The Collections Galleries, while the Special Exhibition Hall is used for special exhibits. The Main Exhibition Hall, the Main Gate, and the Ticket Area have all been designated as Important Cultural Properties in Japan. Museum Collections The museum was originally built to house and display art treasures privately owned by temples and shrines, as well as items donated by the Imperial Household Ministry. Currently, most all of the items in the museum are more or less on permanent loan from one of those places. The museum focuses on mainly pre-modern Japanese works (it is said to have the largest collection of Heian period artifacts) and Asian art. The museum is also well known for its collections of rare and ancient Chinese and Japanese sutras. Other famous works include senzui byōbu (landscape screen) from the 11th century, and the gakizōshi (Scroll of Hungry Ghosts) from the 12th century. The museum is divided into three parts: Fine Arts, including sculptures, paintings and works of calligraphy; Handicrafts, including pottery, fabrics, lacquerwares and metalworks; Archaeology, including objects of archaeological and historical interest. Altogether, the museum houses over 12,000 works, of which around 6,000 are on display at the museum. The museum also boasts photographic archives containing over 200,000 photographic negatives and color transparencies. In the Fine Arts collections alone, there are more than 230 pieces that have been designated as either National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. See also List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents) List of National Treasures of Japan (archaeological materials) List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others) List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-swords) List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings) List of National Treasures of Japan (writings) References External links Kyoto National Museum Official Website The Collections - Masterworks Museums in Kyoto National museums of Japan Art museums and galleries in Japan Museums of Japanese art Buildings of the Meiji period Art museums established in 1897 1897 establishments in Japan