Asia Week New York–the only event of its kind devoted to Asian Art in the United States– concluded its 17th edition on March 27th with an impressive close. Over the course of nine days, twenty-five galleries and six auction houses–Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Freeman’s, Heritage, and Sotheby’s–collectively tallied an impressive $147M+, an 18% increase over 2025!
Margaret Gristina, chairwoman of Asia Week New York, noted a marked increase in museum professionals and serious collectors compared to last year, with strong institutional acquisitions by U.S. museums. “There was heightened interest from dedicated buyers, who were impressed by the exceptional quality of works on view during Asia Week,” she said. Gristina looks forward to building on this momentum by expanding year-round coverage of Asian cultural programming and beginning preparations for the 2027 season.
The week launched with gallery open houses and the annual reception at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which welcomed nearly 600 collectors, dealers, curators, auction house experts, museum patrons, and Asian art enthusiasts. Together, they celebrated an extraordinary selection of artworks spanning over six millennia.
Here is a brief snapshot of the week’s activity, according to specialty:
Ancient and/or Contemporary Japanese and Korean Art
Ippodo Gallery, saw a strong interest in the work of Daisuke Nakano and significant sales with over 10 pieces sold. The gallery attracted designers, private collectors from around the world, and curators from leading American museums. The exhibition’s centerpiece, Folding Screen of Cranes: Crossing the Moon, is also in the early stages of acquisition by a prominent U.S. museum.
Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art saw a very successful Asia Week this year, with several paintings acquired for museum collections across the United States, and an important handscroll by Hishikawa Moronobu purchased by a private collector. Works on paper, including prints, were placed with both long-standing collectors and a number of new clients, reflecting continued and expanding interest in the field.
For Asia Week New York this March 2026, Joan B Mirviss LTD collaborated with Shibuya Kurodatōen Co., Ltd. to present Six Celestials, a major exhibition featuring masterpieces by six artists whose seminal careers established the foundations of contemporary Japanese clay art. More than two dozen works sold, including an exceptionally rare vessel by Kamoda Shōji and a masterful Ko-Seto meiping vase by Okabe Mineo. An additional 30 works were placed from recent acquisitions outside the exhibition, primarily by leading contemporary Japanese ceramicists. Significantly, four works will enter the permanent collections of U.S. museums with dedicated Asian art departments, with another major work currently on reserve for a prominent institution. Most sales were made to established individual collectors across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East.
Onishi Gallery saw consistent traffic throughout the week, with a notable rise in engagement from younger collectors and interior designers. Among the standout sales were a tea kettle by Hata Shunsai III, acquired by a major American institution, and a refined lacquer box by Onihira Keiji, purchased by a private collector. The Onihira work carries further distinction, with its upcoming inclusion in the Homo Faber Biennale this September in Venice, Italy.
First-time participant Space 776 achieved successful results during Asia Week, with increased attendance driven by new audiences and a notable rise in overall engagement. The gallery secured several important sales, including works by Kim Hyungsoo placed with both a local collector and a New Zealand–based collector who traveled specifically for the event. A work by Kim Hakil was also acquired by an international collector, underscoring the exhibition’s strong global reach and growing appeal.
Ancient and/or Contemporary Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art
London-based Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch, Ltd. reported strong results for their selection of Indian paintings and Persian pottery. Notable highlights include the sale of three magnificent large Mewar court paintings to both institutional and private collectors, reflecting robust interest across the board.
Carlton Rochell Asian Art also reported robust sales for its exhibition, Objects of Veneration: Buddhist Art from India and the Himalayas, during a highly active Asia Week. The presentation was met with sustained international buying and reinforced New York’s position as a leading center for Asian art.
Ancient and/or Contemporary Chinese Art
Lark Mason Associates saw healthy activity from collectors and enthusiasts during its Chinese and Asian Works of Art sale, highlighted by a series of notable transactions.
Eric Zetterquist, of Zetterquist Galleries, reported active engagement from leading museums and prominent collectors throughout the week, with works acquired by an international institution as well as private buyers, including an Heirloom 13th century Longquan Celadon Tripod Censer.
Museum Curators and Directors Flock to Asia Week New York
Asia Week New York remains a highly anticipated event for museum directors, curators, patrons, and scholars, who attend each year to explore the exceptional Asian art offerings presented by participating galleries. This year, more than 30 institutions were represented, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Asia Society, Brooklyn Museum, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art (Cornell University), Minneapolis Institute of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, National Museum of Asian Art (Smithsonian Institution), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Princeton University Art Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, San Antonio Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Norton Museum of Art, Ackland Art Museum (The University of North Carolina), and the Yale University Art Gallery, as well as institutions from Shanghai.
The strong presence of museum curators and patrons—coupled with expanded participation from a broader range of museums and academic institutions than in recent years—reaffirmed Asia Week New York’s position as a leading destination for museum professionals, collectors, and connoisseurs seeking the finest in Asian art.
About Asia Week New York
Asia Week New York is a nine-day celebration, bringing together top-tier international Asian art galleries, the six major auction houses, 27 museums and Asian cultural institutions. It features simultaneous gallery open houses, Asian art auctions, museum exhibitions, lectures, and special events. Participants from the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, and the United States unveil an extraordinary array of museum-quality treasures from China, India, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Nepal, Japan, and Korea. Asia Week New York Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade membership organization registered with the state of New York. For more information, visit www.asiaweekny.com @asiaweekny #asiaweekny
Captions (top to bottom):
Miyanohara Ken 宮之原 謙 (1898-1977)
Jar with engraved magnolia motifs (detail)
Glazed porcelain
H37 × W25.4 cm
Credit: Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
Asia Week New York Guests at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Credit: Jenna Bascom
Daisuke Nakano (b. 1974)
Folding Screen of Cranes Crossing the Moon, 2025
H70.9 x W212.6 in. (H180 x W540 cm)
Credit: Ippodo Gallery
Keisai Eisen (1790–1848)
Beauty Sharing a Pipe
Color woodblock print
ōban tate-e 15½ x 10½ in. (39.4 x 26.7 cm)
Bunsei era, ca. 1823
Credit: Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art
Kamoda Shōji (1933-1983)
Vessel with undulating bands of red, green, and cream, 1971
Glazed stoneware
11 7/8 x 6 1/8 x 6 in.
Credit: Joan B Mirviss LTD
Hata Shunsai III
Tea Kettle with Octagonal Design, 2020
Iron and copper
6 3/4 × 10 1/2 × 10 1/2 in. (17.2 × 26.5 × 26.5 cm)
Credit: Onishi Gallery
Hyeongsoo Kim (b. 1961, South Korea)
Lyrics of Spring, 2025
Oil on canvas
Credit: Space 776
Maharana Ari Singh II in Procession at the Dassehra Festival and Attending the Khejari Puja by Jiva Mewar, Rajathan, dated 1761
Opaque watercolour on paper, black rules with red border, inscribed on the reverse in Devanagari with the artist’s name and date
23¹⁄4 by 18³⁄8 in. (59 by 47 cm) painting; 25¹⁄5 by 19²⁄3 in. (63.8 by 50 cm) folio
Credit: Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd.
Mandala of Shakya Simha
Late 14th century
Distemper and gold highlights on cotton canvas
33 1/8 by 29 1/8 in. (84.2 by 74 cm)
Credit: Carlton Rochell Asian Art
Chinese Imperial Gilt Bronze Bell
Kangxi Period, dated 1714
Heavily cast, decorated in high relief, cast with the reign date ‘Kangxi wu shi er nian zhi’ “made in the fifty-second year of Kangxi”
Height: 12 3/8 inches; weight: 50 lbs.
Credit: Lark Mason Associates
Heirloom Longquan Celadon Tripod Censer
13th century
Credit: Zetterquist Galleries
