LibGuides: Art Institute of Chicago: The Japanese Collection

General Information

Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

Address: 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603

Phone: (312) 443-3600

About the Museum of the Art Institute of Chicago:

The Museum of the Art Institute of Chicago was one of the original branches of the Institute, founded in 1879, focused on the fine arts. Its collection, which began with nothing more than plaster casts, has expanded to over 300,000 works of art. The building itself has gone through eight major expansions.

Hours and Admission Information

Research Collections

Online Resources

Collection Updates
Lists gallery closures, artworks off view, and other information that may affect a visit to the museum.
Educator Resources
Lesson Plans and other online tools made available through the Art Institute of Chicago website to foster understanding of its various collections.
Research Guides
Guides developed by the Art Institute of Chicago to assist researchers in beginning their work. These includes guides on researching art or artists, researching a work from the museum collection, finding the value of art and books, book preservation, and more.

Summary of Collection

Japanese Collection size:

3,600 prints, paintings, drawings, etc.
50 vessels, sculptures, etc.
70 miscellaneous pieces (books, religious artifacts, architectural fragments, etc.)
Total collection size: approximately 3,750 items.

Much of their Japanese collection is easily viewed online through their digital collections and is a great resource for teaching and research.

Collection Database
Use Filters or Search "Japan" to find over 11,000 items

Digital Collections

Arts of Asia
Digitized images of the Asian collection at the museum of the Art Institute of Chicago, including Japanese arts. Browsable by: on display, not on display, images, interpretive resources, artist or culture, collection category, and object type. Searchable by: keyword, artist or culture, title, accession number, collection category, and type.