As Britain's national family of museums of Art, Design and Performance, the V&A houses internationally known collections of a breadth and richness unparalleled elsewhere in the world. Among them the V&A has the good fortune to be custodian of a magnificent collection of Indian Art. Over 45,000 objects dating from 200 BC to the present day reflect the great cultural heritage of India and the history of her association with Great Britain. The Asian Department also holds important collections of material from regions which came under Indian cultural influence - the Himalayan region and South-East Asia (www.vam.ac.uk).
Three major galleries in the Museum display highlights from the Museum's South Asian collections. A gallery of early Indian art shows a key selection of sculpture dating from 200 BC to 1500 AD. A further gallery shows the spread of cultural influence from India to the Himalayan region and South East Asia. The South Asia Gallery displays some of the most important objects in the collection produced in the period 1500 to 1900. A further gallery of Buddhist art shows the history of the development of Buddhist sculptural art.
For further information about the V&A’s Asian collections see the V&A website.