ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITIONS AND EVENT
Shiva as Vinadhara (Player of the Vina). India, Tamil Nadu; Chola period, about 970. Copper alloy. H. 27 3/4 in. (70.5 cm); W. 17 5/8 in. (44.8 cm); D. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm). Asia Society, New York: Gift of Hope Aldrich, 2024.1
Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon: Celebrating 70 Years of Asia Society and the Rockefeller Legacy
March 18, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Members-Only Opening: Tuesday, March 17, 5:30-8:45pm
Patrons-Only Preview: Tuesday, March 17, 5:30-6:30pm
In celebration of Asia Society’s 70th anniversary, Asia Society Museum presents Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon: Celebrating 70 Years of Asia Society and the Rockefeller Legacy.
Displaying seventy of the finest examples of Asian art in the United States drawn from Asia Society’s permanent collection, the exhibition showcases the extraordinary range of bronzes, ceramics, and metalwork thoughtfully assembled between the 1950s and the 1970s by John D. Rockefeller 3rd (1906-1978) and his wife Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller (1909-1992). John D. Rockefeller 3rd founded Asia Society in 1956 with the mission to promote greater knowledge of Asia in the United States; the bequest of the collection to Asia Society in 1979 underscores the Rockefellers’ conviction that an aesthetic encounter with great works of art promotes deep cross-cultural understanding.
With highlights including spectacular Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, and rare Chinese, Korean, and Japanese ceramics, Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon celebrates historic achievements in Asian art spanning more than two millennia. The exhibition foregrounds the transformative power of faith and the catalyzing potential of international trade in the creation of great works of art across Asia.
Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon presents a special opportunity for museum visitors to experience the unparalleled quality of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection at its home at Asia Society Museum in New York City.
To learn more, click here.
Krishna and Balarama in Pursuit of the Demon Shankashura. Circa 1690; India, Rajasthan, Bikaner. Gouache, gold, and silver on paper. H. 9 in. (23 cm); W. 5 1/5 in. (13.3 cm). Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Acquisitions Fund, 2002.2
Recent Acquisitions from Hope Aldrich and Sandra Ferry Rockefeller
and
Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller and the Rockefeller Collection
Concurrently on view with Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon: Celebrating 70 Years of Asia Society and the Rockefeller Legacy are two companion displays. The first features recent acquisitions from Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd’s daughters Hope Aldrich and Sandra Ferry Rockefeller, along with five comparative pieces from Asia Society Museum’s permanent collection. In addition, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller and the Rockefeller Collection, on display in the Visitors Center, includes works Mrs. Rockefeller gave to the museum after the foundational bequest in 1979.
To learn more, click here.
Leo Bar Happy Hour
Thursday, March 19, 6-8:30pm
$25 per ticket includes a free drink and Museum admission
Celebrate Asia Society’s 70th anniversary and celebrate Holi, one of South Asia’s most vibrant and widely celebrated festivals, often called the Festival of Colors. It marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes renewal, joy, and the victory of good over evil. See Asia Society Museum’s newest exhibition, Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon, at the March edition of our Leo Bar Happy Hour. Join friends old and new, community members, and Asia Society supporters at our monthly happy hour in the gorgeous Garden Court. Leo Bar tickets include free museum admission, discounts at AsiaStore and on membership, and one drink. Open to ages 21+.
To learn more, click here.
ON VIEW
Horse. Circa 14th-early 18th century. China. Wood with brushed brown lacquer. H. 8 x L. 14 3/4 x W. 5 1/2 in. (20.3 x 37.5 x 14 cm). Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.121
Year of the Fire Horse
January 14 – March 8, 2026
Free Exhibit in Visitor Center
Welcome the Year of the Fire Horse with our special display of equine sculptures in the Visitor Center.
Symbolizing immense prowess across Asia, the horse was seen as an emblem of success and elevated social status dating back to the fourth century. It is likely that horses were domesticated during the late Neolithic period, around 2500 B.C., and were first introduced to China as means of transportation by bowmen living in Southeastern Europe and Western Asia shortly before 300 B.C. Horses were used not only for transportation along trade routes but also as chargers in war and
were bred as such.
This Lunar New Year, which begins on February 17, 2026, is the Year of the Fire Horse. One of the earliest known mentions of the horse in the context of the zodiac is from The Book of Songs (circa 11th–7th BCE), a foundational text in Chinese culture. Another early mention occurs in a popular Chinese Daoist legend, in which the Jade Emperor held a race for all animals in pursuit of selecting the first twelve to finish as animals of the zodiac cycle. Throughout the cycle, one animal is associated with one of the Five Elements each year: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth.
The intersection of the two is thought to determine the qualities and personality of a person born during that zodiac year, with each element bringing out different attributes. (Asia Society’s founder John D. Rockefeller 3rd was born in a Year of the Fire Horse, in 1906.) For 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse is expected to bring to the world a cycle of heightened passion, boldness, energy, and courage.
To learn more, click here.
