Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya
Introduction
The University of Malaya's Museum of Asian Art which was established in 1954 holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian art and artifacts in the region. The museum was set up to broaden the University's research activities to study the art and material culture of various Asian civilisations. The collection of material at the museum enables students at the University to examine actual samples of arts and handicraft from early civilisations in the region. In doing so, the museum hopes to create a better appreciation among both students and visitors of the rich diversity of Asian civilisations.
The first item on record is a bronze Buddha head from the Chiengsen period (1400-1550 AD) Thailand, given to the museum by Kun Krassri Nimanamhasminda in 1954. This contribution marked the beginning of the University of Malaya Art Museum, at that time based in the university’s campus in Singapore. The Buddha head was thus acquired several years before the University of Malaya campus was established in Kuala Lumpur in 1962. Prior to that, a section of the university library was used to display the artifact.
The museum which has three floors of exhibition space holds nearly 7,000 treasures, representing cultures from throughout Asia and spanning 4,000 years of Asian history. Featuring 1500 square feet of gallery space, showcases the unique material, aesthetic and intellectual achievement of Asian art and culture including ceramics from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and Iran, textiles from the Malay Archipelago and the sacred masks of Orang Asli communities.
The museum’s present home was built to accommodate the increasing number of new acquisitions. In June 1980, the new building was built in the scenic area between the Faculty of Economics and the then Law Faculty (currently occupied by the Business and Accounting Faculty). Within its three floors of exhibition space, the museum represents three major civilizations - the Indian, the Chinese and the Islamic. The museum now holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian art in the region. Its scope and breadth enables the museum to provide an introduction to the major traditions of Asian art coming from the greater Malay world such as Chinese, Indian, Khmer, Islamic and Malay.

Exhibition Galleries & Collection
With the new approach – Three Civilizations Under One Roof - the Museum of Asian Art has collected various types of cultural artifacts from the Malay and Islamic region, as well as an impressive number of Chinese pottery and Indian sculptures. An extensive collection of songket fabrics and Malay artifacts, potteries from the Tang to Qing Dynasty, and the art of Sathavahana images, are also available and are now displayed as part of the university’s duties to preserve and promote the cultural and intellectual appreciation of such artifacts.

Among the various exhibits showcased, the museum kendi (water vessel) collection is the biggest in Malaysia. The songket or gold thread textile which has been weaved by the Malay Archipelago people for centuries is part of the finest collection in this country. The lost tradition of Mah Meri Masks called Moyang or ancestor are also kept here.

These collections contain rare and exceptional objects that serve as important reference materials for scholarly research in areas such as art history, anthropology, as well as pottery and textile production. Some artifacts have been written about in the form of theses and journal articles while others such as the Mah Meri masks constitute on-going research by local scholars in collaboration with their European counterparts.
Activities
Among the most important tasks of the museum is to teach students and visitors about the importance of heritage and culture from the Asian region. Students can conduct their research activities using the various collections available. We also provide workshops on batik making, paper making and also do disscuss various topics especiallay on porcelain, wood carving and modern art work. In addition, the museum has at least three programmes on temporary exhibition a year, and almost every exhibition has pocket activities such as workshops and art demonstrations.
Since 2011, another landmark of the University Malaya art activities is the establishment of University Malaya Art Gallery, which is focus on contemporary art exhibition.
e-mail : museum@um.edu.my