Museum of East Asian Art

Coming soon - Reimaginings ✨🌀 Opening in February 2026, ‘Reimaginings’ is a new exhibition co-curated by sculptural artist Hannah Lim, marking her first solo museum show. Bringing together objects from the Museum’s collection alongside Lim’s contemporary sculptural works, the exhibition invites visitors to encounter collection objects in new ways. Several works have been created in direct response to objects Lim selected and handled herself, forging a lively dialogue between past and present. Shaped by her upbringing in London and her mixed Singaporean and British heritage, Lim works with polymer clay, wood, and metal to create playful, imaginative sculptures that explore mythology, history, and personal reflections on identity. As Exhibition Manager Eden Coffey-Cockram notes: ‘Seeing the Museum’s objects through Hannah’s eyes has opened up new stories and perspectives, which we’re excited to share with visitors.’ 🗓️ 7 February – 19 September 2026 📍 Opens Saturday 7 February 🎟️ Find out more via the link in our bio 📷 Image: The Fire Horse Snuff Bottle, 2025 by Hannah Lim.

Want to show a loved one you admire their strength? Give them the gift of a Daruma Doll. These iconic figures are inspired by the monk Bodhidharma. According to a Zen Buddhist fable, he meditated for nine years with such intensity that his limbs withered away! With weighted bases, these dolls always return upright, even when knocked over. They perfectly embody the Japanese idiom ‘Nanakorobi yaoki’, meaning ‘fall down seven times, get up eight.’ And what about those blank eyes? They serve a traditional purpose. You paint the left eye when beginning a new challenge, and once it is achieved, you paint the right eye. Gifting a Daruma Doll says so much more than its beautiful patterns. It marks someone’s success and honours their journey toward a new goal with a symbol of resilience. Visit the Museum of East Asian Art shop today to find the perfect gift. #VolunteerTakeOver

What are you doing for International Tea Day? 🍵 Join us on 21 May 2026 for our Japanese Tea Ceremony and learn more about traditional Japanese tea culture. This special edition of the ceremony will celebrate International Tea Day and the long cultural significance of tea around the world. Try matcha by Comins Tea and sample ‘nerikiri’, a traditional Japanese sweet! To learn more or book your place, visit our website — link in bio!

More than 3,000 years ago, the Shang dynasty ruled along the Yellow River in ancient China. Archaeological discoveries have revealed a world of bronze casting, early writing, and powerful rulers — helping us understand one of China’s earliest dynasties. Visit the museum to learn more!

This month for Museum Spotlights, volunteer Lisa highlights more of her favourite objects from our permanent collection, and shares what visitors will enjoy at the MEAA. 🔦✨ “There are so many interesting objects in the museum! From the Neolithic collection, which intrigues all visitors, with some pieces being over 6000 years old, to tiny jades, classic blue and white porcelain, and newly displayed pieces, which keep the visitor experience fresh and interesting. There really is something for every visitor! Returning visitors often notice new pieces on display, shown in parallel to exhibition programmes; children can engage with the museum in the Discovery Room; visitors knowledgeable in East Asian art often comment on the fine quality of Brian McEleny’s collection; workshops and events attract profiles who may not otherwise have thought to visit. Plus, the MEAA Shop. It’s fabulous and ever-changing - the best museum shop in the South West!” 🖼 Jade horse, China. Tang dynasty 618–906. BATEA 464 To find out more and book your place on our current exhibitions and upcoming events, head to the MEAA website (link in bio).

Did you know Kodama are Japanese tree spirits? They are believed to live within ancient trees in the mountainous forests of Japan, quietly protecting nature and maintaining balance. Sometimes they are heard as echoes in the forest, or seen as small, glowing figures hidden among the trees. Their life is closely connected to the tree they inhabit, and they cannot exist without each other. Get your Kodama today and explore more unique pieces at the museum shop. #VolunteerTakeOver

Tasting tea & sharing stories @bathmeaa Thank you to everyone who came to share tea today in the beautiful galleries of the @bathmeaa . We tasted teas from across our colllection and shared teaware from Fukuoka to accompany the current exhibition ‘Tea & Craft of Fukuoka’. We had wonderful discussions & enjoyed meeting tea friends old and new. These last few weeks Rob has shared several articles on ‘Tea For Health’ focused on tea chemistry & ritual over on our substack (link in bio) The next article will look at ‘community’ and today was certainly a true example of the community tea builds and how positive it is for all of us. If you are in Bath this coming week then be sure to call in to the museum to see the main exhibition ‘Reimaginings’ with @__hannahlim__ & our collaborative Fukuoka display alongside the other fascinating pieces in the collection. #tea #teaware #lovetea

We’re hosting a special Japanese Tea Ceremony to celebrate Tanabata! 🍵 💫 🗓 4 July 2026 🕚 11:00 & 12:00 📍 Museum Galleries Join us for the chance to explore the themes of the Star Festival as you learn about traditional Japanese tea culture through an immersive tasting experience. You’ll also get to handle these authentic Japanese tea bowls, which will be visible for this event only! 🎟 Book now to secure your ticket – spaces are limited. Link in bio. 🖼 Kyoto blue and white Shonzui style porcelain bowl, Japan. 1900s. BATEA 1883 🖼 Hagi glazed stoneware tea bowl, Japan. 1900s. BATEA 1877 🖼 Karatsu glazed stoneware tea bowl, Japan. 1900s. BATEA 1874

Join us @bathmeaa Saturday 12-3 Tea tasting & an opportunity to explore ‘Crafts of Fukuoka; Tea, Tradition & Making’ We are delighted to be back with the wonderful team @bathmeaa to share tea from across our collection with a special focus on organic teas from Fukuoka. This is also a great chance to explore our collaborative display celebrating the tea and craft of Fukuoka and we will be on hand to answer questions and bring some additional pieces from the kilns and craftsman mentioned below for you to see up close Community, collaboration & friendship are at the heart of a more positive future and we thank all those below for their trust in us to bring this incredible region of japan to a wider audience. We hope you can join us Huge thanks and recognition to : 🌱 Morodomi San & the team Fukuoka prefecture. 🌱Yuko, Ayaka & Yasuyuki from Fukuoka craft dept Wonderful Craftspeople 🌱Mitsushu Kumagai Kousyu-Gama 🌱Shoji Nishimura Tengou-Gama Kiln 🌱Masayuki Harada & his team in Fukuoka city 🌱Daigo Ikeda Ikeda Kasuri Kobo 🌱Motonaga Shoichi Motonagatoen Kiln 🌱Sachi Satomi Shuzan Gama Kiln 🌱Kokura Shima Shima Kitakyushu City Incredible tea makers 🌱 Akio Kurihara 🌱 Harashima Family 🌱Shunnosuke & Toshiro 🌱Kazumi Nakatani & Masahiro Kuma @visityame @visitjapan_uk

Have you ever experienced a traditional Japanese tea ceremony? 🍵 Join us in our museum galleries to learn more about Japanese tea culture and enjoy freshly prepared matcha. Spaces are limited; book now for 30 April, or join us on International Tea Day for a special ceremony celebrating the rich cultural significance of tea around the world. Reserve your place via the link in our bio. #VisitBath

What was the creative process behind Reimaginings? Artist and co-curator Hannah Lim tells us about developing new sculptural works inspired by pieces in our collection for this exhibition. 💥 👀 @__hannahlim__ To find out more and book your place on our current exhibitions and upcoming events, head to the MEAA website (link in bio)! Transcript: EB: You have developed new sculptural works for the Reimaginings exhibition, some inspired by pieces in our collection. Tell us about your creative process for this project. HL: My practice and a lot of my research is connected to looking at, and responding to, a lot of objects very similar to those in the museum’s collection. So, it feels very fitting for my work, and it was really exciting to be able to select some of the objects from the museum’s collection and curate a series of works that resonated with me and the works that I already make. As I mentioned before, I’m really interested in colour. I’m always very drawn to richly colourful and ornate objects often. Part of my practice is very strongly influenced by snuff bottles, so that was another thing that I focused on in the collection. I was also quite interested in pairing materials with some of the materials that I use in my own practice. There’s a bronze snuff bottle in this show that’s paired with this amazing bronze mirror, and there’s this real interesting conversation between them. You can really see when you look at them both, particularly the surface of the material, how there’s this really interesting connection between these two objects that were created ages apart! I suppose, in a way, there’s not a real theme with all the works. There is a really wide variety: there’s some plates, there’s some boxes, there’s table screens, there’s snuff bottles, there’s mirrors. So, there’s really a whole range of different objects that I’ve picked. It’s been a very exciting and fun process, and something that’s really strongly connected to my practice in general.

Clay Sculpture and Hand Building Workshop with artist Hannah Lim Sat 30 May 2026 | 14:30 – 17:30 Join artist Hannah Lim @ __hannahlim__ for an exciting polymer clay beginners workshop and discover the creative possibilities of this versatile material. Guided step-by-step, you’ll learn essential techniques to shape, detail and finish your own pendant, charms or small sculpture. Inspired by her London upbringing and mixed Singaporean and British heritage, Lim’s playful sculptural work explores mythology, history and identity. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to connect with her practice and the ideas behind Reimaginings, as seen alongside objects from the museum collection. At a Glance: • Learn polymer clay techniques with artist Hannah Lim • Create your own pendant, charms, or small sculpture • Discover processes for shaping, detailing, and finishing polymer clay • All materials included • Includes Museum and exhibition entry • Take home your finished clay creation Spaces are limited – book now and get hands-on with clay. (Link in bio)