Museum of Oriental Art (Turin) facts for kids
| Museo d'Arte Orientale | |
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| Established | December 5, 2008 |
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| Location | Palazzo Mazzonis, Via San Domenico 9-11, 10122 - Turin, Italy |
| Type | Asian art and Archaeology |
| Collection size | 2,300 |
| Visitors | 119,000 (2019) |
The Museum of Oriental Art (also known as MAO) is a special museum in Turin, Italy. It's located inside a beautiful old building called a palazzo, which was built way back in the 1600s! This museum is home to one of Italy's most amazing collections of Asian art. It has about 2,200 pieces that show the rich history and art from many different parts of Asia.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The Museum of Oriental Art opened its doors on December 5, 2008. It was created by bringing together the Asian art collection from another museum, the Turin City Museum of Ancient Art. This new museum also received help from the city of Turin, the Piedmont region, and other important groups.
A talented architect named Andrea Bruno helped get the old building, called Palazzo Mazzonis, ready for the museum. He made sure it was perfect for displaying all the wonderful art.
What You Can See at the Museum
The MAO museum has many different areas, each showing art from a specific part of Asia.
Ground Floor Fun
When you first enter, you'll find two peaceful Japanese rock gardens in a courtyard. These gardens are designed to be calming and beautiful. There's also a special area on this floor for temporary art shows.
Exploring Asia's Art
The first floor of the museum is packed with amazing art.
- You can see collections from Pakistan and ancient Gandhara.
- There's also art from Southeast Asia, showing the unique styles of that region.
- A big part of this floor is dedicated to Chinese art. This includes very old pieces from the Stone Age, special bronze objects used in rituals, and beautiful lacquerware. You can also see art from ancient Chinese dynasties like the Han dynasty and Tang dynasty.
Japanese Art Treasures
Between the first and second floors, there's a mezzanine level. This area is all about Japanese art. Here, you can admire beautiful statues, detailed paintings, and shiny lacquer objects.
Art from the Himalayas
On the third floor, you'll find the Himalayan gallery. This section is dedicated to Buddhist art from high in the mountains. You can see incredible pieces from places like Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet.
Islamic Art and More
The fourth floor takes you to collections from Islamic countries. This includes art from places like Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula. You'll see beautiful bronze items, colorful ceramics, and decorative tiles.
Ancient Discoveries
Besides the main collections, the museum also has over 1,400 ancient objects. These are archaeological finds from before the time of Islam. They were discovered during excavations in places like Seleucia and Coche in Iraq.
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