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Weekend Tips: What to Do This Weekend in Berlin
June 12 to 14, 2026: Events, festivals, exhibitions and more things to do for your perfect weekend in Berlin. more
Beastly Good!
Animals, Birds, and Plants in Arts of Japan
Gan Ku (1749/1756-1838), Tiger, Detail, 1822, rechter Stellschirm eines Paares zu je 6 Paneelen, Tusche und Farben auf Papier
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Sammlung Klaus F. und Yoshie Naumann / Jörg von Bruchhausen
Matsukawa Hanzan, signiert Suieidō Kakyo (1818 – 1882), Elefant und Sumo-Ringer, Detail, privat publizierter Farbholzschnitt (surimono)
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst, geschenkt von Marie Meyer und Ernst Grosse / courtesy Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto
Mori Tetsuzan (1775-1841), Miteinander streitende Affen, Detail, Edo-Zeit, 1. H. 19. Jh., Hängerolle, Tusche und Farben auf Seide
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Schenkung Neumann-Ogando, 2013-29 / Jürgen Liepe
In Japan, too, animals and birds are amongst the most popular subjects of art, alongside flowers, plants, landscapes and humans. From tigers and monkeys to elephants to mice, this exhibition drawn from the Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Asian Art Museum) holdings unites a veritable zoo on paintings, graphics, ceramics and lacquerware, which can be enjoyed in comfort even during summer temperatures in the air-conditioned museum galleries at the Humboldt Forum.
In East Asia, tigers, whose roar is said to be able to summon the wind, and dragons, which bring rain from amongst the clouds, symbolise control over the forces of nature. They are therefore closely associated with the representation of power.
Mice and rats are admired for their intelligence and capacity to find the live-sustaining rice, even in the most remote corners. As rice was used as a form of currency in Japan until the 19th century, they became a symbol of prosperity.
Other animals – the horse, for example, which is the animal of the year 2026 in the East Asian zodiac – have served as working animals and human’s friends and companions. Yet, if depicted in nature without bridle and saddle, they might also express unrestrained freedom and unlimited energy. You are cordially invited to discover these qualities – and many more – in artistic depictions of these awesome creatures who share our planet with us.
A special exhibition of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin at the Humboldt Forum, room 318, Arts of Japan
In East Asia, tigers, whose roar is said to be able to summon the wind, and dragons, which bring rain from amongst the clouds, symbolise control over the forces of nature. They are therefore closely associated with the representation of power.
Mice and rats are admired for their intelligence and capacity to find the live-sustaining rice, even in the most remote corners. As rice was used as a form of currency in Japan until the 19th century, they became a symbol of prosperity.
Other animals – the horse, for example, which is the animal of the year 2026 in the East Asian zodiac – have served as working animals and human’s friends and companions. Yet, if depicted in nature without bridle and saddle, they might also express unrestrained freedom and unlimited energy. You are cordially invited to discover these qualities – and many more – in artistic depictions of these awesome creatures who share our planet with us.
A special exhibition of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin at the Humboldt Forum, room 318, Arts of Japan
Runtime: Wed, 10/06/2026 to Mon, 07/09/2026
Price info: Since October 3, 2025, the Humboldt Forum has had a new pricing model:
With just one ticket, you will have access to the permanent exhibitions and temporary presentations – and you can choose between a one-day, two-day or group ticket for maximum flexibility. All of these ticket options allow you to visit the collections of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, BERLIN GLOBAL, as well as other temporary exhibitions. The ticket is also valid for the special exhibition Family Matters (from 3 October) with interventions throughout the building and in the Knoblauchhaus Museum in the Nikolaiviertel.
Many areas and programmes are still accessible to you free of charge – including the Humboldt Laboratory with the new exhibition On Water. Water Knowledge in Berlin (from 10 October), the stairwell with Impressions. The Humboldt Brothers, the castle cellar, the sculpture hall, the video panorama and the presentation Traces. You can also attend numerous events and educational programmes without paying admission.
Price: €14.00
Reduced price: €7.00
Reduced price info: Admission remains free of charge for children and young people up to the age of 19, persons accompanying a severely disabled person (provided this is noted as B on the severely disabled person’s pass), persons receiving transfer payments and Berlin-Ticket-S-holders. Admission is also free of charge for Members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the German Museums Association and the Federal Association for Museum Education.
With just one ticket, you will have access to the permanent exhibitions and temporary presentations – and you can choose between a one-day, two-day or group ticket for maximum flexibility. All of these ticket options allow you to visit the collections of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, BERLIN GLOBAL, as well as other temporary exhibitions. The ticket is also valid for the special exhibition Family Matters (from 3 October) with interventions throughout the building and in the Knoblauchhaus Museum in the Nikolaiviertel.
Many areas and programmes are still accessible to you free of charge – including the Humboldt Laboratory with the new exhibition On Water. Water Knowledge in Berlin (from 10 October), the stairwell with Impressions. The Humboldt Brothers, the castle cellar, the sculpture hall, the video panorama and the presentation Traces. You can also attend numerous events and educational programmes without paying admission.
Price: €14.00
Reduced price: €7.00
Reduced price info: Admission remains free of charge for children and young people up to the age of 19, persons accompanying a severely disabled person (provided this is noted as B on the severely disabled person’s pass), persons receiving transfer payments and Berlin-Ticket-S-holders. Admission is also free of charge for Members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the German Museums Association and the Federal Association for Museum Education.
Takes place here:
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