Asian Art Museum — Museum Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Zoom out. What’s this place all about? San Francisco's Asian Art Museum has a massive collection, all housed in a gorgeous Beaux Arts building. Works come from India, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and more. They have thousands of artifacts, and they rotate what’s on view while also lending pieces to other museums around the world. What will we find in the permanent collection? It includes rare sculpture, pottery, carvings, calligraphy, and eccentric artifacts such as coffins, pipes, and weapons. If you like found objects and art that tells a story, this is the place for you. They have one of the best collections of Chinese bronze sculptures outside of Asia, a room full of Persian ceramics and metalwork, and Buddha statues from different regions around the continent. The collections are grouped by location and chronology. How about rotating exhibits? Sometimes special exhibits will feature a region that’s underrepresented by the museum, such as art of the Philippines. Other times, it will be more specific, such as the much-lauded exhibit on couture in Korea, Indian paintings of women, or a guided tour of the Tibetan Buddhist concept of a descent into hell. Check out the website to see what’s coming up. The presentation of their exhibits is always well-lit and thoughtful in its layout. What did you make of the crowd? It can get crowded, particularly on the first Sunday of the month when they offer free admission. On those days, it's first-come, first-served and you’re not guaranteed to get in, so arrive early. The level of enthusiasm depends on what exhibitions are on display—some get a lot of hype. Expect to encounter kids on field trips, plus a cross-section of tourists and locals who have membership passes. On the practical tip, how were the facilities? The museum is easy to get around, with plenty of benches, plus elevators available between floors. Wheelchairs are available to rent free of charge, assisted-listening devices are available for tours, and sign language interpreters are available with two-week advance notice. Any guided tours worth trying? The museum offers great audio guides, plus free docent tours. You also can download their app on your phone, which has audio and video guides, and is available in several languages. Kids (and kids at heart) will love Super Museum Hunt, an app that “turns” the museum trip into an eight-bit puzzle game. Gift shop: obligatory, inspiring—or skip it? The store almost feels like a museum itself. In addition to the typical exhibition-related items, the museum store features handcrafted goods from Asia, such as jewelry, painting, sculpture, and furniture. It's a score if you're shopping for gifts: look for the copperware tea sets, bamboo-and-goat-hair calligraphy brushes, and hand-woven baskets. Is the café worth a stop, or should we just plan on going elsewhere? The café has your typical pastries and coffee (which comes from Peet’s), as well as Asian-inspired dishes like orange crispy chicken, Shanghai chicken wonton soup, pork su mai, and curries. It's standard stuff, but they do have an excellent tea selection—the King Red Keenum black tea from the Anhui Province of China is especially delicious, as is the Iron Goddess oolong. If you need to take a load off, there is wine, sake, and beer, too. Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged? This museum is in a central location so if you want to just stop by, it won’t be a hassle to get here. Yet with its expansive collection (there are more than 2,000 rotating works on the second and third floors alone), it’s easy to spend half a day or more here. If you’re not interested in spending that much time, look up the collections ahead of time and plan your route. Check the website to see what’s on view or take a short-cut by attending the daily “Great Works” tour, which meets at the information desk and lasts just 45 minutes." - Lexi Pandell