Permanent Exhibition
First Floor Exhibition
The miraculous magnificence of spaces adorned with tiles created by hand, piece by piece, is mesmerizing even in this day and age. On display on the first floor of the permanent exhibition gallery, there are realistic reproductions of clay peg walls from Mesopotamian civilizations from the third millennium BC (5,500 years ago), Egyptian tiles from 4,650 years ago, a dome ceiling from Islamic architecture, and more.
In keeping with our mission as a tile museum, we have reconstructed these spaces to feel totally realistic. Please enjoy this opportunity, unique in the world, to experience the unlimited possibilities of human decorative culture.
Second Floor Exhibition
From our collection of over 7000 pieces from around 4000 BC through the 19th century, tiles are on exhibit according to geographical region (the Orient, Islam, Spain, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, China, and Japan.)
Here visitors can discover a rich variety of decorative tile, including the world’s oldest glazed tile from the interior of Egypt’s pyramids, clay tablets used as record books, decorative tiles from Middle Eastern mosques, painted tiles from Spain, Dutch tiles patterned after Chinese blue-and-white ware, modern British tiles, ceramic pillars used in ancient Chinese tombs, floor tiles adapted for use in the tea ceremony, and tile painting from Germany.
In each of these works we can see the passion and innovation of the artisans who aspired to discover value in their exchanges with other cultures and new technology.
Tile Collection
See images and descriptions of about 700 tiles from our collection.
Explanation of the Exhibits Accessible by QR Code
Visitors can access information about the exhibits by scanning the QR codes in the gallery with their smart phones. Please use this feature to enhance your museum experience. Explanations are available in Japanese, English, and Chinese (simplified and traditional).