Collections

The NUS Museum has over 8,000 artefacts and artworks across four collections. The collections were introduced by the Museum’s first curator, Michael Sullivan, as a teaching collection for the University in 1955. Today, with its diverse collections ranging from classical Chinese and Indian materials to modern and contemporary Southeast Asian and Singaporean art, the Museum remains an integral part of the National University of Singapore. Its four permanent collections and curatorial practices makes it a comprehensive resource for teaching and research, furthering the University’s mission to transform the way people think and work through education, research and service.

More than 2,000 artefacts from NUS Museum’s four collections can be viewed online through the Museum’s Collections Online database along with reference and catalogue details.

The online collection is intended to serve as a catalogue of artefacts and their salient details for research and reference. Access to specific pieces themselves can be arranged via a simple application.

Our cataloguing effort is on-going and more objects will be added over time. For information on pieces that are not currently part of the online catalogue, or if you have difficulties using the database, please see our Frequently Asked Questions or email us your query.