Religion forms the basis for much of the art in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Surviving primarily as sculpture, the Museum has an important collection of Hindu and Buddhist sculpture from these countries. These works originated as part of the imagery and architectural ornament of temples and other religious monuments.

Of exceptional note at the Museum is the collection of Vietnamese ceramics. Considered to be the finest in the United States, this collection ranges from early 1st -2nd centuries pieces to important 18th-19th century works. Vietnam is a close neighbor of China, and was ruled by China for a thousand years, having direct exposure to Chinese civilization and its ceramic industry for centuries. Yet Vietnamese potters did not simply copy Chinese ceramics and their decoration. Instead, they combined indigenous and Chinese elements in original and individual ways, experimenting with new ideas and adopting features from other cultures as well, creating some of the most beautiful and sophisticated ceramics in Southeast Asia.

Korea has a distinct culture. Although the close proximity of China resulted in the borrowing of many aspects of Chinese society, native cultural preferences in food, dress, music, the arts, etc. remained strong throughout Korean history.

The Museum has the only gallery in the southeastern United States devoted to the arts of Korea. Superb examples of ceramics from all periods include a variety of early tomb wares, delicate inlaid celadons, boldly decorated Buncheong and painted wares, an important large white porcelain Moon Jar, and examples of the outstanding contemporary ceramic world of Korea are all on display. A variety of Buddhist sculpture, mirrors, furniture and paintings are also found in the gallery.

The Japanese have a strong sense of cultural identity based on an ancient history rich in tradition. Over the centuries borrowed elements from China, Korea, and more recently Europe and the United States, have combined with distinct native preference to produce art forms that are unique to Japan.

Seasonal themes, asymmetrical compositions, and a sense of the fragile nature of life are common threads that run throughout Japanese art. The Museum has a broad collection of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, prints and decorative arts that all share in this common poetic sensibility. Prints and paintings are rotated at least four times each year, while ceramics and lacquer ware are changed periodically to show the considerable depth of this part of the collection.

China has the longest continuous civilization in world history.  From this ancient country came such inventions as silk, paper, porcelain, the compass, gunpowder, the weather vane and the seismograph.  The Museum has the finest and most comprehensive collection of Chinese art in the southeastern United States.  Ranging from Neolithic (ca. 2500 B.C.) to modern works, the collection is particularly rich in ceramics, Chinese Buddhist art, and paintings of the 18th-20th centuries.

Of particular note is an impressive selection of Chinese underglaze blue and white decorated porcelain, with important pieces from every period, a large 15th century Buddhist temple mural, and the jade collection of Mrs. Georg Vetlesen, on long term loan from the Smithsonian Institute; Museum of Natural History.