What's Happening in Asian Art...
October 13, 2021
Aoki Shukuya (1737-1802), The Red Cliff after Wen Zhengming (detail)
The exhibition begins with a selection of Japanese paintings inspired by our particular fascination with an 18th-century painting by the Japanese artist Aoki Shukuya. Shukuya created his “Red Cliff'' after a painting of the subject by one of China’s most celebrated Ming literati painters, Wen Zhengming. Wen’s painting had been inspired by an iconic prose-poem written by the peerless Su Shi of the Northern Song in which Su recounts an autumn boating excursion to a historic Han dynasty site on the Yangzi River.
Not only was Shukuya’s painting a perfect confluence of forces and forms across time and space, deeply meaningful in our field, but it also suggested a perfect way for us to reflect on autumn, with further Japanese works celebrating the season. The Chinese paintings are all from the Ming dynasty, honoring Wen’s role, whereas the works of art were chosen to spark and provide interest and enjoyment. At a time when we would like to travel more than we are able, we are grateful for the artists who invite us on this autumn excursion through their works and the wider world of our imaginations.
To view the exhibition click here
October 13, 2021
Kuniyoshi (1798 - 1861), An Evening View of Hatcho Dike, 1847-48, Woodblock Print, 14.25 x 29 in (36.20 x 73.66 cm)
50 newly acquired prints have been added including: two rarely seen Eisen Tanzaku-e; a vibrant Yoshiharu Circus triptych; Kunisada deluxe portraits published by Kinshodo; a Sadahide fan print; works by Yoshitoshi, Kuniyoshi, and many others. The illustrated triptych by Kuniyoshi is an extremely rare bijin night triptych with a wonderful moody background.
To see the prints, click here
October 12, 2021
Tall Iridescent Vase, 2014, Hand-blown glass with iridescent finish, 19 x 9 1/2 inches, 48.3 x 24.1 cm
Massimo Micheluzzi:
Master of Venetian Glass
October 12 – November 19, 2021
Reception for the Artist: Thursday, October 21, 5- 7 pm
Ippodo Gallery and Barry Friedman Ltd. are pleased to present their first collaborative exhibition: Massimo Micheluzzi: Master of Venetian Glass. The imaginative displays of vases will fill the serene space of Ippodo Gallery. We invite you to see the juxtaposition of a Venetian artist in what may seem to be an unusual space. Witness the transcendence of forms and colors. The variety of shapes and patterns create a lovely amalgamation of ultramodern landscapes. This extensive collection contains about 40 pieces from Barry Friedman Ltd.’s collection and new works which have just arrived from Venice. Massimo Micheluzzi (b.1957) uses traditional techniques to achieve a uniquely modern aesthetic.
More information here
October 12, 2021
Among the Vines, ca. 1984-87, Watercolor on paper, Image size: 8 1/2 x 11 3/4 in., Framed size: 16 x 19 1/2 in
DŌ-KI: The Child Demon
Artworks by Ogawa Yoichiro (1939-2002)
The mysterious artist known as Dō-ki was born Ogawa Yoichiro into a family of antique dealers. Exposed to art at an early age, he was a prominent collector and connoisseur. After a visit to European and American museums in 1968, however, he took up the brush and became a painter himself. He moved to the Montparnasse district in Paris, where he created works influenced by the Fauves of the 1920s. Though inspired by modern art movements of the West, he was clearly influenced by Japanese mythologies. His enigmatic artworks are populated by foxes, oni, and yokai. He signed them Dō-ki, which means child demon.
To view exhibition click here
October 11, 2021
On the occasion of the Alfred Ceramic Museum exhibition, The Art of the Teabowl, this conference explores the definitions, histories and contexts of teabowls. For more information about the exhibition visit: https://ceramicsmuseum.alfred.edu/exhibitions/
Conference Schedule:
All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (New York)
Friday October 22
Session 1: 1:00-3:30pm
Welcome remarks, Meghen Jones (Guest Curator, Path of the Teabowl and Associate Professor of Art History, Alfred University) and Wayne Higby (Director and Chief Curator, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum)
Robert D. Mowry (Senior Consultant in Chinese and Korean Art a Christie's, New York; Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, Harvard Art Museums): “Tea Drinking in China and Song-Dynasty Black-Glazed Wares"
Philip Hu (Curator of Asian Art, Saint Louis Art Museum): “Color, Form, and Silhouette: Northern and Southern Song Tea Bowls and Related Bowl Stands from the Saint Louis Art Museum”
Ellen Avril (Chief Curator and the Judith H. Stoikov Curator of Asian Art, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University): “Poetry, Painting and Informal Tea: Two Collaborative Tea Bowls in the Modern Period”
Saturday October 23
Session 2: 8:00am-10:15am
Seung Yeon Sang (Visiting Researcher, Autonomous University of Barcelona): “Cranes Soaring Among Clouds: The Appreciation of Koryŏ Celadon Teabowls”
Yūji Akimoto (Professor/ Director of The University Arts Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts; Director of Nerima Art Museum): “A Free Mood Bowl that Reinterprets Tradition through Subculture, Manga, and Anime Points of View”
Shinya Maezaki (Professor of Art History, Kyoto Women’s University): “The History of Teabowls from the Perspective of Supply and Demand”
Discussion
-Tea break-
Session 3: 10:30am-11:45am
Andrew L. Maske (Associate Professor of Art History, University of Kentucky): “View-ing The Teabowl: The Role of Keshiki in Chawan Appreciation”
Natsu Oyobe (Curator of Asian Art, the University of Michigan Museum of Art): "The Teabowl in Contemporary Toriawase: Activating the Vessel for A One and Only Encounter"
Discussion
-Lunch break-
Session 4: 12:30-3:00pm
Morgan Pitelka (Chair, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and Professor, Department of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill): “The Social Life of Raku Teabowls”
Meghen Jones (Guest Curator, Path of the Teabowl and Associate Professor of Art History, Alfred University): “The Teabowl at Alfred”
Discussion
Alfred Ceramic Art faculty roundtable
To register for the conference: https://alfredu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9e3EuXqSSJmRh8SspgN7rA
A conference recording will be available after the event on YouTube.
For information about conference registration, contact artsevents@alfred.edu.
For information on museum events: https://ceramicsmuseum.alfred.edu/events.html
October 8, 2021
A wide array of works from the dealers participating in our Autumn 2021 virtual exhibition was sold. Here are some of the highlights:
Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
(top of page) Wakao Toshisada (b. 1933), Shino Glazed Long Platter with Bamboo design, c. Late 1980's, Shino glazed Stoneware, (h) 3.8" x (w) 22.7" x (d) 11.2"; (h) 9.8 x (w) 57.8 x (d) 28.5cm.
In the Shino-glazed platter by Wakao Toshisada (b. 1933), the artist recalls a scene from Taketori Monogatari or The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter: the bamboo grove casting long shadows under a milky white moonlight.
Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints
Kawase Hasui (1883-1957), Sunset at Ichinokura, Ikegami. [Ikegami Ichinokura (sekiyô)]. Japanese Color Woodblock Print. 1928. 26.3 x 38.4 cm.
This print is from the series “Twenty Views of Tokyo.” The sun sets a brilliant red against what are perhaps rows of tea fields and a line of tall evergreen trees.
Oliver Forge & Brendan Lynch Ltd.
William Simpson (British, 1823-99), The Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore, dated 1864, Watercolor on paper, inscribed at l.l. Wuzzeer’s Mosque Lahore, signed at center foreground Wm. Simpson 1864, 31.5 by 48.4 cm.; 12 3/8 by 19 in.
One of the nineteenth century’s most accomplished and prolific topographical artists, Simpson travelled widely in India and the Middle and Far East and was patronized by Queen Victoria. His work can be found in the Royal Collection, Buckingham Palace, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and the Yale Center for British Art.
Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Tai Xiangzhou (b. China, 1968), Celestial Tale – The Leaping Dragons in Crystal Sound, scroll, mounted and framed, ink on silk, ca. 2021, Inscribed and signed with one seal of the artist, dated May 18th, xingchou year (2021), 12 2/5 × 55 3/25 in/ 31.5 × 140 cm.
The key to Tai’s practice is his dual concern with modern physics and ancient Chinese cosmology. He is particularly interested in topological phase transition, the process by which physical objects transform between gas, liquid, and solid states.
HK Art & Antiques, LLC
Cho Taikho (B. 1957), Light on Sea 4, 2018, Acrylic on canvas 12.9 x 21.6in. (33 x 55cm.).
This is one of a group of recent paintings by the Paris-based artist, inspired by the sea.
Ippodo Gallery
Ken Matsubara (1948-present), Crescent Moon, Painting, H35 x W49 in, H88.9 x W124.46 cm.
Featured worldwide from the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum to Paris and Cologne, Matsubara’s paintings are serene, drifting, yet contained and dynamic. From intense brush strokes to delicate texture, each painting represents a return to nature, an appreciation, and consideration of the earth and natural elements.
Kaikodo, LLC
Hu Jing (paintings dated 1609-1640), “Retreat Under Pines” 1640, Hanging scroll, ink on figured silk, 112.0 x 44.6 cm. (44 1/8 x 17 1/2 in.) Inscription: “During the tenth lunar month of the year 1640, painted by Xianqing at the Xiangxue Studio.” Artist’s seals: Hu Jingzhi yin; Wolu
Hu Jing, born in Nanping in Fujian province, trained as a scholar, known for his poetry and calligraphy, became a monk toward the end of his life. The “Retreat Under Pines” is distinguished by the artist’s use of a figured silk as ground for his painting. The juxtaposition here of its subtle pattern with the painted image yields an interesting pictorial tension and rewards close viewing of the painting.
Kapoor Galleries
Vishnu, South India, Tamil Nadu, Vijayanagara period, 16th century, Copper alloy 28 in. (71.1 cm.) high.
Just as those created in Tamil Nadu in prior centuries, this copper alloy sculpture of Vishnu from the Vijayanagara period, 16th century, was both an important temple commission as well as an object of transient worship, as it is fitted for processions with bronze loops and tangs at its base.
Provenance:
Henry Spencers and Son Auctioneers, The Square, Retford, January 1996.
Private New York collection, since the early 2000s.
Joan B. Mirviss LTD
Itō Hidehito (b. 1971) "Space" craquelure celadon-glazed, flattened round sculpture with ridged waist 2021, Glazed porcelain 9 3/8 x 16 3/4 in.
“Space” is one of Itō’s first fully sculptural works. The flattened sphere is, upon closer inspection, a half-rounded base capped by a slightly larger, flattened dome heightened by thick layers of dripping glaze around the ridged waist. The artist’s mastery of glaze is on full display in this, one of his largest works ever, as the glass-like surface reveals a “cracked ice” effect underneath in brilliant blue.
Scholten Japanese Art
Takahashi Shotei (Hiroaki), 1871-1945, Famous Places in Nikko, Snow, Moon & Flowers, signed at lower right Hiroaki with artist's seal Shotei, with publisher's seal at lower right, (limited edition of 300), ca. 1929, oban tate-e 15 1/2 by 10 1/4 in., 39.5 by 26.1 cm.
The role of Takahashi Hiroaki (Shotei) in the shin-hanga movement is arguably as integral as it has been overlooked. He was one of the most prolific among the shin-hanga artists. This print is from a series published by Fusui Gabo in 1929, Famous Places in Nikko (Nikko Meisho) which included three designs based on the classical theme of Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka) and all three designs are quite scarce.
Zetterquist Galleries
“Starry Night,” porcelain sculpture by Ipek Kotan. It is the largest piece in the group of works presented in the first one-woman New York show by the Turkish-born ceramic artist. She re-fired it several times since 2015 to get the glaze to crystalize in such a way.
October 7, 2021
Kitagawa Utamaro (1754-1806), The Courtesan Hanamurasaki of the Tama Establishment Touching Her Brush to Her Lips, from the series The Seven Komachi of the Licensed Quarters, ca. 1796 (1980.3217). E.B. Van Vleck Collection at the Chazen Museum of Art.
Cornerstone of Collecting
Thursday October 14 at 5pm EDT
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Japanese Prints and Their Inspirational Legacy
at the Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Celebrated for his genius at both architecture and design, Frank Lloyd Wright was also an avid collector and dealer of Japanese woodblock prints. In the late 1920s, mathematics professor Edward Burr Van Vleck acquired approximately 4,000 of Frank Lloyd Wright’s prints, which became the foundation of his own significant collection. This extensive collection of ukiyo-e was eventually donated by his heirs to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he had taught for many years.
In our next Zoom panel event, curators and scholars will discuss the legacy of this important collection, its critical role at a teaching institution, and the challenges of stewardship in the 21st century.
PANELISTS:
Amy Gilman, Director of the Chazen Museum of Art
Laura Mueller, Independent curator of Japanese art
Quitman (Gene) Phillips, Professor emeritus in Japanese art at University of Wisconsin-Madison
James Wehn, Van Vleck Curator of Works on Paper, Chazen Museum of Art
Moderated by Joan Mirviss
Click here to register for the event
October 6, 2021
Live Zoom Webinar
WASHI TRANSFORMED: Traditional Japanese Paper Becomes Contemporary Art
Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 5:00PM EDT
Japanese art historian Meher McArthur will discuss her upcoming exhibition Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper that will begin touring the country this autumn. Her talk will present the works of nine Japanese artists featured in the exhibition: Hina Aoyama, Eriko Horiki, Kyoko Ibe, Yoshio Ikezaki, Kakuko Ishii, Yuko Kimura, Yuko Nishimura, Takaaki Tanaka, and Ayomi Yoshida. These artists have different approaches in the use of traditional Japanese handmade paper, or washi, as a medium for their works of contemporary art, from spectacular sculptures and installations to sublime wall pieces, screens and installations.
Here is a link to the exhibition, the artists, and the tour schedule, for your interest: Washi Transformed.
Note: Advance registration is required for this event. Upon registration, you will receive a dedicated link to the program. Zoom will also send you a reminder one week before the event, one day before the event, as well as one hour prior to the event.
Click here to register for the Zoom event: Oct 12 Zoom event.
October 4, 2021
A yellow Chinese Jade Brushwasher with Rams, Qing Dynasty (Estimate: $10,000/15,000)
Lark Mason Associates is pleased to announce that its autumn 2021 Asian art sale opens for bidding on October 5th through October 21st on iGavel Auctions. With over 500 lots on sale, the auction centers around a strong collection of approximately 70 archaic and later jades that were purchased mainly in the 1970's from reputable sources, including Christie's, Sotheby's, Spink & Son's and other galleries. Many jades have a copy of the original invoice and often the original sale date and lot number. The collection features several examples of yellow jade, including a beautiful yellow jade water coupe carved with three rams that dates to the Qianlong period. It also includes several archaic jade blades, cong-form carvings and a Huang- form jade dating to the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Rounding out the sale are over 100 lots of Japanese arms, including swords, blades, tsubas and other sword fittings, dating from the 15th-19th centuries.
A large 17th/18th century Chinese Bronze Jardiniere, (Estimate: $20,000-40,000)
Among the top highlights are a large 17th/18th century Chinese Bronze Jardiniere, (Estimate: $20,000-40,000); a green Chinese Jade Brush Pot, Republic Period (1912-1949), (Estimate: $12,000-18,000); a yellow Chinese Jade Brushwasher with Rams, Qianlong Period (1735-1796), (Estimate: $10,000/15,000); an 18th/19th century Chinese Red and Black Lacquer Table Cabinet, (Estimate: $8,000/12,000.
The Japanese arms and armor will be on display at the Braunfels, Texas sales room, 210 W. Mill Street. Hours are Monday to Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The New York sales room, located at 227 E. 120th Street, is open by appointment only. Phone 212-289-5524 or visit office@larkmason.com
October 1, 2021
A Partial Chinese Imperial Falangcai European-Subject Porcelain Vase, Qianlong four-character seal mark in blue and of the period, Height 4 7/8 inches, width overall 4 inches. Doyle, Asian Art sale, lot 189.
A rare and important Chinese Imperial falangcai vase achieved the week’s top price, $2.45 million at Doyle’s Asian Works of Art auction. It is one of a rare group of wares created during the reign of Qianlong (1735-1796), of which there are very few extant examples. The vase was the star of the collection of Belk department store heiress and philanthropist Sarah Belk Gambrell (1918-2020). Determined bidders from around the globe competing via telephone sent the vase soaring over its pre-sale estimate of $100,000/300,000.
The highlight of the sales at Bonhams was a gilt copper alloy figure of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava and Vajravetali, Ming dynasty, 15th Century, which fetched $687,812 in the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art sale. Unusually large in scale at a foot and half high, the figure was exhibited in the National Palace Museum in Taipei in 1987 as part of a landmark exhibition dedicated to Buddhist Art from the prestigious Nitta Group Collection (lot 1207, est. $600/800,000).
Paintings from their sale, The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy III were sought after, particularly a hanging scroll in ink and color on paper by the well-known modern artist Huang Binhong (1865-1955). The work brought $275,312, far more than the $100/150,000 estimate (lot 11).
One of the top lots in the Important Japanese Art sale at Christie's was an iron articulated sculpture of a mythical beast (Shachi) from the Edo period (18th century), signed Toto Ju Myochin Shikibu (Sosuke), which sold for $625,000, above the estimate of $120,000/170,000 (lot 12).
Jehangir Sabavala (1922-2011), The Embarkation, oil on canvas, 42 ¼ x 32 ¼ in. (107.3 x 81.9 cm.), Painted in 1965, Christie's, South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art, lot 624.
The week's highest price at the same house was $1,590,000 for The Embarkation, a much-published work by major modern artist, Jahangir Sabavala (1922-2011) in the South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale (lot 624, est. $300/500,000). The work achieved a world auction record for the artist. The painting, an oil on canvas, was painted in 1965, a period when Sabavala’s work underwent important changes.
Property from the Springfield Museums, sold to support art acquisitions and collections care, did very well in the house’s Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale. Two late Ming, 15th century gilt-bronze figures of deities did the best, selling for $1,158,000, more than double the $300/500,000 estimate (lot 601). They are notable for their large size and fine casting.
Chinese paintings were the stars at the Heritage Auctions Asian Art sale. Scholars and Attendants with Painting, a hanging scroll in ink and color on silk, attributed to 14th century artist Chen Yu (1313-1384), sold for $137,500, many times the $15/20,000 estimate (lot 78233).
Prices were very strong for many of the archaic bronzes from the MacClean Collection, sold in the Sotheby's sale of Important Chinese Art. The first lot, an extremely rare pair of late Shang Dynasty archaic bronze ritual vessels (ding), were the stars. They sold for $1,895,500, multiples of the $200/300,000 estimate. Not only do very few pairs of such vessels survive, but their inscriptions, Zi Gong, seem to have been rendered partly in mirrored image, identifying them as a true pair.
A Copper Alloy Figure of Vishnu, Bhudevi and Sridevi, South India, Vijayanagar, circa 14th/15th Century, Height of tallest 15 in. (38.1 cm), Sotheby's Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art, lot 371
The highest selling Indian & Southeast Asian antiquity in the recent week of sales was a copper alloy figure of Vishnu, Bhudevi and Sridevi, from South India, Vijayanagar, circa 14th/15th Century. It brought $685,500, a reflection of the rarity as well as the exceptional quality of the group (lot 371, estimate $200/300,000). The Alice Boney and Pan Asian Collection provenance was an additional asset.
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