The Ashmolean Museum, founded in 1683, is the oldest museum in Britain. Part of Oxford University, its diverse collections range from Western painting and decorative arts, to antiquities from Europe, Egypt and the Near East, to coins, casts of Greek and Roman sculpture and Asian art from Japan, China, Central Asia, India and across the Islamic world.

The Ashmolean��s Japanese collection numbers around 5,000 objects plus some 3,000 potsherds. The collection is best known for its ceramics, in particular the comprehensive collection of 17th- to 18th-century export porcelain (some 500 examples). Ceramics for the Japanese market are also represented, with fine examples of Arita and Nabeshima porcelain, tea ceremony wares and Kyoto earthenwares. The Museum also holds paintings and screens from many of the major painting schools (c 470). Other highlights include woodblock prints (c 2,000), Buddhist and secular sculpture, netsuke and inro, 17th century export lacquer, archaeological material (including haniwa), one suit of armour, a few swords and many examples of sword furniture (c 2,000) and some textiles. There are also around one hundred examples of Meiji period artworks, including cloisonné, bronzes and ceramics.