Utagawa Toyohiro (1763–1828), Woman Cooling Herself, ca. 1800, hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 15 3/4 × 26 1/8 in.

Japan: A History of Style, 4th rotation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
December 18, 2021-April 24, 2022

This exhibition celebrates how gifts and acquisitions of the last decade have transformed The Met’s ability to narrate the story of Japanese art by both expanding and deepening the range of remarkable artworks that can meaningfully elucidate the past. Each of the ten rooms that make up the Arts of Japan Galleries features a distinct genre, school, or style, representing an array of works in nearly every medium, from ancient times to the present.

Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754–1799), Tenjin Traveling to China, 1787-88, hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, 35 1/8 × 13 in.

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F.N. Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Portrait), 1961, oil on canvas, 26. x 23 in.

Primitivism and Modern Indian Art, DAG, The Claridges, New Delhi
December 18, 2021-January 25, 2022

Although primitivism in modern Indian art arose partly in response to developments in the West, the meanings and experience of primitivism in the Indian context must differ markedly. While Western artists went in search of an elusive, idealized “noble savage,” urban Indian artists, seeking to assert their authentic identity, drew inspiration from the least colonized segments of their own society. The sixteen artists, including Rabindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, F.N. Souza, and M.F. Husain, featured in this exhibition together represent a broad spectrum of the ways in which primitivism has manifested itself in modern Indian painting and sculpture. These artists were chosen to explore a range of manifestations of primitivism in Indian art and to try and sketch its history. Visiting DAG New Delhi in person or online will provide rewarding insight into this distinctive movement in Indian modern art history.

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Bonhams three new Asian art specialists, (left to right) Hannah Thompson, I-hsuan Chen and Philip Hafferty

Bonhams recently appointed Hannah Thompson as the West Coast Head of Asian Art, based in Los Angeles. Working with a team of experienced Asian art specialists across the U.S. led by Dessa Goddard, Hannah will assume responsibility for managing Bonhams Asian Art department in Los Angeles, including client development, business getting, appraisal, selling strategies and operations.

Hannah brings to Bonhams extensive experience in both commercial and academic sectors of the art world, having held positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Palace Museum Taipei, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the University of California Berkeley. She was most recently Chinese Works of Art specialist for Sotheby's.

In New York I-Hsuan Chen and Philip Hafferty have joined Bonhams’ Chinese Art and Japanese Art departments, respectively.

I-Hsuan Chen is now Senior Specialist for Chinese Art at Bonhams in NY. Starting her career at the Brooklyn Museum's Department of Asian Art, I-Hsuan contributed to surveys of Korean art, Japanese screens, Chinese paintings and Tibetan thangkas. Her expertise in ancient Chinese art developed while working alongside eminent art dealer James J. Lally, where she was responsible, among various tasks, for the research and operations of J.J. Lally & Co.'s annual exhibition and sale. I-Husan holds a Bachelor's degree from Tung-Hai University in Taiwan and a Master's degree from Pratt Institute in NY.

Philip Hafferty holds the post of Junior Specialist for Japanese Art at Bonhams in NY. Before joining Bonhams, Philip worked for Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts in NY, where he specialized in both Japanese antiques and contemporary ceramics, textiles and glass artworks. He holds a Master's degree in Art History from the University of Washington and a Bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard University. He also completed a year-long study of the Japanese language at Waseda University in Tokyo, and received a fellowship to study for a year in the non-Japanese students' division of Urasenke Gakuen Professional College of Chado (tea ceremony) in Kyoto, Japan. He is a licensed instructor in the Urasenke Chado Tradition.

Ren Renfa, Nine Horses, 1324, handscroll, ink and color on silk, 12 1/2 x 103 in.

Lively Creatures: Animals in Chinese Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
December 16, 2021-September 4, 2022

For millennia, Chinese artists have created images of animals that convey a rich array of culturally significant meanings. Literary sources, spiritual traditions, or the nature of animals inspired artists to create animal motifs in many art forms. These creatures may represent celebration, personal messages, or political and religious agendas. Though the cultural meaning carried by images of animals has evolved over time, their significance to Chinese artistic traditions has remained constant. From the museum’s renowned collection of Chinese art, many of the paintings and textiles in this exhibition greet visitors for the first time in decades. Together they celebrate the beauty of the natural world and tell stories that connect human and animal behavior.

Dragon Badge, Late Ming Dynasty (1552-1644), silk and metallic thread embroidery, 22 x 22 in.

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Anonymous (17th century), Manjusri and Samantabhadra (1 of 2), lot 135, pair of framed scrolls, ink and mineral pigment on silk, each: 56 1/4 x 27 3/4 in.

Fine Asian Works of Art, Bonhams Los Angeles
Thursday, December 16, 2021, starting at 10am (PST)

A Cloisonné and Champlevé Lingzhi Jardinère, lot 317, Qianlong mark, 19th century, H. 21 1/2 in.

Decorative Asian Works of Art, Bonhams Los Angeles
Friday, December 17, 2021, starting at 10am (PST)

These two sales feature over 400 lots from private American collections and showcase a diverse assembly of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Himalayan paintings, furniture, ceramics, porcelains, jade carvings, bronzes, and textiles.

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Miyamura Hideaki (b. 1955), Snow Cup with Gold Glaze, glazed porcelain, H. 11.6 in.

Celebrations: Brightness and Lustre in Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
Now on view-January 5, 2022

Brightness and lustre are inherent to the history of Japanese decorative arts. From textiles to ceramics, surface sheen and the ability for objects to iridesce has endured throughout the ages. In contemporary Japanese ceramics, artists render beautifully elaborate innovations on the potential for ceramic surfaces to opalesce. This exhibition is especially suited to the holiday season and offers Dai Ichi Gallery an opportunity to welcome and thank collectors, guests, and supporters at this festive time.

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Trefoil-shaped Covered Box with Decoration of Chrysanthemums (detail), ca. 12th century, lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell over pigment, brass wire, 1 5/8 in., L. 4 in., D. 1 3/4 in.

Shell and Resin: Korean Mother-of-Pearl and Lacquer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Recently opened-July 5, 2022

Lacquerware with mother-of-pearl inlay has a long and rich tradition in the history of Korean art. This exhibition will showcase The Met’s outstanding collection of Korean lacquerware with nearly 30 examples from the twelfth century to the present, marking the Museum’s first exhibition dedicated solely to Korean lacquerware. The thematic arrangement will examine the technical and aesthetic development of the art form, as well as highlight its larger intra-Asian context through comparative examples of Chinese, Japanese, and Ryukyu (Okinawan) lacquers and South Asian mother-of-pearl. Highlights will range from an exceedingly rare box from the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) to a mixed media painting by contemporary artist Lee Bul.

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Jun'ichiro Sekino (1914-1988), Nishijin (Kyoto) in Snow, 1973, ink and color on paper, 55.5 x 73 cm.

Egenolf Gallery offers a wide selection of fine Japanese prints and drawings for the perfect holiday gift. Two-day Fedex shipping is available, so there is still time to shop. They are posting daily on their website holiday gift ideas and new acquisitions. A special discount is available through their website.

Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889), Dance of the Long-Nosed Goblins, 1867, ink and color on paper,
35.3 x 25 cm.

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