The Oriental Art Museum (Museo d'arte orientale) is located on the third floor of the beautiful Pesaro palace (Ca Pesaro) which sits on the Grand Canal in Venice. Built by the Baroque architect Baldassarre Longhena between 1659 and 1710, it also houses the International Gallery of Modern Art. Founded in 1928, the Oriental Art Museum exhibits the impressive Asian collection of Prince Henry of Bourbon, Count of Bardi, who visited the orient between 1887 and 1889, acquiring more than 17,000 decorative pieces.

The private collection, bequeathed to the Italian State in 1928, primarily consists of pieces from Japan’s Edo period but there are also objects from China and Indonesia. The permanent exhibition is an exploration of oriental culture and fine craftsmanship, through refined images and objects. Visitors can discover paintings on silk, illustrated wall panels, gold and red lacquered objects, musical instruments, kimonos, Samurai armory, porcelain pieces, Buddhist symbolic pieces and sculptures.