top of page
Tea-Leaf Storage Jar (Chatsubo 茶壺) with Natural Ash Glaze

The Romang Collection

Japanese, Korean, and East Asian Art

Comprising over 1,500 meticulously researched works, The Romang Collection spans nearly a millennium of East Asian artistic and technical mastery, from Goryeo-dynasty celadons and medieval Japanese stonewares to contemporary ceramic masterpieces. The collection features specialized historical holdings—including early Japanese kiln wares, Joseon ceramics, traditional tea ceremony utensils (chadōgu), and Edo-period maki-e lacquerware—alongside significant works by leading modern and living masters.

Bridging classical connoisseurship with rigorous academic investigation, every work is selected for its rarity, historical significance, and material authenticity. Supported by documented provenance, box inscription analysis (hakogaki), and scholarly commentary, the Collection invites curators, scholars, and the international research community to engage deeply with the living legacy of East Asian material culture.

The Collection

Medieval & Edo Ceramics

Medieval & Edo Ceramics

Rinpa Document Box (Bunko) in Maki-e Lacquer

Japanese Lacquer

Contemporary Japanese Masters

Contemporary Japanese Masters

Tea Caddies (Chaire)

Tea Caddies (Chaire)

Erwin Walter Burger Italian Glass

Works of Art

Edo Period Chawan Tea Bowl

Tea Ceremony

Shin Sang Ho 신상호 (B.1947) Vase

Korean Art

Antique and Rare Books

Antique and Rare Books

Gustavo Romang

Curatorial Mission & Leadership

 

Founded and directed since 2004 by Gustavo Romang, M.A., Hon. D.D., The Romang Collection represents nearly four decades of scholarly research and dedicated field sourcing across East Asia. Grounded in an academic specialization in Eastern Studies and Comparative Religions, the Collection unites traditional connoisseurship with primary-source historical investigation. Built through sustained field research and long-standing relationships with master ceramicists, scholars, and cultural institutions in Japan and Korea, the repository offers an authenticated window into East Asian visual and material culture.

Today, The Romang Collection is dedicated to the preservation, scholarly cataloging, and exhibition of historic and contemporary ceramics, tea ceremony utensils (chadō dōgu), lacquerware (urushi and maki-e), and rare books and manuscripts. Through ongoing conservation initiatives, rigorous provenance research, and open digital documentation, the Collection fosters international scholarship and institutional collaboration worldwide.

Institutional & Academic Affiliations:

​

International Academic Societies 

  • The Oriental Ceramic Society (OCS), London

  • The Asiatic Society of Japan (ASJ), Tokyo

​

Archival & Epigraphic Networks 

  • Council on East Asian Libraries (CEAL)

  • Association for Asian Studies (AAS)

  • American Society for Premodern Asia (ASPA)

​

North American Museum Accreditations 

  • Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC)

​

Archival Access & Curatorial Inquiries Digital object records are maintained for scholarly research, comparative study, and educational publication. Institutional curators, academic researchers, and museum professionals may request high-resolution photography, hakogaki transcriptions, or loan consultations via the Contact portal.

bottom of page