery, you can see how shapes, glazes and decorations changed from one period to the next.
The museum is in Elvet Hill House on the southern edge of Durham and entry is free for all visitors. It is worth setting aside a good stretch of time, as the galleries are well filled and you may find yourself staying longer than expected.
One of the most unexpected objects in the collection is an Egyptian cosmetics jar carved from boxwood in the shape of a girl carrying a container. Objects like this were not made as art but as everyday items, which shows how much care went into ordinary household goods in the ancient world.
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