Susumu Shingu, Astral Forest, 2013, stainless steel, aluminum, polyester cloth

Susumu Shingu: Sculpting with Wind, Ippodo Gallery
Concludes December 29

Ippodo Gallery presents the renowned kinetic-sculptor Susumu Shingu’s first solo exhibition in the United States. Shingu’s large-scale public works are and have been continuously displayed around the world.

The artist’s large-scale permanent outdoor sculptures serve as a reminder of the constancy and immensity of the Earth’s natural forces – wind, water, light, and gravity – that affect our human bodies/lives. The artist’s elegantly engineered sculptures are durable yet never the same, responding to diverse environments. Shingu’s kinetic sculptures oppose the perception that the world around us is eternal or static; they visually and mentally activate a viewer’s sense of their individual relationship to nature.

Shingu’s wondrous churning objects explore how the environment shapes and creates behavior, and have made him a favorite of well-known architects, including Renzo Piano, Tadao Ando, and Enrique Norten. Ippodo Gallery offers an exceptional showcase of drawings, interior sculptures, and colorful abstract paintings, as well as several large-scale exterior proposals.

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Kawase Hasui (1883-1957), Santa Claus, ca. 1950s, koban 5 3/4 x 3 7/8 in. (14.5 by 10 cm.),
Scholten Japanese Art

Your friends at AWNY wish you a happy and healthy holiday season with the warm company of friends and family, wonderful food, time for peace and ease, and some occasions to enjoy great art!

Vase Technique Carpet, Kerman Province, Iran, 1600s, hand-knotted wool pile,
Saint Louis Art Museum: Gift of Nellie Ballard White, 285:1972

Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia,
Denver Art Museum
December 18, 2022-May 28, 2023

Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia opens a window into the artistic and utilitarian innovations of weavers, domestic consumption, and the cross-cultural exchanges between present-day Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) from the 1500s to the 1900s.

The stories in Rugged Beauty showcase the living traditions of western Asia, a vast and culturally rich region of the world. Each of the more than 40 objects on display were made by hand, predominantly dyed by hand, and hand-woven using the knotted-pile weaving technique. Though the individual identities of the makers are mostly unknown, the rugs' designs of rich colors, intricate patterns, and complex symbols reveal a deep history of trade, diplomacy, and foreign relationships.

Related Events:
January 24, 2023, 6–7pm
Artist Talk: Baseera Khan

March 25, 2023, 9am–4pm
From Workshop to Nomad: New Thinking about Rug Weaving Categories and Design Influences

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Clockwise from upper left: Minegishi Seiko (born 1952), Beige Colored Tea Bowl in Cracked Celadon, stoneware, H: 3.5 in. (8.8 cm.), Dia. 4.7 in. (11.9 cm.), Dai Ichi Arts LTD; Inoue Manji (born 1929, Living National Treasure), Engraved Hakuji (white porcelain) Peony Cup, 2019, H. 4 3/4 in. (12 cm.), Onishi Gallery; 11.83ctw Diamond 14K Yellow Gold Bracelet, with 38 round diamonds, Lot 6410808, FR3SHLM at iGavel; and Tsuchiya Kōitsu (1870-1949), Koitsu: Sacred Bridge at Nikko, 1937 (this edition ca. late 1940s), ôban (28.8 x 42.7 cm), Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints

Trying to find the perfect and unique gift? Something that special person will treasure for years to come? The members of Asia Week New York have just the right thing!

Peruse the fine works of art offered by AWNY dealers, and you'll find fabulous Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and South Asian works of art, contemporary and antique, two or three dimensional, in many media, click here.

In addition to our auction house members who have sales going on now, others have exceptional works of art available for private sale…click here.

And, finally, museum memberships provide hours of education and pleasure throughout 2023! AWNY member museums offer a wide array of engaging exhibitions and programs, click here.

The Asia Week New York Association is pleased to announce that 26 international galleries and six auction houses—Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Heritage Auctions, iGavel, and Sotheby’s —will participate in the 2023 edition of Asia Week New York. Now in its 14th year of celebrating Asian art and culture, the exhibitions and auctions—both in-person and online—commence March 16th through March 24th.

“We’re delighted to announce our distinguished roster of dealers and auction houses and look forward to their exciting and diverse array of Asian art treasures,” says Dessa Goddard, chairman of Asia Week New York.

This year, Asia Week New York welcomes the Japan-based gallery Shibunkaku, which makes its debut with a joint exhibition at Joan B Mirviss LTD. Also returning to the fold are Buddhist Art from Germany and Runjeet Singh from England.

As always, the Asia Week New York galleries and auction houses will present a spectacular array of treasures featuring the rarest and finest examples of Asian porcelain, jewelry, textiles, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, bronzes, and prints from across Asia, dating from the second millennium BCE to the present. Organized by category, the following is the roster of the participating galleries:

Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art:
• Art Passages (United States)
• Buddhist Art (Germany)
• Oliver Forge & Brendan Lynch, Ltd (England)
• Kapoor Galleries (United States)
• Thomas Murray (United States)
• Akar Prakar (India)
• Runjeet Singh (England)

Ancient and/or Contemporary Chinese Art:
• Fu Qiumeng Fine Art (United States)
• Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc. (United States)
• INKstudio (United States/China)
• Kaikodo LLC (United States)
• Zetterquist Galleries (United States)

Ancient and/or Contemporary Japanese Art:
• The Art of Japan (United States)
• Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. (United States)
• Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints (United States)
• Ippodo Gallery (United States)
• Joan B Mirviss LTD (United States)
• Onishi Gallery (United States)
• Scholten Japanese Art (United States)
• Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art (United States)
• Shibunkaku (Japan)
• Thomsen Gallery (United States)
• TAI Modern (United States)
• Hiroshi Yanagi Oriental Art (Japan)
• MIYAKO YOSHINAGA (United States)

Ancient and Contemporary Korean Art:
• HK Art & Antiques LLC (United States)

Runjeet Singh
Maharani Dhal (Shield)
Mewar, India
18th century
61.2 cm. (24 in.)

Kaikodo LLC
Large Fahua Porcelain Jar with the Eight Immortals
Ming dynasty, 15-16th century
H.32.5 cm., Dia. 32.8 cm.

Joan B Mirviss LTD
Wada Morihiro (1944-2008)
Kakugenki; Brilliance and Mystery Vessel
1997
Slip-glazed stoneware
18 1/8 x 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 in.
Photo by Richard Goodbody. Courtesy of Joan B Mirviss LTD.

HK Art and Antiques LLC
Incised Celadon Bottle
Goryeo Dynasty (12th Century)
H. 2 1⁄2 in. (6 1/3 cm.); Dia. 3 in. (7 2/3 cm.)

Great Waves and Mountains: Perspectives and Discoveries in Collecting the Arts of Japan
by Natsu Oyobe and Allysa B. Peyton (editors)

This richly illustrated volume, just published this week as part of the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Manuscript Series by the University of Florida Press, addresses the history of collecting Japanese art and the factors that contributed to the growth of collections in North America following the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The wide-ranging essays, prepared by contributors that include Princess Akiko of Mikasa, Midori Oka, Akiko Takesue, Robert Mintz, Sinéad Vilbar, Wai Yee Chiong, Jeannie Kenmotsu, John Teramoto, and Vivian Li, fill in gaps in the scholarly investigation of the subject. Art historians discuss the historical development of the Japanese aesthetic and examine questions of connoisseurship, authenticity, and controversial collectors and their current-day reception.

The volume also features case studies on the formation of Japanese art collections in North America, exploring the diverse array of factors that contributed to their quality, contents, and the role that these collections play for their respective communities. Contributors delve into university and museum archives and interview art dealers, collectors, and artists to better understand their own collections. They present original research on cross-pollination and dialogue between artists from Japan and the United States, the development and growth of museums, and the personal histories of the people who shaped art collections. Together, these essays illustrate the shifting priorities in the collection of Japanese art across 150 years.

Naitō Toyomasa (1773-1856), A Fine Wood Netsuke of Tengu no Tamago (Hatching Tengu), Edo period (1615-1868), 19th century, Lot 61, Estimate: $30,000-40,000

Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, Bonhams New York
Live auction, December 16, 2022, 10am EST

The culmination of more than 40 years of collecting, the Joseph and Elena Kurstin Collection of netsuke features a selection of masterpieces by a veritable who’s who of carvers. Discover and bid on 61 netsuke by notable artists such as Masanao of Kyoto, Tametaka of Nagoya, Naito Toyomasa, and Seiyodo Tomiharu.

Dr. Joseph Kurstin began collecting while still a young man in St. Louis after a life-changing visit to New York. He later became a physician and settled in Miami, where he assembled a highly impressive collection. Dr. Kurstin became known to collectors and scholars for the quality of his collection and the breadth of his knowledge. He was also well appreciated for his generosity, with both his time, expertise, and loans from his collection. Among the institutions that have benefited from loans from his collection are Yale University Art Gallery; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Epcot Center; and the Tobacco and Salt Museum in Tokyo.

L-R: Hisao Hanafusa, Fifth Dimension-QM7, 2019, aluminum paint on canvas, 24 x 19 1/4 in. (61 x 49 cm), Fu Qiumeng Fine Art; Gold Lacquer Tea Caddy with Autumn Leaves, maki-e gold lacquer, 1990s, 3 x 3 x 3 in. (7.7 x 7.4 x 7.4 cm), Thomsen Gallery; and Nabeshima Plate with Polychrome Decoration, Edo Period (1690-1740), Dia: 20.5cm, Zetterquist Galleries

Japanese and Korean Ceramics, Zetterquist Galleries
Concludes December 15
The Japanese section spotlights excellent and rare examples of several important kiln-types, starting with an unusually large Jomon ritual food container dating to 3500-2500 BC, continuing on to Medieval stonewares from Bizen, Tokoname and Mino kilns that illustrate their continued use in the Japanese tea ceremony, and Japanese porcelains of two different types: Nabeshima-type and Kokutani-type.

A group of Korean Koryo Dynasty celadons is highlighted with a large rectangular tile with inlaid decoration of birds and foliage, one of only three such pieces known in the United States.

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Golden Treasures: Japanese Gold Lacquer Boxes,
Thomsen Gallery
Concludes December 16
The exhibition features exceptional works with designs in maki-e, which literally means “sprinkled pictures” and refers to the technique of sprinkling powders of gold and silver onto wet lacquer, a uniquely Japanese tradition that developed in the Heian Period (794–1185).

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Hisao Hanafusa: Borrowing Nature’s Powers, Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Concludes December 17
Hisao Hanafusa: Borrowing Nature’s Powers is a solo exhibition of the Japanese-American artist’s most recent projects Cosmic Memory and Fifth Dimension, as well as examples of his highly acclaimed carpentry works. The two projects re-introduce Hanafusa through the East Asian way of borrowing nature’s strength and making it one’s own. Although the method of using natural processes to complete the work has been present in his work since the 1960s, it has never drawn significant attention. This exhibition foregrounds this methodology of power borrowing, and offers the audience an intrinsic and essentially philosophical way of understanding Hanafusa.

The exhibition is curated by Dr. Tingting Xu, the Arnaldo Momigliano Postdoctoral Scholar in the Division of Humanities at The University of Chicago. An exhibition catalog is available, including Dr. Xu’s introductory essay and her interview with Hanafusa.

Read more, click here

Ancient Sound Made New: Experience the Brilliance of China’s Chime-Bells,
China Institute
In-person event, Friday, December 16, 6:30-8pm

China Institute invites visitors to a unique music experience with the New Dasheng Chime-Bells (大晟新钟), ceremonial carillon reconstructed based on historical models of Dasheng Bells (the Great Brilliance) of the 12th Century, connecting the sound of China’s dynastic rituals to the music world today.

This set of 20 new Dasheng Chime-bells, beautifully designed by Dr. Youping Li (李幼平) from Wuhan Conservatory of Music, are identical to their historical models except for pitches adjusted to match current and universal standards. New music for these bells with symphony orchestra, including Grand Prize winning compositions, will be performed at Carnegie Hall on December 29, when Valparaiso University will formally present the bells as a gift to China Institute, their new home in New York.

With the presence of these magnificent chime-bells, audience members will learn from three distinguished speakers—Joseph Lam, Youping Li, and Dennis Friesen-Carper—the extraordinary story of the new Dasheng Chime-bells, their journey not only a tale of cultural exchange through music, but representing U.S.-China relation in our time today. The audience will also have the opportunity to hear and interact with the bells during and after the program.

Read more, click here.