{{Short description|Type of museum}} thumb|A Sèvres dinner-service on display at the Museo delle porcellane di Firenze. [[File:GladstonePotteryMuseum(ValVannet)Jul2004.jpg|thumb|The Gladstone Pottery Museum.]] A '''ceramics museum''' is a museum wholly or largely devoted to ceramics, usually ceramic art. Its collections may also include glass and enamel, but typically concentrate on pottery, including porcelain. Most national collections are in a more general museum covering all of the arts, or just the decorative arts. However, there are a number of specialized ceramics museums, with some focusing on the ceramics of just one country, region or manufacturer. Others have international collections, which may be centered on ceramics from Europe or East Asia or have a more global emphasis.

Outstanding major ceramics collections in general museums include The Palace Museum, Beijing, with 340,000 pieces,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinaculture.org/classics/2009-02/16/content_322071.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200546/http://www.chinaculture.org/classics/2009-02/16/content_322071.htm|url-status=dead|title=ChinaCulture.org|archivedate=March 3, 2016}}</ref> and the National Palace Museum in Taipei city, Taiwan (25,000 pieces);<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/about/objects.htm|title=National Palace Museum website}}</ref> both are mostly derived from the Chinese Imperial collection, and are almost entirely of pieces from China. In London, the Victoria and Albert Museum (over 75,000 pieces, mostly after 1400 CE) and British Museum (mostly before 1400 CE) have very strong international collections. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Freer Gallery of Art in Washington DC (12,000, all East Asian<ref>Peterson, 403</ref>) have perhaps the best of the many fine collections in the large city museums of the United States. The Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, New York, has more than 45,000 glass objects.

Many of the historic ceramics manufacturers have museums at or very near their factories, sometimes owned by the company, sometimes independent institutions. These usually mainly or entirely contain their own wares. Some of these are large and significant. Among the more important ones, with large collections, covered in the articles on the concern, are: Meissen porcelain,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meissen.de/index.php?id=237&lang=1 |title=Porcelain Museum |access-date=2009-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019164349/http://www.meissen.de/index.php?id=237&lang=1 |archive-date=2008-10-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, Doccia porcelain, Royal Worcester,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofroyalworcester.org/|title=Museum of Royal Worcester}}</ref> Wedgwood (now independent),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/home|title=The Wedgwood Museum − Home|website=www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk}}</ref> Royal Crown Derby and Herend Porcelain.

==Specialist museums== thumb|Porcelain miners at the Meissen Porcelain Museum [[File:Xian museum.jpg|thumb|The Terracotta Army on display; view from visitor's gallery.]] [[File:Musée Adrien Dubouché - collections.JPG|thumb|The Musée nationale de la porcelaine Adrien Dubouché in Limoges concentrates on the local Limoges porcelain.]] [[File:Tehran - Glass ware and ceramics Museum.jpg|thumb|The 19th-century building (formerly the Egyptian embassy) of the Tehran The Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran.]] [[File:Sevres Egyptian Service.JPG|thumb|The State Ceramics Museum, Moscow: A dinner service presented by Napoleon to Alexander I of Russia upon signing the Treaties of Tilsit.]] [[File:Kiln at Coalport China Museum.jpg|thumb|upright|A bottle kiln at the Coalport China Museum.]] Some specialist ceramics museums are (number of pieces are approximate):

;Australia *National Museum of Australian Pottery, Holbrook, New South Wales – Australian domestic pottery, 1500 pieces<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.australianpottery.net.au/|title=National Museum Of Australian Pottery - Visit the Museum|website=www.australianpottery.net.au}}</ref>

;Belgium *Musée de la Céramique, Andenne, Wallonia – tells you all about the famous ceramic from the city of Andenne<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ceramandenne.be/|title=Musée de la céramique &#124;|website=www.ceramandenne.be}}</ref>

;Brazil *Museu A CASA, São Paulo, São Paulo. *Oficina de Cerâmica Francisco Brennand, Recife, Pernambuco. 2000 pieces *Museu Udo Knoff de Azulejaria e Cerâmica, Salvador, Bahia.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://dimusbahia.wordpress.com/museu-udo-knoff-de-azulejaria-e-ceramica/|title= Museu Udo Knoff de Azulejaria e Cerâmica|date= 28 March 2012|publisher= Diretoria de Museus do Estado da Bahia (DIMUS)|access-date= 2019-02-16|language= pt}}</ref> 1200 pieces

;Canada *Gardiner Museum, Toronto, with 3,000 pieces.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/abtmain.aspx?TopNavImage=0 |title=Gardiner Museum website |access-date=2009-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031016103917/http://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/abtmain.aspx?TopNavImage=0 |archive-date=2003-10-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> *Medalta in the Historic Clay District, Medicine Hat, Alberta, 53,000.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://medalta.org/|title=Medalta Website |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref>

;China *FLICAM, near Xi'an is a museum for international contemporary ceramics *Liuwan Museum of Ancient Painted Pottery, 38,000 Chinese archaeological finds *Mumingtang Ancient Porcelain Museum, Beijing<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/museums/125687.htm|title=Beijing Mumingtang Ancient Porcelain Museum|website=www.china.org.cn}}</ref> *Sihai Teapot Museum, a museum dedicated to teapots in Shanghai. Founded by Xu Sihai in 1992, the Sihai Teapot Museum is also the first private museum established in modern Shanghai.<ref name=shine>{{cite news |first=Qian |last=Tong |title=Purple clay teapot expert dies at age of 74 |url=https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2006301075/ |work=SHINE |date=2020-06-30 |access-date=2020-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702043511/https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2006301075/ |archive-date=2020-07-02 |url-status=live}}</ref> *The Terracotta Army are on display where they were discovered near Xi'an *Yixing Ceramics Museum, 30,000 pieces, mainly from the Yixing area.<ref>[http://en.chinawuxi.gov.cn/culture/museum/index_2.shtml Yixing Museum (no. 5)]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

;Czech Republic *Museum of Czech Porcelain, Prague

;Denmark * CLAY Keramikmuseum Danmark, Grimmerhus, Kongebrovej 42, DK-5500 Middelfart. Website: [http://claymuseum.dk CLAY Keramikmuseum Danmark, Kongebrovej 42, 5500 Middelfart].

;France<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ceramique.com/dyn/musees/|title=Information on smaller French ceramics museums|access-date=2009-05-03|archive-date=2009-04-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426081006/http://www.ceramique.com/dyn/musees/|url-status=dead}}</ref> *Sèvres - Cité de la céramique, 50,000 pieces, 5,000 of Sèvres porcelain and contemporary ceramics *Musée de la Ceramique, Rouen, 5,000 pieces, 900 displayed, mostly local faience.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rouen-musees.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040317050907/http://rouen-musees.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 17, 2004|website=www.rouen-musees.com|title=Musées de la ville de Rouen }}</ref> *Musée national de la porcelaine Adrien-Dubouché, Limoges, 18,000 pieces, mostly Limoges porcelain also rare pieces by Böttger<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ville-limoges.fr/Limoges/weblimog.nsf/Tous+documents/232 |title=Limoges, France - National Porcelain museum |access-date=2009-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103005525/http://www.ville-limoges.fr/Limoges/weblimog.nsf/Tous+documents/232 |archive-date=2007-11-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musee-adriendubouche.fr/gb/pages/page_id18319_u1l2.htm |title=Limoges Porcelain - &#91;Musée national Adrien Dubouché&#93; |access-date=2009-05-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229065037/http://www.musee-adriendubouche.fr/gb/pages/page_id18319_u1l2.htm |archive-date=2008-12-29 }}</ref> *The extensive archaeological excavations at La Graufesenque, one of the major production centres of Ancient Roman pottery, are open to the public with a museum on the potteries. * Musée Départemental de la Céramique, Lezoux. * Musée de la Céramique de Desvres, Desvres.

;Germany *Waechtersbach ceramics in Brachttal, Hesse *Zwinger Museum - the Porzellansammlung, or Porcelain Collection, at the Zwinger Museum in Dresden<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.skd-dresden.de/en/museen.html |title=Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden - Museums |access-date=2009-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019130620/http://www.skd-dresden.de/en/museen.html |archive-date=2007-10-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dresden.de/dmg/en/sights/the_old_city/zwinger.php |title=City of Dresden - Tourism - Zwinger |access-date=2009-05-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503111200/http://www.dresden.de/dmg/en/sights/the_old_city/zwinger.php |archive-date=2009-05-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1026/is_4_162/ai_92545128/ | title=Dresden porcelain collection - Report from Europe - reopening of porcelain museum Zwinger in Dresden, Germany - Brief Article | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041111085945/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1026/is_4_162/ai_92545128 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2004-11-11 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.european-traveler.com/germany/porcelain-in-dresden-and-meissen/|title=300 Years of Porcelain in Dresden and Meißen|date=October 4, 2008}}</ref> *Hetjens-Museum or Deutsches Keramik-Museum in Düsseldorf, 15,000 pieces<ref>[http://www.duesseldorf.de/hetjens/sammlung/index.shtml Hetjens-Museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510155255/http://www.duesseldorf.de/hetjens/sammlung/index.shtml |date=2009-05-10 }} website (in German)</ref> *Terra-Sigillata-Museum Rheinzabern, Rheinzabern, for Ancient Roman terra sigillata ware made near the town

;Iran *The Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran, Tehran<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gEca_4iSNCUC&pg=PA106&dq=largest+%22Ceramics+Museum%22&lr=&ei=k0P_SdiXHaqMygTunqS6Dg Lonely Planet] Iran Guide</ref>

;Italy *Museo della Ceramica, in the Picture Gallery, Savona,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://musa.savona.it/museodellaceramica/en/|title=Museo della Ceramica di Savona|website=musa.savona.it}}</ref> *Museo della Ceramica Giuseppe Gianetti, in Saronno,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.museogianetti.it/|title=Museo della Ceramica Giuseppe Gianetti|website=museogianetti.it}}</ref> *Museo delle porcellane, in the Boboli Gardens, Florence *International Museum of Ceramics, in Faenza,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.racine.ra.it/micfaenza/index.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412092433/http://racine.ra.it/micfaenza/index.htm|url-status=dead|title=Faenza museum website|archivedate=April 12, 2009}}</ref> * Antiquarium Turritano *Montelupo Museum of Tuscan Ceramics, Montelupo Fiorentino

;Japan *claims to have over 500 ceramics museums, public and private, including ones at Ibaraki, Bizen, Kyoto, Arita (Kyushu Ceramic Museum), and Tokyo.<ref>[http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/ibaraki-daruma.html Daruma Magazine] by Robert Yellin, (#40, Fall 2003)</ref> The Arita Porcelain Park is perhaps the world's only theme park based on ceramics. *NGK Museum, specializing in porcelain insulators

;South Korea *Clayarch Gimhae Museum,<ref>{{Cite web |last=클레이아크김해미술관 |title=클레이아크김해미술관 :: |url=https://clayarch.ghcf.or.kr/home/main |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=clayarch.ghcf.or.kr |language=KO}}</ref> Gimhae *Goryeo Celadon Museum, formerly known also as the Gangjin Celadon Museum, Gangjin County *Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art (GMoCCA) formerly known as Icheon World Ceramic Center,<ref>{{Cite web |title=경기도자미술관 {{!}} 경기도자미술관 |url=https://www.gmocca.org/eng/about/icheon-museum |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.gmocca.org |language=ko}}</ref> Icheon *Gyeonggi Museum of Ceramic Design<ref>{{Cite web |title=경기생활도자미술관 {{!}} 경기도자미술관 |url=https://www.gmocca.org/eng/about/yeoju-museum |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.gmocca.org |language=ko}}</ref> (GMoCD), Yeoju *Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum {{!}} KOCEF |url=http://kocef.or.kr/eng/10_ggcm/02.asp |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=kocef.or.kr}}</ref> Gwangju *Haegang Ceramics Museum, Icheon *Sechang Artistic Ceramic Institute,<ref>{{Cite web |title=세창도예연구소. |url=http://www.scceladon.co.kr/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.scceladon.co.kr}}</ref> Icheon *Seokbong Ceramic Museum, Sokcho

;The Netherlands *Princessehof Ceramics Museum, Leeuwarden,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.princessehof.nl/2007/main.php|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225213946/http://www.princessehof.nl/2007/main.php|url-status=dead|title=Princessehof museum website|archivedate=February 25, 2009}}</ref> *Ceramics Museum Tienschuur, Tegelen – tells about the renowned ceramics tradition in the Tegelen region, but also displays an extensive collection of contemporary ceramics by Dutch and international ceramists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tiendschuur.net/en/|title=Ceramics Museum Tienschuur &#124;|website=www.tiendschuur.net}}</ref>

;Portugal *Museu de Cerâmica, Caldas da Rainha, Portuguese and other ceramics, *Museu de Cerâmica de Sacavém, Sacavém

;Russia *State Ceramics Museum, Kuskovo Palace, Moscow, 30,000 pieces, Russian, French and other ceramics from the Sheremetev collection,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kuskovo.ru/|title=КУСКОВО "Музей-усадьба «Кусково"|website=kuskovo.ru}}</ref> *The Hermitage, Saint Petersburg - includes the Museum of The Imperial Porcelain Factory and the famous Frog service made by Josiah Wedgwood for Catherine the Great.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_13_0_0.html |title=The State Hermitage Museum: Collection Highlights |access-date=2011-08-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805090011/http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_13_0_0.html |archive-date=2011-08-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_3_2_4b.html |title=The State Hermitage Museum: Collection Highlights |access-date=2009-05-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322031539/http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_3_2_4b.html |archive-date=2009-03-22 }}</ref> *Pottery Museum, Skopin, Ryazan Oblast, Skopin pottery * «Keramarkh» museum of architectural ceramics in the Peter & Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.keramarch.ru/|title=KERAMARKH - Museum of Architectural Art Ceramics - St.Petersburg, Peter and Paul Fortress, Gos.Bastion|date=2018|access-date=2026-01-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=|lang=en}}</ref>.

;Spain. *Museu de Ceràmica, in the Museu de les Arts Aplicades, Barcelona. *Museo Nacional de Cerámica y de las Artes Suntuarias González Martí, Valencia, with over 5,000 pieces, mostly produced in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Datasheet/ESPV00027E/41104/Ceramics%20Museum?from=DIRECTORY|title=Valencia Museum website}}{{Dead link|date=February 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

;Switzerland

* Musée Ariana:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Musée Ariana |url=https://www.musee-ariana.ch/en/node/373 |access-date=2022-10-03 |website=Musée Ariana |language=en}}</ref> Swiss Museum for Ceramics and Glass, Geneva ; ;Sweden *Gustavsberg Porcelain Museum (Gustavsberg, Stockholm), the history of the Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.varmdo.se/Resource.phx/plaza/publica/pop/porslinsmuseum/index.htx |title=Värmdö kommun &#124; Gustavsbergs Porslinsmuseum |access-date=2013-12-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114004821/https://www2.varmdo.se/Resource.phx/plaza/publica/pop/porslinsmuseum/index.htx |archive-date=2013-11-14 }}</ref>

;Taiwan *New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum

;Thailand *Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum, Bangkok, opened 2005, 2,000 pieces of the pottery of Thailand and neighbouring countries.

;Ukraine *Pottery Museum, {{ill|Novoselivka, Haisyn Raion|lt=Novoselivka|uk|Новоселівка (Гайсинський район)}}, Vinnytsia Oblast<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vinnytsya-guide.at.ua/load/tourists_sites/historic_and_ethnographic_monuments_of_vinnytsya_region/1-1-0-4 |title=Historic and Ethnographic Monuments of Vinnytsya Region |date=5 July 2014 |access-date=5 March 2017}}</ref> *Folk Pottery Museum, Opyshnia, Poltava Oblast<!--http://foto.mail.ru/mail/elena_semenova07/244/-->

;United Kingdom *Aberystwyth University Ceramics Collection *Coalport China Museum, mainly Coalport China *Gladstone Pottery Museum - working pottery museum *Jackfield Tile Museum *Museum of Royal Worcester, at the old Royal Worcester factory site. *Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Bloomsbury, London. 1,400 pieces of classic Chinese porcelain from the 10th to 18th centuries. *Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, mainly Staffordshire pottery *Spode Museum, for Spode *Wedgwood Museum

;United States *Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, New York, 8,000 pieces, including glass. *American Museum of Ceramic Art (Pomona, California), 7,000 pieces <ref>{{cite web|title=American Museum of Ceramic Art|url=http://www.amoca.org|access-date=12 July 2011}}</ref> *Inamori Kyocera Museum of Fine Ceramics, Alfred, New York, focus on advanced engineered ceramics for technical uses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alfred U.’s Inamori Kyocera Museum of Fine Ceramics to be dedicated May 10 |url=https://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/alfred-us-inamori-kyocera-museum-of-fine-ceramics-to-be-dedicated-may-10/ |website=ceramics.org |publisher=American Ceramic Society |date=May 5, 2011}}</ref> * International Museum of Dinnerware Design, Kingston, New York, 9,000 pieces with focus on fine art referencing dining.<ref>{{cite news |last1=DeMark |first1=Susan |title=Kingston’s new Museum of Dinnerware Design is a feast for the eyes |url=https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2025/02/13/kingstons-new-museum-of-dinnerware-design-is-a-feast-for-the-eyes/ |work=Hudson Valley One |publisher=Ulster Publishing |date=February 13, 2025}}</ref> * Museum of Ceramics (East Liverpool, Ohio), 4,000 mainly Ohio pottery<ref>Peterson, 409</ref>

==See also== *List of museums with major collections of Asian art *List of museums with major collections of Islamic art *List of museums with major collections of Greek and Roman antiquities

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== * Peterson, Jan. ''The craft and art of clay: a complete potter's handbook'', Laurence King Publishing, 2003, {{ISBN|1-85669-354-6}}, {{ISBN|978-1-85669-354-7}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=PAZR-A9Ra6EC&pg=RA1-PA351&dq=%22Ceramics+Museums%22&lr=&ei=PVj_SfHHC5byygTKwcH3BA#PRA1-PA398,M1 Google books] Listing of museum ceramics collections (heavily weighted to US) pp.&nbsp;396–412.

==Further reading== * [https://books.google.com/books?id=RD0EAAAACAAJ&dq=%22Ceramics+Museums%22&lr=&ei=PVj_SfHHC5byygTKwcH3BA ''An Artist's Travel Guide to the Ceramics Museums of Europe: With Line Drawings Reproduced from the Author's Sketchbooks''], Alexandra Copeland, Artists Travel Guides, 1999, {{ISBN|0-9586098-0-2}}, {{ISBN|978-0-9586098-0-7}} - covers over 120 museums in 19 countries

==External links== * [http://www.ceramic-link.de/icd/pages/museums/museumsindex.htm International Ceramics Directory] –comprehensive list of ceramics collections with links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceramics Museum}} Category:Ceramics museums Museum Category:Pottery Category:Porcelain Category:Types of museums Category:Lists of art museums and galleries Category:Lists of museums by subject Category:Types of art museums and galleries