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{{Short description|Museum of Asian art in Washington, D.C.}}
{{distinguish|Arthur M. Sackler Museum}}
{{Infobox museum
| name            = Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
| image           = Sackler Gallery - National Museum of Asian Art (53830787697).jpg
| image_upright   = 
| caption         = 
| map_caption     = Location within Washington, D.C.
| coordinates     = {{coord|38.88796|-77.02644|region:US-DC|display=inline,title}}
| mapframe-zoom   = 13
| established     = {{Start date|1987}}
| dissolved       = 
| location        = 1050 Independence Ave SW, [[Washington, D.C.]], DC 20560, U.S.
| type            = 
| visitors        = 
| director        = [[Chase F. Robinson]]
| publictransit   = {{WMATA link logo}} {{rint|washington|bl}} {{rint|washington|or}} {{rint|washington|sv}} {{wmata|Smithsonian}}
| website         = {{URL|http://www.asia.si.edu/}}
}}

The '''Arthur M. Sackler Gallery''' is an [[art museum]] of the [[Smithsonian Institution]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], focusing on [[Culture of Asia|Asian]] art. The Sackler Gallery and the [[Freer Gallery of Art]] together form the [[National Museum of Asian Art]] in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-05 |title=Freer/Sackler rebrands its identity as the National Museum of Asian Art |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2019/12/05/freersackler-rebrands-its-identity-as-the-national-museum-of-asian-art |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=The Art Newspaper – International art news and events}}</ref> The Freer and Sackler galleries house the largest Asian art research library in the country.

Founded in 1982, the Gallery is named after [[Arthur M. Sackler]], who donated approximately 1,000 objects and $4 million to the building of the museum. Located on the south side of the [[National Mall]], and being physically connected to the [[Freer Gallery of Art]], 96% of the museum is located underground below the [[Enid A. Haupt Garden]].

In 2018 the gallery was the target of protesters accusing the Sackler family of being a key contributor to the [[opioid epidemic in the United States]].<ref name="wapo-sackler">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/04/26/shame-on-sackler-anti-opioid-activists-call-out-late-smithsonian-donor-at-his-namesake-museum/|title='Shame on Sackler': Anti-opioid activists call out late Smithsonian donor at his namesake museum|last=McGlone|first=Peggy|date=April 26, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 15, 2019}}</ref>

==History==

Japanese Prime Minister [[Masayoshi Ōhira]] visited the [[Freer Gallery of Art]] in 1979. During his visit, he announced that Japan would donate $1 million to the Smithsonian in order to assist in the building of an annex to the Freer to display Asian art.<ref name=JapanA>{{cite web|title=Japanese Minister Announces Gift to Freer|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1725|work=Torch|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> That same year, the [[United States Senate]] approved the [[Smithsonian Institution]]'s request for $500,000 to build museums for Asian and African art on June 6. In June, 1980, the Smithsonian removed the South Quadrangle Project from their fiscal plan.<ref name=approvalA>{{cite web|title=Quadrangle Planning Approved by Senate|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1792|work=Torch|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref><ref name=bill>{{cite web|title=Carter Signs Quadrangle Planning Bill|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1794|work=Torch|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> The project resurfaced in 1981, and on December 23 Congress approved $960,000 for the new complex. It was the first time that federal funds were contributed to a project as unrestricted.<ref name=grantA>{{cite web|title=Funds Granted for Quadrangle Planning|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1634|work=Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1982|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>

In 1982, [[Arthur M. Sackler]] donated around 1,000 Asian artworks and objects to the Smithsonian Institution. The collection was valued at $50 million.<ref name="BarossoPacific2009">{{cite book|author1=Elisa Maria Barosso|author2=University of the Pacific|title=From "no Go" to "Yo Co": Smithsonian Administrators' Perceptions of Public Affairs Strategies to Create Relationships to Attract, Educate, & Retain Young Cosmopolitans|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Vpgo4F7cYsC&pg=PA70|access-date=May 11, 2012|year=2009|isbn=978-1-109-12545-0|page=70}}</ref><ref name=SIA2>{{cite web|title=Sackler Donates 1000 Pieces of Asian Art|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1527|work=Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1982. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1983|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref><ref name=SIA1/> Along with the object donation, Sackler also provided $4 million to build a facility to house the objects, thus founding the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.<ref name=SIA2 /><ref name=SIA1/> The quadrangle construction began on June 22, 1982.<ref name=SIA5>{{cite web|title=Quadrangle Construction Authorized|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1636|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> An additional $36.5 million of federal money was appropriated to continue the project in October.<ref name=SIA3>{{cite web|title=Funds Granted for Continuation of the Quad|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1637|work=Record Unit 371, Box 4|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> Groundbreaking took place on June 21, 1983, with participation by Chief Justice [[Warren E. Burger]], then Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]] and Smithsonian Secretary [[S. Dillon Ripley]].<ref name=SIA4>{{cite web|title=Quadrangle Groundbreaking|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1532|work=Record Unit 7098, "S. Dillon Ripley Chronology."|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref><ref name=groundquad>{{cite web|title=Groundbreaking for the Quadrangle|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_9888|work=83-6885-12 and 83-6885.12|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>  On February 21, 1984, [[Milo C. Beach]] was declared scholarly director of the Sackler Gallery.<ref name=SIA6>{{cite web|title=Beach to Head Sackler Gallery|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2183|work=Record Unit 371, Box 4, "The Torch," April 1984, p. 1|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>

The gallery opened on September 28, 1987.<ref name=SIA1>{{cite web|title=Arthur M. Sackler Gallery|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/history/arthur-m.-sackler-gallery|work=Smithsonian History|publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution Archives]]|access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> Arthur Sackler died four months before the opening.<ref name=death>{{cite web|title=Sackler Dies at Age of 73|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2048|work=Record Unit 371, Box 5, "The Torch," July 1987, p. 1|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> In honor of the quadrangle complex's opening, Washington, D.C. Mayor [[Marion Barry]] declared the day "Smithsonian Institution Day."<ref name=opening>{{cite web|title=Quadrangle Complex Opens|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1765|work=Record Unit 371, Box 5, "The Torch," October 1987, p. 1|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> Starting in October, Milo C. Beach served as acting director of both the Sackler and the Freer. In November 1988, he became director of both.<ref name=director>{{cite web|title=Beach Named Director of AMSG and FGA|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2079|work=Record Unit 371, Box 5, "The Torch," November 1988, p. 1|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

In March 2002, scholar in Islamic art [[Julian Raby]] was appointed director of the combined galleries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://newsdesk.si.edu/photos/julian-raby-director-freer-gallery-art-and-arthur-m-sackler-gallery |title=Julian Raby, Director, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery &#124; Newsdesk |access-date=2014-05-05 |archive-date=2014-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505230944/http://newsdesk.si.edu/photos/julian-raby-director-freer-gallery-art-and-arthur-m-sackler-gallery |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2006, [[J. Keith Wilson]] became the assistant director and curator of Chinese art.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rosenbaum|first1=Lee|title=One Man's Search for Ancient China: The Paul Singer Collection|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323978104578332530058146050|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|access-date=26 February 2015|date=March 5, 2013}}</ref>

In January, 2012, the Sackler celebrated the 30th anniversary of its founding with a gift of $5 million from Sackler's widow.<ref name="joynt">{{cite news|last=Joynt|first=Carol Ross|title=The Sackler Gallery Celebrates an Anniversary Gift|url=http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/capitalcomment/power-players/the-sackler-gallery-celebrates-an-anniversary-gift-photos.php|access-date=May 12, 2012|newspaper=Washingtonian|date=January 20, 2012}}</ref>

==Architecture==
[[File:Grand Staircase in AMSG.jpg|thumb|right|The grand staircase at the Sackler.]]
The Gallery is located in the Quadrangle Complex behind the [[Smithsonian Institution Building|Smithsonian Institution Castle]]. It shares the complex with the [[National Museum of African Art]] and the [[S. Dillon Ripley Center]]. The complex, which is 96% underground and covers {{convert|115000|sqft}}, was designed by [[Jean Paul Carlhian]], with the goal of connecting various underground buildings. Geometric forms, influenced by the Smithsonian Castle, the [[Arts and Industries Building]] and the [[Freer Gallery of Art]], were used in the design, as was pink and gray granite representative of the color of those buildings. The Sackler Gallery is next to the Freer Gallery of Art. It is decorated with designs inspired by [[Islamic art]]. A {{convert|4130|sqft|adj=on}} granite pavilion was built in the [[Enid A. Haupt Victorian Garden]] to serve as an entrance to the facility.<ref name=SIA1/> A fountain, shaped like a diamond, is located on the third and lowest floor, which can be viewed from the two upper levels.<ref name=fountain>{{cite web|title=Construction of Staircase in Sackler Gallery|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_10070|work=85-6243-9|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> Construction of a tunnel between the Freer and Sackler was begun in early 1987 and completed in 1989.<ref name=tunnel>{{cite web|title=Work Begins on Underground Tunnel|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2027|work=Record Unit 371, Box 5, "The Torch," March 1987, p. 1|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> The sections of the Gallery open to the public cover {{convert|40905|sqft}}.<ref name=SIA1/>

==Gallery==
{{gallery
|height=180 <!--portrait-->
|mode=packed <!--use same height-->
|File:Adam and Eve from a copy of the Falnama.jpg|Adam and Eve
|File:Four portraits from the St. Petersburg Album (S1986.421r).jpg|Four portraits
|File:Safavid Dynasty, Joseph Enthroned from a Falnama (Book of Omens), circa 1550 AD.jpg|Joseph Enthroned from a Falnama
}}

==Exhibitions==
[[File:Ancient Sculptures from Jordan.jpg|thumb|right|Ancient sculptures from Jordan]]
Exhibitions at the Gallery focus around Asian art and culture. In 1992, two exhibitions opened showcasing loaned and permanent collection objects: "Metalwork and Ceramics from Ancient Iran" and "Buddhist and Jain Sculpture from South Asia." Both exhibitions followed renovations.<ref name=exhibitA>{{cite book|title=Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1993|year=1994|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=12|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2349}}</ref> The following year, "Contemporary [[Porcelain]] from Japan," showcased 30 works by 30 Japanese artists, donated by the [[Japan Foundation]].<ref name=porcelain2>{{cite web|title=Brochure Cover for the "Contemporary Porcelain from Japan" Exhibit|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_12663|work=SIA2011-2388|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref><ref name=porcelain>{{cite book|title=Annals of the Smithsonian Institution, 1994|year=1994|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=15|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2258}}</ref> The first exhibition on [[Korean art]] took place in 1994, "Korean Arts of the Eighteenth Century: Splendor and Simplicity."<ref name=korean>{{cite web|title=Korean Arts Exhibit Opens at AMSG|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2262|work=Annals of the Smithsonian Institution|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012|page=20|year=1994}}</ref> An exhibition about scholarly research and [[provenance]] called "A Mughal Hunt" was held in 1994. It showcased the research behind newly acquired [[Mughal Empire]] paintings.<ref name=mughal>{{cite web|title=Mughal Hunt Opens at the Sackler|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2264|work=Annals of the Smithsonian Institution, 1994, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994, p. 22|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> That same year, "A Basketmaker of Rural Japan," was held. The exhibition showcased the work of [[Hiroshima Kazou]] and included works primarily on loan from the [[National Museum of Natural History]].<ref name=basket>{{cite web|title=Basketmaker of Japan Opens AMSG|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2272|work=Annals of the Smithsonian Institution, 1995. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1995, p. 13|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

In 1996, the Sackler hosted the oldest sculptures to be found in Western Asia. The sculptures, found in 1974 outside of [[Amman, Jordan]], were sent to Washington, D.C., for research and conservation. The exhibition, "Preserving Ancient Statues From Jordan," exhibited eight pieces dating from 6500 to 7000 B.C.<ref name=ancient>{{cite web|title=Ancient Sculpture on Exhibit at Sackler|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2285|work=Reference File, "The Torch," July 1996, p. 1|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> "King of the World: A Mughal Manuscript from the Royal Library, Windsor Castle", in 1997, exhibited the "Padshahnama" Mughal manuscript owned by the British [[Royal Collection|Royal Family]].<ref name=kingworld>{{cite web|title="King of the World" Opens at Sackler|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2295|work=Reference File, "The Torch," June 1997, p. 1, 7|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

The [[Shahnama]] was on display in early 2011 in an exhibition curated by Islamic curator [[Massumeh Farhad]], titled "Shahnama: 1000 Years of the Persian Book of Kings."<ref name=rourke2>{{cite journal|last=O'Rourke|first=Anne|title=Shahnama Celebrates Its Millennium At Smithsonian's Sackler Gallery|journal=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|date=Jan–Feb 2011|volume=30|issue=i|pages=70|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=57083824&site=ehost-live|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref> Photography was the focus of a fall 2011 exhibition focusing on a collection of photographs of [[Empress Dowager Cixi]], taken by a diplomat's son, [[John Yu Shuinling|Yu Xunling]]. The photographs were acquired by the Smithsonian after Xunling's sister, [[Princess Der Ling|Der Ling]] died in 1944 and a dealer sold the collection of 36 [[photographic plate]]s.<ref name=edwards>{{cite journal|last=Edwards|first=Owen|title=Ready for Her Close-Up|journal=Smithsonian|date=October 2011|volume=42|issue=6|pages=42–44|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=65922844&site=ehost-live|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref> The Sackler exhibited only six objects in its December, 2011 exhibition "Ancient Iranian Ceramics." The exhibit showcased pieces that are some 3,000 years old.<ref name=roberts>{{cite journal|last=Roberts|first=Diana Lyan|title=Ancient Iranian: Ceramics|journal=Ceramics Monthly|date=December 2011|volume=59|issue=10|pages=58–61}}</ref>

In 2011, the Sackler indefinitely postponed an exhibition of artifacts from the [[Belitung shipwreck]] owing to possible collecting violations by the commercial organization which acquired the objects. The exhibition was originally planned by the government of [[Singapore]], which bought the objects for $32 million from a treasure hunting company.<ref name=bartman>{{cite journal|last=Bartman|first=Elizabeth|title=The Belitung Shipwreck|journal=Archaeology|date=Sep–Oct 2011|volume=64|issue=5|pages=6|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=64360342&site=ehost-live|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name=taylor>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Kate|title=Shipwreck Show Postponed at Smithsonian|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=61929277&site=ehost-live|access-date=May 12, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 29, 2011}}</ref>

The Gallery has also curated and hosted exhibitions about the [[Mesopotamian art]] collection of the [[Louvre]], the paintings of [[Chang Dai-chien]], and photographs of [[orientalism]] and [[Colonial India|colonialism]] in India.<ref name=gunter>{{cite journal|last=Gunter|first=A.C.|title=Treasures from Mesopotamia|journal=Archaeology|date=May 1992|volume=45|issue=3|pages=48|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9208031089&site=ehost-live|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name=Rajan>{{cite journal|last=Rajan|first=Gita|title=Exhibiting Technology, Experiencing Culture: 'India Through the Lens'|journal=South Asian Popular Culture|date=April 2003|volume=1|issue=1|pages=63–78|doi=10.1080/1474668032000077122|s2cid=145491591}}</ref><ref name=bond>{{cite journal|last=Bond|first=C.A.|title=He was a lion among painters|journal=Smithsonian|date=January 1992|volume=22|issue=10|pages=90|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9201202291&site=ehost-live|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref> Contemporary artists exhibited have included [[Hai Bo]] and [[Ai Weiwei]].<ref name=carmack>{{cite news|last=Carmack|first=Karisse|title="Perspectives: Hai Bo" at the Sackler Gallery|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/40424/perspectives-hai-bo-at-the-sackler-gallery-monday-february-21/|access-date=May 12, 2012|newspaper=Washington City Paper|date=Feb 18, 2011}}</ref><ref name=weiwei>{{cite news|last=Trescott|first=Jacqueline|title=Ai Weiwei work coming to Sackler Gallery in spring|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/weiwei-work-coming-to-sackler-gallery-in-spring/2012/01/10/gIQAwiUzoP_story.html|access-date=May 12, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 10, 2012}}</ref>

The Gallery also has a number rotating/temporary exhibits, which include:
* ''Yoga: The Art of Transformation''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://asia.si.edu/exhibitions/current/yoga.asp |title=Strange and Wondrous: Prints of India from the Robert J. Del Bontà Collection &#124; Exhibitions &#124; Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2014-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822084042/http://asia.si.edu/exhibitions/current/yoga.asp |archive-date=2013-08-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (ending January 26, 2014)
* ''Chigusa and the Art of Tea''<ref name="si.edu">{{cite web|url=https://www.freersackler.si.edu/exhibition-status/future/|title=Future Exhibitions Archives|website=Freer-Sackler}}</ref> (opening February 22, 2014)
* ''Kiyochika: Master of the Night'',<ref name="si.edu"/> an exhibition showcasing Japanese artist [[Kobayashi Kiyochika]] (opening March 29, 2014)
* ''An American in London: Whistler and the Thames'',<ref name="si.edu"/> an exhibition showcasing the work of American artist [[James McNeill Whistler]] (opening May 3, 2014)

A full list of all past, current, and future exhibitions can be found on the Freer|Sackler exhibitions<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/default.asp |title=Exhibitions &#124; Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2011-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025085138/http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/default.asp |archive-date=2011-10-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> page.

===Collections===

Aside from Sackler's original donation of objects, the Gallery also holds other collections. General holdings at the Gallery include [[Chinese painting|Chinese]], [[Indian painting|Indian]], [[Korean painting|Korean]] and [[Japanese painting|Japanese]] paintings, photography, contemporary ceramics from [[Chinese ceramics|China]], 19th- and 20th-century Japanese prints, contemporary Japanese pottery, and other related Asian arts.<ref name=SIA1/>

====Sackler Collection====

The founding collection, consisting of approximately 1,000 objects, was donated by gallery namesake, [[Arthur M. Sackler]] in 1987. The Sackler collection consists of ancient and contemporary pieces, ranging from [[Near Eastern]] [[metalware]] and [[Pottery|ceramics]], South and [[Southeast Asian]] sculpture, [[Chinese jade]] and bronze pieces, and Chinese [[lacquerware]] and paintings.<ref name="BarossoPacific2009B">{{cite book|author1=Elisa Maria Barosso|author2=University of the Pacific|title=From "no Go" to "Yo Co": Smithsonian Administrators' Perceptions of Public Affairs Strategies to Create Relationships to Attract, Educate, & Retain Young Cosmopolitans|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Vpgo4F7cYsC&pg=PA70|access-date=May 11, 2012|year=2009|isbn=978-1-109-12545-0|page=71}}</ref>

====Vever Collection====

In 1986 the Sackler acquired the Vever Collection, a collection of [[Persian art|Persian]] and Islamic paintings and manuscripts collected by jeweler [[Henri Vever]]. Collected between 1900 and 1943, the Vever Collection features one of the finest groupings of Persian books.<ref name=vever1>{{cite web|title=Islamic, Persian Painting Collection to AMSG|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1973|work=Record Unit 371, Box 5, "The Torch," February 1986, p. 1|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> Upon acquisition, [[Glenn Lowry]] and Milo Beach were the first scholars in forty years to see the objects.<ref name=veveracquire>{{cite web|title=Examining Recent AMSG Acquisitions|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_8966|work=86-201-19 and 86–201.19|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

==Conservation==
The Department of Conservation and Scientific Research for both the Freer and Sackler Galleries was established as the first Smithsonian facility devoted to the use of scientific methods for the study of works of art and remains one of the few facilities in the United States that specializes in the conservation of Asian paintings.<ref name=freerconserve>{{cite web|title=Freer Gallery of Art|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/history/freer-gallery-art|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=Jan 8, 2012}}</ref>

Care of the collections began before the museums came into existence as Charles Lang Freer, the founder of the Freer Gallery of Art, hired Japanese painting restorers to care for his works and to prepare them for their eventual home as part of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1932, the Freer Gallery of Art hired a full-time Japanese restorer and established the East Asian Painting Conservation Studio. The Technical Laboratory, and the first use of scientific methods for the study of art at the Smithsonian Institution, started in 1951 when the chemist Rutherford J. Gettens moved from the [[Fogg Museum]] at [[Harvard University]] to the Freer. The East Asian Painting Conservation Studio and the Technical Laboratory merged in 1990 to form the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.<ref name=freerconserve />

Among the conservation projects that the Sackler Gallery has undertaken was a 2009 project where conservators used [[laser ablation]] [[inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry]] at the [[Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]] to explore the "fingerprints" of ancient Chinese gold objects from the Gallery.<ref name=brostoff>{{cite journal|last=Brostoff|first=Lynn|author2=Jhanis J. Gonzalez|author3=Paul Jett|author4=Richard E. Russo|title=Trace element fingerprinting of ancient Chinese gold with femtosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled mass spectrometry|journal=Journal of Archaeological Science|date=Feb 2009|volume=36|issue=2|pages=461–466|doi=10.1016/j.jas.2008.09.037|bibcode=2009JArSc..36..461B }}</ref>

===Scholarship===
The Sackler presents lectures and symposia to the public with the Freer has copublished the art historical journal [[Artibus Asiae]] with the [[Museum Rietberg]] in [[Zürich]] since 1991.<ref name=artibus>{{citation|title=Artibus Asiae Publication Information|publisher=JSTOR |jstor=00043648}}</ref>

The Freer and Sackler, along with the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies in Kyoto, Japan, presents the Shimada Prize for distinguished scholarship in the history of East Asian art.  The award was established in 1992 in honor of Professor Shimada Shujiro, by the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and by The Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies in Kyoto, Japan.<ref name=shimada>{{cite web|title=Patricia Buckley Ebrey to Receive 2010 Shimada Prize for Outstanding Work of East Asian Art History|url=http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/patricia-buckley-ebrey-receive-2010-shimada-prize-outstanding-work-east-asian-art-history|publisher=Smithsonian Newsdesk|access-date=Jan 8, 2012}}</ref> In addition, the Sackler is able to exchange objects with other institutions (which the adjacent [[Freer Gallery of Art]] is prohibited from).<ref name=freerconserve/>  Several fellowships are also available to support graduate students and visiting scholars, including the [[Andrew W. Mellon]] Fellowship, Anne Van Biema Fellowship (Japanese Visual Arts), Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF) Fellowship (Persian art), Lunder Fellowship, J. S. Lee Memorial Fellowship (Chinese Art), Smithsonian Institution Fellowship, and the Freer Fellowship.<ref name=2010Annual>{{cite web|title=Annual Record 2010|url=http://www.asia.si.edu/about/downloads/AnnualRecord10.pdf|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=Jan 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129223825/https://www.asia.si.edu/about/downloads/AnnualRecord10.pdf|archive-date=November 29, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Outreach===
[[File:Contributing Membership Reception.jpg|thumb|right|Exhibition at the Sackler, 2006]]
The Sackler has hosted a variety of celebrations and ongoing events revolving around Asian art and culture. In 1989, the Gallery hosted its first series of events, a two-month-long celebration of Persian art and culture sponsored in collaboration with the [[Foundation for Iranian Studies]]. Musician [[Dariush Dolat-shahi]] performed and workshops, lectures and other performances took place.<ref name=persianceleb>{{cite book|title=Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1989|year=1990|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=16|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_12499}}</ref> Events often coincide with the theme of exhibitions. In 2011, [[Azar Nafisi]] and [[Dick Davis (scholar)|Dick Davis]] discussed the role of women in the [[Shahnameh]] in conjunction with an exhibition on the 1,000-year-old Persian poem.<ref name=Rourke>{{cite journal|last=O'Rourke|first=Anne|title=Role of Women in the Shahnama Discussed at Sackler Gallery|journal=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|date=March 2011|volume=30|issue=2|pages=55–56|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=57759063&site=ehost-live|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref>

===Initiatives===

Together, alongside the Freer and the [[Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Studies]] of Kyoto, the Sackler created the Shimada Prize. The biannual $10,000 prize awards scholars of East Asian art.<ref name=prize>{{cite book|title=Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1992|year=1992|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=43|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1595}}</ref> In 2011, the Sackler and the Freer received a major gift from donor [[Jahangir Amuzegar]]. The gift created two endowments, one for a yearly celebration of the Persian holiday of [[Nowruz]] and another to build a collection of and celebrate contemporary Iranian art. It was the largest Persian focused gift to be given to the Sackler and Freer and one of the largest Asian art donations ever given to the Smithsonian.<ref name=payvand>{{cite web|title=Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Galleries Receive Major Gift to Support Persian Art and Culture|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/11/jun/1019.html|publisher=Payvand Iran News|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
*Lawton, Thomas. ''Asian Art in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery: The Inaugural Gift.'' Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan (1987). {{ISBN|0874742676}}
*McClelland, David. "[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=74469485&site=ehost-live 5,000 Years Of Chinese Jade: Featuring Selections From The National Museum Of History, Taiwan, And The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.]" ''Library Journal'' 137.7 (2012): 81. ''Academic Search Complete''. Web. May 11, 2012.

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.asia.si.edu/}}
*[https://artsandculture.google.com/u/0/partner/natasianart?hl=en Virtual tour of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery] provided by [[Google Arts & Culture]]
*{{commons category-inline}}

{{Smithsonian museums}}
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[[Category:National Mall]]
[[Category:Members of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Asian-American culture in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Asian art museums in the United States]]
[[Category:Smithsonian Institution museums]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries established in 1987]]
[[Category:Museums of the ancient Near East in the United States]]
[[Category:Sackler family]]
[[Category:Southwest Federal Center]]