As museums continue to exhibit a voracious appetite for licensing, the boundaries that once constrained them are broadening.

In part of it is classic brand building designed to attract consumers that may not or may never have entered the four corners of a museum. But it’s also a strategy aimed at appealing to younger consumers that revel in unexpected collaborations and pairings, something that has picked up speed in a post-pandemic world.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, licensed streetwear supplier Sprayground for a 17-piece collection, nine of which were listed Wednesday museum’s online store. The line featured eight backpacks, including one emblazoned with Vincent Van Gogh’s “Wheat Field with Cypresses” and priced at $80 and a “Met Masterpieces” duffle bag ($120).  The collection also is being sold through the Met store online and in the museum. Sprayground will launch online sales of the limited-edition line on August 11. The Sprayground collaboration is the most recent of several that have included those with Pac Sun (apparel), Abner Henry (high-ed furniture) and Samsung Frame TV (access to 38 works from the Met).

“We are seeking to engage authentically with the widest possible range of consumers through intuitive licensed partnerships to share the stories of 5,000 years of art from around the globe,” said Josh Romm, Head of Global Licensing and Partnerships at The Met. “The hope is that each project we undertake can act as an invitation to explore the museum in person, or online, and discover cross cultural connections that unite, inspire, and educate.”

The British Library, meanwhile, is featured as part of a high tea experience this month at the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore inspired by author Lewis Carroll’s “The Nursery Alice.”

In sign of the added emphasis on museum licensing, The British Museum is taking booth space at Brand Licensing Europe in September and has a touring display in China that has reached 20 venues. And the Boston Museum of Fine Art (MFA) is continuing its collaboration with fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo for graphic t-shirts. The new collection, which stems from a 10-year agreement first reached with the retailer in 2017, features four graphic t-shirts as part of a “Dark Fantasy” line that depicts monsters and ghosts that appeared in 19th-century Japanese books and kabuki plays. It launches August 12 online and in Uniqlo stores and the MFA shop. The designs were culled from MFA’s collection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

“The continuing collaboration embraces the integration of art, culture and fashion, while broadening the MFA’s engagement with a global audience,” said Debra LaKind, Senior Director for Intellectual Property and Business Development at the MFA. “It brings art to life, combining style and culture through wearable designs.”

That ability to create lifestyle products from museum collections is one that has picked up speed, especially in China, Europe and the UK, where licensing long ago took hold. But China is among fastest growing market based on collections from home grown museums and international ones like the UK’s Victoria & Albert.

Indeed Asian consumers place a high value on co-branding, preferring products that prominently feature the museum logo alongside the manufacturer brand, Yizan He, Founder and CEO of licensing agent Artisstory said in an Executive Voices Blog for Licensing International.

“All the museums in China are trying to get on board with licensing because there seems to be an affinity for them,’ said Roger Berman, President of the ZenWorks Co. licensing consulting firm. “Chinese are very aspirational, and they see that [museum license] products as being very culturally high end.”