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In [[1881]], the Museum obtained the Japanese art collection of Dr. [[William Anderson]], an instructor at the Imperial Navy Medical College in Tokyo, and named him curator.<ref>Gallery label, "Minamoto Yoshitsune in training," British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/20267087214/in/photostream/]; Gallery label, "Tengu harassing King Sojobo," British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/20896926521/in/photostream/]</ref> Another notable collection of Japanese and other artifacts now in the Museum's collection came from [[William Gowland]], one of the first Westerners to conduct archaeological excavations of ''[[kofun]]'' in the late 19th century.<ref>"Photo of William Gowland," gallery label, British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/20879893402/in/photostream/]; "William Gowland, amateur archaeologist," gallery label, British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/22796899401/in/photostream/]</ref> [[Thomas Watters]], Acting Consul General for the United Kingdom in [[Seoul]] from [[1887]] to [[1888]], also donated a notable collection of Asian art and artifacts to the Museum in [[1888]].<ref>Gallery label, "Thomas Watters, diplomat," British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/22597715710/in/photostream/]</ref>
In [[1881]], the Museum obtained the Japanese art collection of Dr. [[William Anderson]], an instructor at the Imperial Navy Medical College in Tokyo, and named him curator.<ref>Gallery label, "Minamoto Yoshitsune in training," British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/20267087214/in/photostream/]; Gallery label, "Tengu harassing King Sojobo," British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/20896926521/in/photostream/]</ref> Another notable collection of Japanese and other artifacts now in the Museum's collection came from [[William Gowland]], one of the first Westerners to conduct archaeological excavations of ''[[kofun]]'' in the late 19th century.<ref>"Photo of William Gowland," gallery label, British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/20879893402/in/photostream/]; "William Gowland, amateur archaeologist," gallery label, British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/22796899401/in/photostream/]</ref> [[Thomas Watters]], Acting Consul General for the United Kingdom in [[Seoul]] from [[1887]] to [[1888]], also donated a notable collection of Asian art and artifacts to the Museum in [[1888]].<ref>Gallery label, "Thomas Watters, diplomat," British Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/22597715710/in/photostream/]</ref>
Unlike most major art museums in the West, the British Museum's collections and displays focus primarily on history and culture rather than more narrowly on art history and aesthetics. Since 2006, the Japan Gallery has presented a chronological history of Japan through objects, displaying not only the most beautiful or otherwise artistically significant objects, but objects which help to represent key aspects of Japanese history, from ''[[kofun]]'' to Buddhism to [[Edo period]] samurai and ''chônin'' culture and foreign relations, to modernization/Westernization, urbanization, empire, war, and various aspects of the post-war period, among of course numerous other elements.
==Select List of Notable Works in the Collection==
==Select List of Notable Works in the Collection==