The Museum Rietberg Zurich is the only art museum for non-European cultures in Switzerland exhibiting an internationally renowned collection of art from Asia, Africa and Ancient America. It intends not only to focus on the fascinating variety of artistic expression, but also to raise interest and understanding of foreign cultures, views and religions.

The core of the Museum's collection dates back to a generous donation of Baron Eduard von der Heydt. Through the long standing contact with patrons, collectors as well as foundations and corporate sponsors, the Museum Rietberg has been able to continuously grow.

The collection galleries

With the extension which opened in February 2007, the new Museum Rietberg has more than doubled its exhibition space. Works of art from Asia, Africa, America and Oceania which have not yet been shown are now made publicly accessible for the first time. Vitrines, wall colours and lighting are coordinated so as to accentuate the distinguishing characteristics of each of the single works of art. The use of wall texts, lengthy labels, cards and flickering monitors has been purposely avoided since the unique, undiminished splendourof therespectiveworks of art should fully come into their own. Information on the respective cultural backgrounds is provided by the multi-lingual audio guide and a short introductory brochure.

The Museum Rietberg comprises four interconnected units

The Emerald, the underground extension

One of the main focuses of the collection centres on Chinese art: archaic ritual bronze vessels, tomb art from the Han to the Tang dynasty (2nd century BC to the 9th century AD) and Buddhist art with large format steles and stone figures form one of the highlights of the collection’s exhibition. The collection of Chinese paintings has found a perfect place in the newly built underground spaces, since there the light and climatic conditions can be optimally adapted to the sensitive black ink drawings. The modular vitrines facilitate the showing of the masterpieces in regular cycles. A radiant brilliance greets the visitors when viewing the best collection of Chinese cloisonnés in the world, drawn from among the Alice and Pierre Uldry collection. Among the collection is also a monumental jar of imperial quality, which – together with its pendant in the British Museum – is considered one of the most important examples of Chinese cloisonné-art work.

The Japanese section shows a small but first-class group of exceptionally elegant and graceful Buddhist sculptures dating from the 12th and 13th century. The finely carved masks of the Noh Theatre, some of the extraordinary pieces of which are in the possession of the Museum Rietberg, emanate a unique power of attraction. The collection of Japanese painting comprises works dating primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition to the coloured wood block prints depicting e.g., portraits of actors, landscapes and erotic scenes, the so-called Surimono can be admired; these New Year prints are on permanent loan from the Zurich Museum of Design.

In the galleries of the underground extension, Asian works of art are placed opposite African objects. However great the contrast may be, each of the masterpieces presented here demonstrate the same high quality. The small group of figures of the Dogon region in Mali enjoys world renown. Many of the masks and heddle pulleys from the Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Guinea have never been put on public display. These come into their own through the sophisticated lighting arrangement. Though small, this exquisite group of bronzes from the 16th and 17th century derives from the royal city of Benin, in Nigeria. From Cameroon, there is the world-famous mask of a master of the Bamendjo region from the grasslands, as well as a group of sculptures from the neighbouring Fang region. Expressive masks and outstanding sculptures from the Congo conclude the African collection.

back to top

The Wesendonck Villa

The tour begins on the ground floor with the early Buddhist sculptures from India and Pakistan. The figurative representation of the Buddha from Gandhara attests to Greco-Roman influences; they mark the beginnings of Buddhist art along the Silk Road. In addition to the Hindu temple sculptures, it is the south Indian bronzes from the reign of the Chola Kings (9th–11th century) that doubtless comprise the outstanding feature of every visit to the museum: this is, indeed, the emblem of the museum: Shiva Nataraja, the dancing Shiva. There is probably no visitor capable of resisting its beauty and radiance.

In the same ambiance of the time-honoured villa the Buddhist art collection of one Zurich’s native daughters, Berti Aschmann (1917–2005) finds its due place, especially with its bronzes from the Himalayan region. These treasures have made the Museum Rietberg a focal point for friends, admirers and collectors of Tibetan art since 1995.

On the upper floor art works from Indonesia may be marvelled at, works which have remained concealed from the public for many years, such as masks of the Javanese dancing masks theatre Wayang Topeng. They are surrounded by works from the South Sea, from Polynesia and Melanesia. Alongside outstanding sculptures of the Sepik river region of New Guinea are masterpieces from the New Hebrides, from New Ireland as well as from the Maori, the aborigines of New Zealand.

In contrast to the old Museum Rietberg, the exhibition space dedicated to the cultures of the Americas has increased three-fold. Now, for the first time, artefacts from Mesoamerica and works of art from North and South America can be experienced. Particularly impressive are the masks of the Tlingit, as well as the magnificently colourful vessels, the plastically modelled heads of deities and sovereigns and reliefs of the Maya. Superbly painted clay figures from western Mexico and, from Costa Rica, high-quality ceramics from the pre-Columbian period of Peru guarantee a further eye-catcher.

back to top

The Park-Villa Rieter

The third part of the Museum Rietberg, the so-called Park-Villa Rieter, concentrates on Indian painting. Temporary exhibitions will show works of art drawn from a collection which embraces over 1’500 paintings and that attests to the entire stylistic range of Indian painting beginning from the 12th to the 20th century. A palm leaf manuscript within the collection dating from the year 1155 is an early example of an illuminated Buddhist text, the manuscript of the five powers of protection. The focus of the collection is on the painting from Rajasthan in north-west India.

The upper floor exhibits the art of Iran shown for the first time at the museum: an illustration dating from 1340 and deriving from the so-called Small Shahnameh attests to early Persian book art. Similarly represented are the sculptures and plastic artefacts from ancient Iran, whereby the bronze art from Luristan takes up a prominent place. Joining these are ancient Egyptian textiles, as well as carpets from the Caucasus, Anatolia, the Turkmenian region and Persia. In the newly created carpet room, four to six alternating carpets can be seen every year, each of which are committed to a specific theme, whether it be a motif, an historical development, a certain region or a particular type of carpet.

back to top

The Visible Storage

The museum no longer has a concealed depot space! The storeroom is brightly lit and designed as a visible storage providing the public with a view behind the scenes. Experts and members of the lay public can now study the almost 4'000 artefacts at leisure all of which had formerly resided in the shadows. As the new entrance area with the glass facade already signalises, the Museum Rietberg is now, more than ever and in every sense of the word, a transparent museum.