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Oriental Museum
Lunar New Year 2023 celebration at the Oriental Museum, showing red lanterns with gold tassels

Korea

Please note:  Between 17th November 2026 and 28th January 2027 we will be redeveloping and upgrading several of the permanent galleries at the Oriental Museum.  The Korea displays will be closed to visitors from 17th November. A new, larger Korea gallery will open to the public from 29th January 2027. 

The Korean collection is hugely varied and highly unusual in that it includes material from both South and North Korea.  

The core of our collection was donated by the Right Reverend Richard Rutt, who first travelled to Korea as an Anglican missionary in 1954. Rutt remained in Korea for almost 20 years, serving as Archdeacon of West Seoul from 1965, before becoming Assistant Bishop and then Bishop of the Diocese of Taejon. 

The historic collections are complemented by contemporary Korean material including ceramics, textiles and K-pop memorabilia. 

Don’t miss: 

  • Traditional musical instruments 
  • A regularly changing display from our collection of painted screens
  • Historic and contemporary ceramics by leading Korean artists 
  • North Korean propaganda art including postcards, paintings, prints and stamps.

View into the Korea Gallery from across the balcony showing all of the displays.