The Asian Pavilion at the Rijksmuseum (2026): Collection, Highlights & Guide

The Asian Pavilion is the Rijksmuseum’s best-kept secret — a genuinely excellent Asian art collection that most visitors miss because they’re focused on the Dutch Golden Age. The pavilion was added in the 2013 renovation and houses one of Europe’s better collections of Asian decorative and religious art. This guide covers what you’ll find, how to get there, and why it’s worth the detour even if you came to the Rijksmuseum primarily for Rembrandt and Vermeer.

What Is the Asian Pavilion?

Key facts at a glance

Where to Find the Asian Pavilion

Navigation step by step

1. Enter the museum on Floor 0 — main atrium
2. Instead of heading up to Floor 2 (where most visitors go), stay on Floor 0
3. Look for signs to the Asian Pavilion — typically on the east or south side of the atrium
4. Walk through the glass connecting corridor — brief, maybe 30-40 metres
5. Enter the pavilion proper — two floors of galleries

The pavilion is genuinely easy to miss because the signage is less prominent than the main Gallery of Honour routes and because most tour groups don’t include it.

See Rijksmuseum Floor Plan & Map.

What’s in the Collection

Chinese objects (the largest national collection)

The Chinese section is the pavilion’s largest. Key items:

• Export porcelain — blue-and-white wares made specifically for European markets during the 17th-19th centuries
• Ming and Qing dynasty pieces — vases, plates, dragon figures, ritual objects
• Buddhist sculpture — stone, bronze, and wooden figures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas
• Bronze ritual vessels — ancient ceremonial objects
• Jade carvings — ornamental and religious objects
• The Dancing Shiva — one of the pavilion’s signature pieces (though this is Indian, not Chinese; see below)

Japanese objects

The Japanese collection reflects the unusual Dutch-Japanese relationship — the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to trade with Japan during the Edo period’s 200-year isolation (1639-1853). Key items:

• Edo-period woodblock prints — by Hokusai, Hiroshige, and others
• Samurai armour and weapons — full sets of ceremonial and battle armour
• Lacquerware — elaborately decorated boxes and screens
• Ceramics — tea ceremony wares, Kakiemon porcelain, Imari export wares
• Netsuke and inro — miniature carved objects from Edo-period Japan

Indonesian and Southeast Asian objects

Acquired primarily during Dutch colonial rule (1602-1949). Key items:

• Javanese bronze sculpture — Hindu-Buddhist deities from 9th-14th century
• Wayang puppets — shadow puppets used in traditional Javanese theatre
• Ritual daggers (keris) — elaborately decorated Indonesian ceremonial weapons
• Textiles — batik, ikat, and other traditional fabrics

Indian and South Asian objects

• Mughal-period decorative arts — miniature paintings, metalwork, jade
• Hindu and Buddhist sculpture — stone and bronze religious figures
• The Dancing Shiva (Nataraja) — an 11th-12th century bronze of Shiva dancing in the ring of fire; widely considered one of the pavilion’s most important pieces

Other cultures

Smaller but significant holdings from:

• Korea — ceramics, furniture, folk art
• Vietnam — lacquerware, ceramics
• Thailand and Cambodia — Buddhist sculpture
• Tibet and Central Asia — religious art, textiles

The Signature Pieces

The Dancing Shiva (Nataraja)

11th-12th century bronze, South Indian (Chola dynasty). Approximately 80 cm tall, the sculpture shows Shiva in the cosmic dance that creates and destroys the universe, standing on a dwarf representing ignorance, surrounded by a ring of fire. One of the finest examples of Chola bronze casting outside India.

Guanyin with a Thousand Arms

A large multi-armed Chinese Buddhist sculpture of Guanyin (the bodhisattva of compassion). The Rijksmuseum’s example is 17th-18th century, wooden, painted. Stands approximately 1.5-2 metres tall and commands its own alcove.

Japanese Samurai Armour

Multiple complete armour sets on display, including helmets with elaborate crests, body armour, and weapons. These were collected in the 19th century when European interest in Japan exploded following the country’s reopening to trade.

The Ceiling Painting Room

A reconstructed room from a 17th-century Indonesian merchant’s house with an elaborately painted ceiling, giving context for how collected objects were originally displayed.

Chinese Export Porcelain

A large wall display of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain made for European markets — including pieces marked with European family crests or custom designs. This collection illuminates Dutch East India Company trade.

Why the Pavilion Exists

The Rijksmuseum’s Asian collection was built primarily through the Dutch East India Company (VOC) era (1602-1799) and the Dutch colonial period in Indonesia (1800-1949). This means:

Complicated provenance

Many objects in the pavilion have colonial-era provenance — acquired through trade, tribute, or conquest during Dutch political and commercial expansion. The Rijksmuseum has been increasingly transparent about this history in recent years, with object labels providing context about how pieces entered the collection.

Some ongoing restitution discussions

The pavilion occasionally returns objects to their countries of origin. Notable cases:

• Several Indonesian objects have been returned to Indonesia in recent years
• Research continues on provenance for colonial-era acquisitions
• The museum’s position is that objects with demonstrable illegal or coercive acquisition histories should be returned

This is an evolving area and the pavilion’s collection may shift over time as more objects are identified for restitution.

Architectural Note: Cruz y Ortiz

The Spanish firm Cruz y Ortiz designed both the pavilion and the 2013 renovation of the main Rijksmuseum building. The pavilion’s architecture deliberately contrasts with Cuypers’ 19th-century main building:

• Modern, minimal exterior — dark brick and glass
• Low-profile horizontal mass — sits next to the main building without competing with it
• Abundant natural light via skylights and window walls
• Neutral interior — emphasises objects rather than architecture
• Flexible display systems — can be reconfigured for special exhibitions

The contrast between the ornate Cuypers main building and the restrained modern pavilion is deliberate — and makes the connection walk between them part of the experience.

How Long to Spend

• Quick overview: 20-30 minutes — sufficient to see the highlights
• Typical visit: 45-60 minutes — enough to engage with the major pieces
• Serious engagement: 1.5-2 hours — for visitors specifically interested in Asian art

The pavilion is significantly smaller than the main Rijksmuseum galleries, so even a thorough visit doesn’t take long.

When to Visit the Pavilion

The pavilion is consistently one of the least crowded parts of the Rijksmuseum, so crowd-avoidance is less of a concern than in the Gallery of Honour.

Good options:

• Later morning or early afternoon — after you’ve done the main museum highlights
• End of your visit — before leaving, as a calm conclusion
• On a return visit — if you’ve been to the Rijksmuseum before and want to see something new

Less ideal:

• Right at opening (9:00 AM) — you should use that slot for the Gallery of Honour and Night Watch Room when those are quietest
• Last 30 minutes before closing — you may rush through important pieces

Photography

Handheld photography without flash is permitted throughout the pavilion. Many objects are displayed behind glass, which can introduce reflections. The architectural lighting is typically good for phone cameras. Sculpture pieces photograph especially well — the minimal modern display approach provides clean backgrounds.

See Rijksmuseum Photography Rules.

Who Should Make Time for the Pavilion

• Visitors interested in Asian art — obvious but worth stating
• Visitors on second or third Rijksmuseum trips — you’ve done the main museum; the pavilion adds depth
• Buddhist art enthusiasts — the sculpture collection is significant
• Visitors interested in Dutch colonial history — the objects document 300+ years of Dutch-Asian trade and political relations
• Visitors tired of Golden Age paintings — the pavilion offers a completely different aesthetic register
• Architecture enthusiasts — the Cruz y Ortiz building is itself worth studying

Who Can Skip the Pavilion

• First-time visitors with tight time — the main collection (Rembrandt, Vermeer, Night Watch) takes priority
• Visitors with no interest in Asian art — better to spend that time in the 17th-century galleries
• Very young children — the pavilion requires more quiet attention than the main galleries
• Visitors prioritising Dutch history specifically — the main galleries serve that better