B.S.P.I./Getty Images; Courtesy Asia Society

From Meiji to Now: The Making of Modern Japan
Wednesday, January 17, 6:30-8pm
Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, NYC

In associated with Asia Society’s recent exhibition, Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan, which reevaluated a seminal era of turmoil, creativity, and transformation in Japan spanning the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries, this in-person discussion will focus on the significance of the Meiji Restoration and the transformations in politics, society, and culture Japan experienced during this time and their relevance to the contemporary era. The talk will further examine the parallels and continuity between the two periods of transformation and explore their implications for the region as well as the wider world.

Opening remarks will be be made by Dr. Yasufumi Nakamori, Director of Asia Society Museum and Vice President of Arts and Culture.

Speakers will include Dr. Chelsea Foxwell, Associate Professor of Art History, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and the College, and Director, Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Chicago; Dr. Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor Emerita of History at Columbia University; Dr. Takako Hikotani, senior fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute in Tokyo; and Dr. Paul Sheard, economist and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Power of Money.

To learn more and purchase your tickets, click here.

Photo by Simon Cherry

The Winter Show
January 19 – 28, 2024
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue, NYC

Celebrating their 70th Anniversary this month,  The Winter Show will include three of our Asia Week New York members — Ralph M. Chait Galleries Inc., Joan B Mirviss LTD, and Thomsen Gallery.  On view from January 19th  through the 28th, Chait Galleries will be showing Fine Antique Chinese Porcelain and Artworks in Booth D7, Joan B Mirviss will be exhibiting Taking Space, Making Space: Japanese Women Ceramic Artists in Booth E5, and Thomsen Gallery will be displaying Japanese Paintings and Works of Art, including Antique and Modern Folding Screens, Scroll Paintings, Bamboo Baskets, Ceramics, and Gold Lacquer Boxes in Booth C6.

AWNY is also pleased to partner with The Winter Show on the panel discussion A Collecting Dynasty: The Rockefeller Family to be held on Saturday, January 20th. This engaging conversation brings together three expert panelists, moderated by Joan B Mirviss, and explores how the Rockefeller family’s lasting contributions to the world of art and antiques in many ways epitomize the pinnacle of patronage in the country. Due to an overwhelming response, this program is, unfortunately, now full, but stay tuned as we will post the full discussion online in our ‘Webinars and Videos’ section of this site in the near future.

The Winter Show is the leading art, antiques, and design fair in America, featuring many of the world’s top experts in the fine and decorative arts. The Fair was established in the mid-1950s as a benefit for East Side House Settlement and, by the end of that decade, had firmly established itself as the leading event of its kind in the United States.

To learn more and purchase your tickets, click here.

Mitsukuni Misaki, Blue Color-Glazed Mud Vessel, 2017,  H19 1/2 x W21 3/4 x L9 1/4 in, (H49 x W55 x L23 cm)

Ippodo Gallery
Floating Vessels: Stoneware by Mitsukuni Misaki
January 18 – February 15, 2024
Opening Reception: January 18, 6-8pm (RSVP requested)

Ippodo Gallery is delighted to announce their upcoming exhibition Floating Vessels: Stoneware by Mitsukuni Misaki, the master ceramicist’s return to New York after six years. Showcasing over 30 of Misaki’s latest works, ranging from small vases to majestic containers, the exhibition promises to explore his modern and hand-coiled forms.⁠
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Mitsukuni Misaki’s creations, reminiscent of the timeless ceramics of ancient civilizations, stretch out like a boundless horizon, inviting viewers to connect with the rich legacy of craftsmanship.  Be sure to visit and join the opening reception to witness the evolution of Misaki’s artistic journey.

To learn more, click here.

A Pair of Chinese Export ‘Leake Okeover’ Plates, Qing Dynasty, Qiuanlong Period, circa 1743, d: 9⅛ in. (23 cm.); Estimate: US$8,000-US$12,000, Lot 1, Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Chinese Export Art and Prints

Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Chinese Export Art and Prints
Sotheby’s New York
Live Auction: January 20, 2024 at 10:00am EST
Exhibition Preview: January 12-20, 2024

The Important Americana, Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Chinese Export and Prints auction includes many notable works from important American private collections. Among the fine furniture, decorative arts, silver, and folk art are a few standout Chinese export ceramics such as a pair of elaborately decorated “Leake Okeover” armorial plates and a porcelain hong punch bowl both dating from the Qianlong Period.

To learn more and view the sale, click here.

A China Trade View of Macao, Qing Dynasty, Mid-Late 19th Century, oil on canvas, depicting the view of the Praya Grande from south to north, 16.5 x 29.5 in; Estimate: US$10,000-US$15,000, Lot 138, Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Chinese Export Art and Prints

Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Chinese Export Art and Prints
Sotheby’s New York
Online Auction: January 11-20, 2024
Exhibition Preview: January 12-20, 2024

To learn more and view the digital catalog, click here.

A Pair of Chinese Export Porcelain Dragon-Carp Tureens, Covers and Stands, Qianlong Period (1735-1796), 9 ¼ in. (23.5 cm.) long; Estimate: US$40,000-US$60,000, Lot 528, Important Americana

Important Americana
Christie’s New York
Live Auction: January 18, 2:00pm EST (Lots 310-413) and January 19, 10:00am EST (Lots 414-568)
Viewing: January 12-13 & 16-18 (10am-5pm), 14-15 (1-5pm)

Among the offerings in this upcoming auction are forty Chinese export works of art from the Estate of Marvin Davidson including a very rare pair of dragon-carp tureens and stands, a figure group of Europeans formerly in the famed Mottahedeh collection, an ‘erotic’ pedicure group and armorial wares, including a plate from the Okeover service.

To learn more and view these lots, click here.

Kapoor Galleries
Joint Exhibition with H. Edward Gallery
Closing Reception: Friday, January 5th, 6-8pm
34 E. 67th St, 3rd Fl.

Kapoor Galleries with H. Edward Gallery celebrate the end of their joint exhibition with a closing reception tonight from 6-8pm. Immerse yourself in a mesmerizing collection of artworks spanning millennia with antiquities from Kapoor Galleries’ collection and contemporary art from H. Edward Gallery. Featuring artists Tsherin Sherpa, Waseem Ahmed, and Amal Lin, this in-person event presents a final opportunity to witness this unique, collaborative curation.

To learn more and RSVP, click here.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892), A Brief History of Japan: Susanoo no Mikoto Kills the Eight-Headed Serpent at Hirokawa in Izumo Province, 1887, polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e) triptych; Collection of Richard and Linda Greene

Asia Society
Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan
Closing Sunday, January 7, 2024

Closing soon, this Asia Society exhibition reevaluates a seminal era of turmoil, creativity, and transformation in Japan spanning the mid-19th to early-20th centuries.

Comprising over 80 works—including paintings, prints, photographs, sculptural works, and objects in various media, such as enamel, lacquer, embroidery, and textiles—Meiji Modern presents some of the finest examples of Meiji-period artworks in American collections, both public and private. Arranged around traditional Japanese motifs, such as the sea and nature, Buddhist deities, beauties, and mythical animals, this exhibit highlights these themes as they are transformed by the introduction of newly imported techniques, materials, and objects, surprising the viewer with works of technical virtuosity, unexpected scale, and sheer beauty.

Be sure to purchase your timed tickets here before the show closes on Sunday!

Giuseppe Castiglione (Italian, 1688–1766) and others (Chinese), Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts (detail), 1736–70s, Handscroll, ink and color on silk, painting: 53 x 688.3 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1969.31

Cleveland Museum of Art
China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta
Closing Sunday, January 7, 2024

These are the last few days to catch China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta, the first exhibition in the West focusing on the artistic production and cultural impact of a region located in the coastal area south of the Yangzi River. Called Jiangnan, this region has throughout large parts of its history been one of the wealthiest, most populous, and fertile lands. Art from Jiangnan—home to such great cities as Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing, as well as to hilly picturesque landscapes stretched along rivers and lakes—has defined the image of traditional China for the world.

The exhibition features more than 200 objects from Neolithic times to the 18th century, ranging from jade, silk, prints, and paintings to porcelain, lacquer, and bamboo carvings. Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta explores how this region gained a leading role in China’s artistic production and how it succeeded in setting cultural standards.

Learn more and reserve your timed tickets here.

Also be sure to view our recent webinar with curator Dr. Clarissa Von Spee where she provided historical context and fascinating insights into this exhibition.

Kim Hono 金憲鎬, G-8 Plate, stoneware, h 1.8 x w 9.5 x d 8.5 inches (h 4.5 x w 24.1 x d 21.5 cm)

Winter Kogei Collection
Exhibition of Japanese Contemporary Sake and Tea Ceramics
Closing Thursday, January 4, 2024

There is still time to catch Dai Ichi Arts’ holiday collection featuring new ceramic works by their three gallery artists Kim Hono, Ikenishi Go, and Komago Tetsutarou before it closes this Thursday.

Each of these artist-craftsmen bring unique perspectives to the concept of Kogei, crafting objects from the heart that are full of joy. Exploring form, function, decoration, and traditions, their expressions of Kogei serve as a vibrant tribute to the joys of form and function in expansive objects. This exhibition showcases the debut collections of Ikenishi Go & Komago Tetsutaro at Dai Ichi Arts and in the United States, as well as a new ceramic collection by Kim Hono.

Be sure to make an appointment to view these works today!

To learn more, click here.