Il National Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci” in Rome was established in 1957 by Decree of the President of the Republic, and was opened to the public in 1958. On May 31, 2005, the Museum was dedicated to Giuseppe Tucci (1894-1984), one of the greatest orientalists of the twentieth century, who promoted its foundation.
The Museum is one of the special Institutes of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, as it carries out tasks of protection of artistic and archaeological objects coming from Asian countries within the national context, providing, in collaboration with Territorial Superintendencies, control of customs transit of cultural goods, avoiding the dispersion of public and private collections, offering advice to public Institutions in its areas of competence, and promoting the knowledge of Asian cultures among the Italian public by organizing exhibitions, conferences, and guided tours of its collections.
The initial core of the collections consists of artifacts deposited by the Italian Institute for the Middle and Far East (IsMEO), today the Italian Institute for Africa and the Orient (IsIAO), and coming from its archaeological missions in Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as objects purchased in Nepal and Tibet by Giuseppe Tucci between 1928 and 1954. The collection has since increased over the years thanks to purchases made by the State from private individuals, donations from private persons and organizations, as well as exchanges with various Asian states.
Over the years, the facilities of the National Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci” in Rome have been enriched with structures useful for carrying out its activities: a specialized Library, a Restoration Laboratory, a photographic Archive, an Archive of oriental collections in Italy, a Bioarchaeology and electronic microscopy Service, an Educational Service.
