Civico Museo d'Arte Orientale

About the museum

The Civico Museo d’Arte Orientale was inaugurated on 8 March 2001 by the Comune di Trieste and set up by the Civici Musei di Storia ed Arte in the Palazzetto Leo, thanks to a contribution from the Fondazione CRTrieste. It is the first museum devoted specifically to Oriental art to be founded in the city and in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The seat is the 18th-century Palazzetto Leo at Via San Sebastiano 1, in the Cavana district, near the waterfront and Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia. The building, formerly owned by the Trieste family of the Leo, was donated to the Comune in 1954 by Countess Margherita Nugent, together with the two adjoining buildings, the former church of Santi Sebastiano e Rocco and the parish house. The restoration work, begun by the Soprintendenza with FIO funds of 1986, was completed by the Comune in 2000.

The collections include Oriental art, travel souvenirs, weapons, musical instruments and ethno-anthropological finds from all over Asia, above all from China and Japan, acquired by the Civici Musei di Storia ed Arte since the second half of the 19th century. The route extends over four levels: on the ground floor the Gandhara sculptures collected during the Italian K2 expedition of 1954; on the first floor China, with embroidered silks from the late Qing period and porcelain from the Song era; on the upper floors Japan, with porcelain, the collection of ukiyo-e prints (Hiroshige, Hokusai and the famous Wave), kabuki theatre, religions, and weapons and armour from the 15th to the 19th century.

Highlights

• Ukiyo-e prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai, including the famous Wave
• Chinese porcelain from the Song era to the late Qing period
• Embroidered silks from the late Qing period
• Gandhara sculptures collected on the Italian K2 expedition of 1954
• Japanese weapons and armour from the 15th to the 19th century
• Section on kabuki theatre and Japanese religions

Founded

2001

Operated by

Comune di Trieste – Civici Musei di Storia ed Arte

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Educational programme for nursery, primary and secondary schools, adaptable to groups of adults and families.

Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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