In accordance with the announcement by the provincial government, the Gardiner Museum has closed temporarily. The health and safety of our visitors, staff, and the wider community remains our top priority. We'll continue to provide you with engaging digital content to keep us connected while the galleries are closed.
During our temporary closure, we're posting exhibitions and selections from our collection online. Discover Inuit ceramics, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, pottery from the Ancient Americas, and more!
On Thursday April 29 at 1 pm, join us for a free online lecture with Professor Alison McQueen, who will discuss the significant contributions of women working at Sèvres in the first century of its history. The presentation will feature works from leading international porcelain collections and bring attention to the often-overlooked roles of women retouching glaze, laying down prints, and burnishing. Register now!
Every object in our permanent collection can be accessed through our eMuseum portal. Learn about individual collecting areas, like Italian Maiolica or Modern and Contemporary Ceramics, or search the full collection by keyword. You'll be amazed by what you discover!
With the Museum closed temporarily, we need your support to continue to offer innovative and engaging exhibitions, programs, and community projects online, as well as plan for the future. Please consider making a donation to help us build community with clay.
If you have a special project in mind or a theme you would like to pursue, please let us know and together we can design a museum visit just for you and your class.
Here is a list of the permanent collections:
Ancient Americas Gallery The culture and art of the ancient peoples of Mexico, Central and South America.
Italian Renaissance Maiolica 15th- and 16th–century earthenware, representing classical mythology, perspective, family life and other great themes.
English Delftware 17th- and 18th-century earthenware. Themes include early medicine, family life, history of the monarchy, the Great Fire of London, and the plague years.
Contemporary and Modern Gallery Canadian and international ceramics form the 20th and 21st centuries.
Chinese Porcelain Gallery The history of porcelain as it developed in Asia and its remarkable influence on the West.
Japanese Porcelain and Its Influence 17th-century Japanese porcelain and its stylistic influence on Europe.
European Porcelain The European response to the importation of Asian porcelain. Early scientific experiments, alchemy, the Enlightenment, centralism, baroque, and rococo. Collections include, Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Scent Bottles A wonderful collection of tiny receptacles for scent leads to a discussion on their themes, owners (including the French kings), and the reasons for wearing perfume.
English Porcelain 18th-century England and the continent. Themes include the influence of France and French style, the importance of nature, and its influence on embellishment.
Commedia dell’Arte Character figures from popular 16th-century Italian theatrical productions featuring Harlequin, Columbine, and Pierrot to name a few. Themes such as theatre, dining, politics, and dance.
This program is available as a half day.
This program is available as a full day.
Program Details
* Optional $3 kiln firing fee. Firing takes 10 to 14 business days. Please add a $5 processing fee per group. ** Registration required, please fill out the form by clicking “Book a Visit” button below.
Book a Visit
1. Seated Drummer, Tala-Tonalá style Mexico, Jalisco 300 B.C. - A.D. 200 Earthenware with white on red slip paint Gift of George and Helen Gardiner, G83.1.56
2. Shaman’s Head (II), 2006, Gift of the Museum of Inuit Art G16.13.8
3. The Monkey Orchestra Germany, Meissen, c. 1753–75 Hard-paste porcelain with overglaze enamels, gilding Modelled by Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706–1775) and Peter Reinicke (1711–1768) Mark: Crossed swords in underglaze blue Gift of George and Helen Gardiner, G83.1.675