Permanent Collections

interior view of palley pavillion with people looking at artwork interior view of palley pavillion with people looking at artwork
images of contemporary ceramic bowls from Japan, various shapes, sizes and colors images of contemporary ceramic bowls from Japan, various shapes, sizes and colors
image of ceramics from china in a glass case. Som wood sculptures as well image of ceramics from china in a glass case. Som wood sculptures as well
image of a metal sculpture of a horse and a geometric abstract painting in orange, red, blue and violet image of a metal sculpture of a horse and a geometric abstract painting in orange, red, blue and violet

The Museum’s Permanent Collection represents five millennia of human creativity on every inhabited continent. All collection objects are works of fine art or culturally significant archaeological/ethnographic material. In addition, the Museum maintains a collection of public sculpture installed throughout the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus on behalf of its parent institution. 

The Lowe Art Museum’s collections are accessible online at emuseum.miami.edu Please note that we are constantly updating catalog information, and new records are being added as they are updated.

The Lowe maintains 11 collecting departments:

Art of Africa
Works from all regions of the African continent, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan regions, including architectural elements, ceremonial and ritual objects, costumes, textiles, and sculpture dating from ca. 500 BCE to the present.

Art of the Ancient Americas
Architectural elements, pottery, textiles, and archaeological objects of native North, Central, and South America dating from 2500 BCE to the period of European contact beginning in 1492.  Works produced after 1492 are considered art of the Native Americas.

Art of the Ancient Mediterranean
Pottery, sculpture, and metalwork from ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, dating from the first millennium BCE through the 4th century CE.

Art of Asia
Pottery, metalwork, sculpture, costumes and textiles, and architectural elements dating from the Neolithic period through the present from China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia.

Art of the Caribbean
Landscape, narrative, and portrait paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and photographs from the Caribbean Basin (including Cuba) dating from the 18th century to the present.

Art of Central and South America
Landscape, narrative, and portrait paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and photographs from Central and South America dating from the 18th century to the present.

Art of Egypt and the Near East
Ceramic, stone, metal, and paper objects from Egypt, the Near East, and West Asia primarily from ancient times but also including some medieval manuscripts and contemporary works.

Art of Europe
Paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, and photographs from the Middle Ages through the present, including the Samuel H. Kress Collection of Renaissance and Baroque art.

Art of the Native Americas
Pottery, basketry, sculpture, costumes, and textiles of native North, Central, and South America, including Spanish Colonial art produced by native artists, from the post-European contact period starting in 1492 through the present. Works produced before 1492 are considered art of the Ancient Americas.

Art of North America
Landscape, narrative, and portrait paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and photographs from the United States and Canada dating from the 18th century to the present.

Art of the Pacific Islands
Ceremonial objects of the cultures of the Pacific, currently with an emphasis on the islands of Melanesia, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries.