Renowned for its large and important assemblage of Chinese art, the JSMA's holdings include one of America's most impressive collections of court textiles, along with superlative examples of traditional Chinese painting, sculpture, ceramics, jade, glass, lacquer, metalwork, furniture, and a small, but growing selection of contemporary Chinese objects. When the museum first opened in 1933, founder Gertrude Bass Warner (1863-1951) dedicated its largest gallery to the display of a core selection of superb Chinese works evoking the splendor of the Qing-dynasty (1644-1911) imperial court. With the renovation, expansion, and reopening of the museum in 2005, the exquisitely updated Betty and John Soreng Gallery of Chinese Art still features many of the same objects, in addition to more recently acquired artwork. One highlight is a modern interpretation of a traditional Chinese treasure wall featuring an array of precious decorative objects in various media spanning over six hundred years. Also on view are examples from the museum's sumptuous collection of imperial court garments and accessories, a rare nine-foot-tall jade pagoda, Buddhist sculptures, paintings, and brightly colored ceramic roof tiles from the Forbidden City. List
