South Asian, Middle East artifact galleries open in Toronto

Galleries devoted to South Asian and Middle Eastern art and artifacts reopened at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on Saturday.

The Sir Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery has works from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet.

And the final two galleries in the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal are set to open in April, completing the historic museum’s renovation.

A series of nine exhibit areas present the stories of the region, beginning with 3,500 B.C. in the Indus Valley and extending to modern times with an exhibit of contemporary art.

Christopher Ondaatje, a former financier and publisher made a substantial donation toward the gallery. CBC