The University of Michigan’s Asian Art Photographic Distribution (AAPD) is represented in Artstor by approximately 9,600 images of Chinese painting, sculpture, bronzes and ceramics, Central Asian Art, and Japanese painting.

AAPD was established in 1970 as a not-for-profit distributor of visual resource materials of Chinese art. Color photography was introduced in 1975 to document various public collections and exhibitions. By 1978, AAPD had expanded its scope to include Japanese paintings and traveling exhibitions, as well as private and public collections. Most of these images were documented in connection with thematic exhibitions, often with multiple details of individual works. As a result, the archive draws on important permanent collections from a range of museums, as well as major loan exhibitions.

Through an additional collaboration with the University of Michigan, more than 12,000 images from the University of Michigan’s (ACSAA) Color Slide Project are also available in Artstor.