Recently, there has been a growing interest among academic circles in the theoretical generalization of the process of decolonization of Asian collections of museums in Europe. The pathos of such publications is that museum objects should be freed from interpretations in terms of past colonial policies, allowing museums to recreate the original cultural context of the exhibits. Against the backdrop of a historical excursion into the specifics of Portugal's medieval colonial policy in Asia, the article analyzes the experience of building Asian art collections at the Museum of Oriental Art in Lisbon. The main collections Л are described and the relevant information on the exposition and social activities of the museum is analyzed.

Keywords: Museum of the Orient; Museu do Oriente; Lisbon; Portugal; Asian art; colonial policy; dialogue of cultures.