The Sloane Collection began with a Japanese Satsuma bowl gifted to Florence Sloane by her sister, Grace Stiles, in 1901. Over the next fifty years Mrs. Sloane worked with curators from the Metropolitan Museum and the Freer Gallery, along with prominent Asian art dealers like C.T. Loo and Yamanaka and Company, to assess and acquire Asian objects that were truly unique. By the time of her death, Mrs. Sloane had managed to amass an Asian art collection that to this day remains unparalleled in the South.

Chinese Neolithic jade and archaic ceremonial bronze vessels from the Western Zhou dynasty (11th century – 771 BCE) are among the highlights of this collection. These pieces along with Chinese snuff bottles, Imperial jade, cloisonné and lacquer, as well as a significant holding of Tang dynasty (618-906 CE) terracotta contribute to the richly varied and historically significant collection.