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The Met’s Annual Distinguished Lecture on the Arts of South and Southeast Asia

TheMet-HinduGods

Subramaniyan with his consorts Valli and Devasena (detail), Ravi Varma Press, c. 1900–1915, Color lithograph, varnish. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art, 2021

Annual Distinguished Lecture on the Arts of South and Southeast Asia: Gods at the Gate of Modernity—Religious Arts in Colonial Calcutta
Friday, March 20, 2026, 6-7pm
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

In Calcutta, the cosmopolitan colonial capital of 19th-century India, artists and artisans adapted new technologies of mechanical reproduction to render the Hindu gods more accessible and affordable. During this time, they pioneered the chromolithographic religious print, a form of popular devotional imagery that became ubiquitous in twentieth-century India. This lecture explores how this new genre emerged and proliferated into the pervasive visual language of modern India.

This lecture is made possible by the generous support of Jeff Soref and Paul Lombardi. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Household Gods: Hindu Devotional Prints, 1860–1930.

Free with Museum admission, though advance registration is required. Please note: Space is limited; first come, first served. Registration does not guarantee admission once the lecture hall reaches capacity.

To learn more and register, click here.

• • •

Join The Frick Collections’ Chinese Porcelain Lectures

FRick-Conversations

(Left): Vase, Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong Period (1735-1796), hard-paste porcelain with polychrome overglaze and underglaze blue, 21 x 10 1/2″ @The Frick Pittsburgh; (Right): Vase Japon, Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, French, 1774, hard-paste porcelain with silver-gilt mount, H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm), diam. 8 in. (20.3 cm). Purchase in Honor of Anne L. Poulet, 2011

Discover the global stories behind remarkable works of art with two special lectures at The Frick Collection during Asia Week New York!

On Friday, March 20 at 6pm,  Looking East from Fifth Avenue: Chinese Porcelain at The Frick Collection explores the significance of Chinese porcelain within the Frick’s celebrated collection and its enduring appeal in the West. Then on Monday, March 23 at 6:30pm, Sèvres Manufactory’s Vase Japon: An Extraordinary Exchange between France and China examines a fascinating moment of artistic exchange that brought together European craftsmanship and Chinese inspiration.

Don’t miss these illuminating talks that highlight the rich cultural dialogues at the heart of the Frick’s collection–space is limited, so register today!

Looking East from Fifth Avenue: Chinese Porcelain at The Frick Collection
Friday, March 20, 2026, 6–7pm
Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium
Free with registration

Join Yifu Liu, Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow, for an illuminating lecture tracing the evolution of Chinese porcelain at The Frick Collection—from Henry Clay Frick’s earliest acquisitions to the museum’s most recent additions. The talk explores imperial porcelains, blue-and-white wares, and export pieces while examining how these works shaped—and continue to enrich—the Frick’s renowned collection.

To register, click here.

Sèvres Manufactory’s Vase Japon: An Extraordinary Exchange between France and China
Monday, March 23, 2026, 6:30–8:30pm
Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium
Free with registration

Discover the story behind the Vase Japon, an extraordinary eighteenth-century porcelain that reflects a remarkable exchange between France and China. In this engaging talk at The Frick Collection, curators Marie-Laure Buku Pongo and Yifu Liu explore how the Sèvres Manufactory created this work through artistic and diplomatic connections between Louis XVI and the Qianlong Emperor, revealing new insights into this fascinating object and related porcelains in the Frick’s collection.

To learn more and RSVP, click here.

• • •

Asia Week New York March 2026 Auction Guide

Auction-Guide-2026

Top Row (L-R): Selection of Fine Asian Works of Art at Doyle; A Blackground Thangka of Mahakala (detail), Tibet 16th/early 17th c. at Bonhams; A Pair of Large Iron-Red Decorated “Dragons” Chargers, Late Qing Dynasty at Freeman’s;  Bottom Row (L-R): Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Kanagawa oki nami ura (Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa) [“Great Wave”] (detail) at Christie’s; A very rare and important ‘huanghuali’ folding horseshoe-back armchair (Jiaoyi), Late Ming / early Qing dynasty, 17th c. at Sotheby’s’; Collection of Chinese Paintings from the Robert Crowder Estate at Heritage Auctions

This year’s Asia Week New York brings together an exceptional collection of Asian works of art on offer from our member auction houses—Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Freeman’s, Heritage Auctions, and Sotheby’s. Be sure to mark your calendars for all their viewings, sales and lectures!

Bonhams_March2026Indian
A BLACKGROUND THANGKA OF MAHAKALA, TIBET 16TH/EARLY 17TH CENTURY; Lot 713; Estimate: US$200,000 – US$300,000; Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art Sale

BONHAMS
111 W 57th Street

Panel Discussion: How an Artist’s Biography Influences Collectors: Featuring the Work of Park Soo-keun
Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 2pm EDT

Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Auction: Monday, March 23, 2026 at 9am EDT
Previews: March 18–22, 10am–5pm

The Francine and Bernard Wald Collection of Fine Snuff Bottles, Part III
Auction: Monday, March 23, 2026 at 2pm EDT
Previews: March 18–22, 10am–5pm

Chinese Paintings, Calligraphy and Prints
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 9am EDT
Previews: March 19–23, 10am–5pm

Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 12:30pm EDT
Previews: March 18–23, 10am–5pm

Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, Part II
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 10am EDT
Previews: March 18–24, 10am–5pm

Fine Japanese and Korean Art
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 12pm EDT
Previews: March 18–24, 10am–5pm

Arts of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas Online
March 20–27, 2026 starting at 12pm EDT
Previews: March 18–23, 10am–5pm

Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Online
March 22–31, 2026 starting at 12pm EDT
Previews: March 18–22, 10am–5pm

Japanese Ceramics Online
March 25–April 2, 2026

To learn more and for up-to-date information, click here.

Christies_March2026
KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (1760-1849), Kanagawa oki nami ura (Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa) [“Great Wave”] Lot 84, Estimate US$800,000-1,200,000, Christie’s Japanese and Korean Art Sale

CHRISTIE’S
20 Rockefeller Plaza

Japanese and Korean Art
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 10am EDT (Lots 1-165)
Previews: March 20–21 & 23, 10am-5pm; March 22, 1-5pm

South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art 
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 10am EDT (Lots 301-395)
Previews: March 20–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 1-5pm

Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 2pm EDT (Lots 501-547)
Previews: March 20–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 1-5pm

Important Chinese Art 
Two-Day Auction:
Thursday March 26, 2026 at 9am EDT (Lots 601-732)
Friday, March 27, 2026 at 9am EDT (Lots 801-893)
Previews: March 20–21 & 23–25, 10am-5pm; March 22, 1-5pm

Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition
Online Auction: Wednesday, March 18 – Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 10am EDT

South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Online
Online Auction: Wednesday, March 18 – Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 10am EDT

Arts of Asia Online
Online Auction: March 18 – April 2, 2026 at 10am EDT

To learn more and for up-to-date information, click here.

Doyle_March2026GroupHoriz
Selection of Fine Asian Works of Art

DOYLE
175 East 87th Street

Session I: Fine Chinese Works of Art Featuring The Tina Hills Collection (Lots 1 – 275)
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 10am EDT
Previews: March 20–23, 12–5pm

Session II: Fine Asian Works of Art (Lots 301 – 595)
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 10am EDT
Previews: March 20–23, 12–5pm

To learn more and for up-to-date information, click here.

Freeman_March-2026
A Pair of Large Iron-Red Decorated “Dragons” Chargers, Late Qing Dynasty; Lot 86; Estimate: $10,000-15,000, Asian Works of Art Sale

FREEMAN’S
32 East 67th Street

Asian Works of Art
Sale 6479

Auction: Friday, March 27, 2026 at 10am EDT
Previews: March 20–26, 10am-5pm (Closed March 22)

To learn more and for up-to-date information, click here.

Heritage-Auctions_BeautyShotMarch2026
Collection of Chinese Paintings from the Robert Crowder Estate  

HERITAGE AUCTIONS
Highlights Preview at 445 Park Avenue

Asian Art Signature® Auction #8254
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 11am EDT at 2801 W. Airport Freeway Dallas
Highlights Preview: March 19–21 & 23–24 from 10am-5pm at 445 Park Avenue, NYC

To learn more and for up-to-date information, click here.

Sothebys_HHLMarch2026
A very rare and important ‘huanghuali’ folding horseshoe-back armchair (Jiaoyi), Late Ming / early Qing dynasty, 17th century; Lot 8; Estimate: US$1,200,000 – 2,000,000; Huanghuali for the Scholar’s Studio: An Important Private Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture Sale

SOTHEBY’S
945 Madison Avenue

Asian Art Lecture Series
Sunday, March 22, 2026 from 1-3pm

Indian & Himalayan Art, including Property from the Zimmerman Family Collection
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 9:30am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

Huanghuali for the Scholar’s Studio: An Important Private Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 9am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

Chinese Art
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 9:30am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art
Auction: Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 11am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–25, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

Impressions of the Past: Han Dynasty Tomb Bricks from the Art Institute of Chicago
March 6 – 31, 2026 at 11am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

Chinese Art in America: Loans from Important Private Collections
Further details forthcoming.

ZARINA
March 19 – 25, 2026
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–25, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

To learn more and for up-to-date information, click here.

• • •

Tina Kim Gallery Presents Our Spring

TinaKim_OurSpring

Suki Seokyeong Kang: Our Spring
March 12 – April 25, 2026
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 12, 6-8pm
Poetry and Musical Performance: Thursday, March 12 at 6:30pm (kindly RSVP)525
525 West 21st St, NYC

Tina Kim Gallery is honored to present a solo exhibition of the late Korean artist Suki Seokyeong Kang (1977–2025), on view from March 12 through April 25, 2026. Coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the artist’s untimely passing, this exhibition stands as both a memorial and a celebration of her singular artistic vision. The presentation brings together significant sculptural and two-dimensional works from the last decade of the artist’s life and will mark the New York debut of pieces from some of Kang’s most influential series.

The exhibition follows Kang’s critically acclaimed surveys at the Leeum Museum of Art (2023) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (2025), highlighting the enduring and global resonance of her practice. Working with industrial materials like steel and aluminum alongside the organic warmth of silk, thread, and hanji, Kang developed a unique visual vocabulary composed of works scaled in close relation to the body, functioning as tender extensions of human motion, balance, and mutual support.

Be sure to join the opening reception and a special poetry and musical performance on Thursday, March 12!

To learn more and RSVP, click here.

• • •

Christie’s March 2026 Asia Week New York Auctions

Christies_March2026

KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (1760-1849), Kanagawa oki nami ura (Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa) [“Great Wave”] Lot 84, Estimate US$800,000-1,200,000, Japanese and Korean Art Sale

Christie’s Asian Art Week returns to New York this month, spotlighting masterworks from across the region’s most celebrated artistic traditions.

Leading the week is Gesture (1977) by Tyeb Mehta, a commanding highlight of the South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art auction, presented alongside significant works by Sayed Haider Raza, Maqbool Fida Husain and Ganesh Pyne. Japanese and Korean Art is crowned by Katsushika Hokusai’s Great Wave and an exceptional Joseon Dynasty Moon Jar.

Important Chinese Art presents rare imperial ceramics, Shouyang Studio bronzes as well as pottery and porcelains from the Max N. Berry Collections, led by a Yongzheng mark-and-period doucai meiping. Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art features important Indian miniature paintings, including works from the Parson Family Collection.

For the first time, Christie’s introduces a new online sale Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition, exploring the visual dialogue between Japan’s classical artistic heritage and the subcultural movements that have shaped contemporary global culture. Explore these works and more at our Rockefeller Center galleries before the auctions begin March 20!

Explore the full auction schedules below:

Japanese and Korean Art
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 10am EDT ( Lots 1-165)
Previews: March 20–23, 2026

This season’s Japanese and Korean Art sale is led by a masterpiece Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai and a superb example of a Joseon Dynasty Moon Jar, one of the most coveted and culturally significant forms in Korean ceramics. Moon Jars — spherical, luminous white vessels dating from the 17th to 19th centuries — are considered among the highest achievements of Korean ceramic artistry and are prized for their rarity, with only handful examples surviving worldwide.

The auction also features a complete set of Utagawa Hiroshige’s One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo, a fine collection of netsuke, an excellent section of modern paintings, and a curated selection of lacquer works, metalworks, sculptures, 20th‑century prints, Japanese and Korean ceramics, and much more.

→ Learn more

Christies_March2026SouthAsian
GANESH PYNE (1937-2013), Crossing the Fountain, Lot 306, Estimate: US$300,000-500,000; South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Sale

South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 10am EDT (Lots 301-395)
Previews: March 20–24, 2026

This spring, Christie’s auction of South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art will take place on March 25. This season’s catalogue brings to the market several important works that have not been seen in public for several decades, celebrating the rich diversity of artistic approaches that have emerged from South Asia and its global diaspora across the 20th and 21st centuries.

Led by Tyeb Mehta’s 1977 masterpiece Gesture, the auction brings together an exceptional group of modern works, including an impressive set of paintings from the 1950s by Sayed Haider Raza, an important early painting by Maqbool Fida Husain titled Puppet Dancers, and Jehangir Sabavala’s 1959 Butterflies over Pink Blossoms and 1970 Green Thoughts in a Green Shade. These works are complemented by an extremely rare, large-format canvas by K. Ramanujam, alongside a seminal collection of early works by Ganesh Pyne, including Crossing the Fountain (1974), and striking paintings by Francis Newton Souza, Ram Kumar, K. K. Hebbar, Jagdish Swaminathan, Prabhakar Barwe, Manjit Bawa and Avinash Chandra among others.

The catalogue also features works by significant forerunners of this group, including Edwin Lord Weeks, Pestonji Bomanji, J. P. Gangooly, Jamini Roy, George Keyt and Richard Gabriel, and is rounded out by notable contemporary works by Sheila Makhijani, Jitish Kallat and Senaka Senanayake.

The live auction will be accompanied by an online sale running from March 18–April 1, 2026.

→ Learn more

Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art

Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 2pm EDT (Lots 501-547)
Previews: March 20–24, 2026

This season’s sale features several distinguished private American collections of Indian miniature paintings, including works from the Parson Family Collection. Highlights include a battle scene of Haldighati, signed by Choka, and a Sajnu painting of the Holy Family. Another exceptional collection of early Mughal Indian painting is led by a 16th‑century Mughal painting from the Razmnama.

The auction also includes an important 10th‑century Indian marble attendant figure, with notable provenance from the collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth.

→ Learn more

Christies_March2026Chinese

A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE SANCAI-GLAZED POTTERY FIGURE OF A CAPARISONED HORSE, TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907), 24⅛ in. (61 cm.) wide, Lot 699; Estimate: US$400,000-800,000, Important Chinese Art Sale

Important Chinese Art
Two-Day Auction:
Thursday March 26, 2026 at 9am EDT (Lots 601-732)
Friday, March 27, 2026 at 9am EDT (Lots 801-893)
Previews: March 20-25

This season, Important Chinese Art features exceptional works from distinguished American private collections, including early bronzes from the Shouyang Studio; Tang pottery and monochrome porcelains from the Max N. Berry Collections; magnificent Ming and Qing ceramics from the Stuart Collection; and three Qianlong treasures preserved by the descendants of Charles Soong.

The sale is led by a very rare and magnificent Yongzheng mark‑and‑period ‘floral bouquet’ doucai meiping, together with a Qianlong mark‑and‑period turquoise‑ground famille rose double gourd‑form triple‑necked vase. The offering also includes a superb selection of classical Chinese furniture, jades and snuff bottles, as well as exemplary Buddhist sculpture, notably a rare painted wood figure of a standing bodhisattva from the Jin dynasty (1115–1234).

Additional highlights include a magnificent Qianlong mark‑and‑period doucai ‘dragon’ moon flask, an exceptionally rare and important large copper‑red reverse‑decorated bowl from the Hongwu period (1368–1398), and a very rare 17th‑century huanghuali trestle‑leg table.

→ Learn more

Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition
Online Auction: Wednesday, March 18 – Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 10am EDT

This season, during Asian Art Week, Christie’s presents Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition, a new online auction exploring the visual dialogue between Japan’s classical artistic heritage and the subcultural movements that have shaped contemporary global culture.

The sale brings together original manga drawings by Osamu Tezuka, anime cels from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Doraemon, and vintage film posters of Godzilla, shown alongside traditional and contemporary works by artists such as Katsushika Hokusai and Yoshitomo Nara. Together, these works trace the enduring resonance of motifs, techniques, and narratives rooted in Japan’s past—sources that continue to inspire some of its most influential modern expressions.

Rather than positioning subculture as a departure from tradition, this carefully curated auction presents it as a dynamic evolution—one that bridges craftsmanship, storytelling, and visual innovation across generations.

→ Learn more

South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Online
Online Auction: Wednesday, March 18  – Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 10am EDT

Christie’s annual South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Online auction will take place from March 18 to 1 April 1,  complementing our live sale in New York on March 25. The catalogue brings together varied artistic traditions and innovative styles developed in South Asia and its diaspora, and includes several works by emerging and established artists, with accessible estimates for both new and seasoned collectors.

This spring, our catalogue features a strong selection of works by three founders of the Progressive Artists’ Group – Maqbool Fida Husain, Francis Newton Souza and Sayed Haider Raza. Other highlights include paintings by Mohan Samant, Avinash Chandra, Sohan Qadri, Homi Patel, B. Prabha and Shanti Dave, as well as notable works on paper and prints by Zainul Abedin, Ivan Peries, Ganesh Haloi and Jogen Chowdhury, among others. These works are complemented by a selection of lots by significant contemporary artists including Jitish Kallat, Nataraj Sharma, Sheila Makhijani, Paresh Maity and Reena Saini Kallat.

→ Learn more

Arts of Asia Online
Online Auction: March 18 – April 2, 2026 at 10am EDT

Arts of Asia Online presents a curated selection of artworks representing centuries of history and culture across Asia. The diverse offering includes ceramics, jade carvings, lacquerwares, metalwork, sculptures, prints, paintings and more. With a wide range of estimates, Arts of Asia Online offers opportunities for both burgeoning and established collectors of Asian art.

Highlights include two contemporary paintings by the acclaimed Chinese artist Liu Dan, an extensive selection of Tang-dynasty pottery and monochrome porcelains from the Max N. Berry Collections, and a varied group of prints by some of Japan’s most celebrated artists, including Katsushika Hokusai and Kawase Hasui. The sale also features exquisite Indian miniature paintings from the Parson Family Collection and the William J. Rutter Collection.

→ Learn more

For an overview of all these auctions, click here.

• • •

Heritage March 2026 Asia Week New York Auctions

Heritage_March2026Bowl

A Chinese Famille Rose Ruby-Ground Sgraffito ‘Medallion’ Bowl, six-character Daoguang mark and of the period, 2-1/2 x 5-7/8 inches (6.3 x 14.9 cm) (diam.); Lot #78040 

Asian Art Signature® Auction #8254

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 11am EDT
Highlight Previews: March 19–21 & 23–24 from 10am-5pm at 445 Park Avenue, NYC  

The Asian Art Department at Heritage Auctions is proud to present this carefully curated Signature Auction, highlighted by a distinguished collection of Chinese and Japanese paintings from the estate of American artist and collector Robert Crowder. This sale offers a wide array of objects spanning diverse regions, periods, and media.

Highlights include paintings, Chinese porcelain and ceramics, jade and hardstone carvings, and a dedicated offering of Japanese woodblock prints, including works by masters from ukiyo-e to shin-hanga. Together, these categories present a balanced and compelling survey of Asian art, offering collectors exceptional works that embody both scholarly tradition and enduring aesthetic appeal.

→ Learn more

• • •

Sotheby’s March 2026 Asia Week New York Auctions

Sothebys_MarchIndian2026

An important thangka depicting Vajrasana Buddha at Bodh Gaya, Tibet, 14th / 15th century; Lot 823; Estimate: US$400,000 – 800,000 USD, Indian & Himalayan Art, including Property from the Zimmerman Family Collection Sale

This month, explore the rich legacy of Asian Art at Sotheby’s, where tradition and innovation join in a stunning showcase at the Breuer building. From ancient masterpieces to contemporary expressions, discover seven centuries of artistic excellence at their exhibition in their New York galleries from March 14–25, culminating with a series of live and online auctions that begin on March 24. Also be sure to join their afternoon of lectures on Sunday, March 22.

Explore the full lecture and auction schedule below:

ASIAN ART LECTURES SERIES
Sunday, March 22nd, 2026

1:00pm | Into the Studio: Huanghuali Furniture in Focus by Nicholas Grindley
A guided tour of the Huanghuali for the Scholar’s Studio: An Important Private Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture. Please note this tour takes place in the 4th floor galleries and is limited by RSVP to 15 attendees.

2:00pm | The Yuan Dynasty Stage-Granary: An Architectural and Historical Examination by Nancy S. Steinhardt, Professor of East Asian Art at University of Philadelphia, Curator of Chinese Art, PENN Museum

3:00pm | From Private Passion to Public Legacy: Women Who Built the Art Institute of Chicago’s Chinese Art Collection by Seung Hee Oh, Assistant Curator of Chinese Art, Arts of Asia, Art Institute of Chicago

To learn more, click here.

ASIA WEEK NEW YORK AUCTIONS

Indian & Himalayan Art, including Property from the Zimmerman Family Collection
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 9:30am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

The Indian & Himalayan Art auction is led by an important assemblage of Tibetan and Nepalese art from the Zimmerman Family Collection, the preeminent collection of Himalayan art in the United States, a part of which forms the core of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Himalayan holdings. The selection of twelve thangkas and bronzes, extensively published since the 1960’s and included in major exhibitions of Himalayan art, is now being dispersed to the market on the occasion of the inaugural Asian Art auctions at the Breuer building.

Other highlights of the sale include a superb Khasa Malla copper alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha and a group of Gandharan sculpture from the collection of Paul Theroux, the celebrated travel writer and novelist.

Learn more

Sothebys_HHLMarch2026
A very rare and important ‘huanghuali’ folding horseshoe-back armchair (Jiaoyi), Late Ming / early Qing dynasty, 17th century; Lot 8; Estiimate: US$1,200,000 – 2,000,000; Huanghuali for the Scholar’s Studio: An Important Private Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture Sale

Huanghuali for the Scholar’s Studio: An Important Private Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 9am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

This season, Sotheby’s is honored to present Huanghuali for the Scholar’s Studio: An Important Private Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture, comprising fourteen exceptional works of Ming- and early Qing-dynasty ‘huanghuali’ furniture from a distinguished private collection. The sale is led by an exceedingly rare and important seventeenth-century ‘huanghuali’ folding horseshoe-back armchair (jiaoyi), formerly in the collection of Frederic Mueller and previously part of the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture in Renaissance, California. With fewer than thirty examples of this form known to survive from the Ming dynasty, the folding horseshoe-back armchair is one of the rarest and most celebrated forms within the canon of classical Chinese furniture. Distinguished by its elaborately carved openwork backsplat and sinuously curved crestrail, the present chair stands as a masterful expression of the form. Other highlights include a rare pair of seventeenth-century ‘huanghuali’ and ‘huamu’ ‘Fu character’ armchairs (sichutouguanmaoyi), also formerly in the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture; a rare late Ming-dynasty ‘huanghuali’ trestle-leg altar table (qiaotou’an); and a very rare seventeenth-century ‘huanghuali’ sedan chair from the esteemed collection of Robert and Alice Piccus.

Learn more

Chinese Art
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 9:30am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

Sotheby’s New York is honored to present the inaugural Chinese Art auction at the Breuer building. The sale offers a remarkable journey through Chinese art, from early ritual bronzes to Qing imperial masterpieces. Highlights include a distinguished group of Tang and Song ceramics from an important American private collection; a rare Song dynasty Guanyao lobed dish formerly in the Frederick M. Meyer Collection; a magnificent Xuande mark and period blue and white jar previously held by the Chang Foundation; a striking dappled black-glazed bowing Ferghana horse from the Cindy and Jay Pritzker Collection; as well as an Early Western Zhou dynasty four-handled archaic bronze ritual food vessel from a Colorado family collection. The sale also includes a selection of Ming and Qing porcelain, archaic bronzes, jades, lacquerware, scholars’ objects, classical furniture, a group of ink rubbings from the Wu Family Shrine, and historical documents relating to the Xi’an Incident, presented on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of this pivotal moment in modern Chinese history.

Learn more

Sothebys_SouthAsianMarch2026

Maqbool Fida Husain, Seve[n] Shades […] Bamboos; Estimate US$450,000 – 650,000; Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Sale

Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art
Auction: Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 11am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–25, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

This season’s Modern & Contemporary South Asian auction takes a comprehensive look at artwork from the region, showcasing paintings and works on paper from across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, the upcoming sale features trailblazers of South Asian art, creators who questioned convention and pioneered their own visual languages. Sourced from across the United States and from around the world, the works in this auction indicate the extraordinary reach of South Asian art and its appreciation amongst the international art community.

The sale is led by a seminal work by Maqbool Fida Husain, Second Act (1958), which is the most widely published and frequently exhibited work ever sold in this category at Sotheby’s. This history includes important books such as Harry N. Abram’s Husain monograph (1971) and MoMA Oxford’s India: Myth and Reality show (1982). Other highlights in the auction are a Francis Newton Souza published in Edwin Mullin’s F N Souza monograph (1962), a Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar shown in the landmark Geneva show Coups de Coeur (1987), a K.C.S. Paniker from the Words and Symbols series, and other fresh-to-market property from artists such as Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Jagdish Swaminathan, Ram Kumar, Bhupen Khakhar, Anwar Jalal Shemza and Zainul Abedin.

Learn more

Impressions of the Past: Han Dynasty Tomb Bricks from the Art Institute of Chicago
March 6 – 31, 2026 at 11am EDT
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–24, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

This spring Asian Art week, Sotheby’s presents a singular opportunity to acquire Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) works from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Presented across 52 lots – all of which are offered without reserve – the sale comprises an extensive collection of impressed tomb bricks, all originally acquired from the esteemed dealers Yamanaka & Company around 1925 by Kate S. Buckingham. Commissioned for the construction of a tomb, each earthenware brick is impressed with auspicious themes and imagery from daily life and mythological stories.

Learn more

Chinese Art in America: Loans from Important
Private Collections

Further details forthcoming.

ZARINA
March 19 – 25, 2026
Previews: March 19–21 & 23–25, 10am-5pm; March 22, 12-5pm

As we mark the inaugural Asia Week at our new home – the Breuer Building – Zarina (1937-2020) offers a particularly resonant presence, her practice having examined the idea of ‘home’ with sustained depth and clarity. An Indian-born American artist, Zarina is best known as a printmaker. Her work was profoundly shaped by a life lived across continents, which arose, in part, through her marriage to an Indian diplomat. Grounded in line, memory, and place, her prints and sculptures explore themes of migration and belonging with disciplined restraint. Sourced from three private collections, this exhibition brings together significant works from across Zarina’s most prized subjects and mediums.

Learn more

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Bonhams March 2026 Asia Week New York Auctions

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A FINE AND EXCEPTIONAL YANGCAI BLUE-GROUND ‘LOTUS’ BOTTLE VASE, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period, Lot 35, Estimate: US$300,000 – US$500,000, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Sale

Discover Asia Week at Bonhams, featuring a slate of nine auctions celebrating expertly crafted works of art from across Asia. From Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Works of Art and Paintings to rare Himalayan thangkas and bronzes, browse an array of rare works and celebrated collections, from a Joseon Moon Jar to Imperial Zitan furniture.

Also be sure to join them for a panel discussion on Sunday, March 22 at 2pm EDT!

Explore the full auction and event schedule below:

Panel Discussion
How an Artist’s Biography Influences Collectors: Featuring the Work of Park Soo-keun
Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 2pm EDT

Love the artist, love the art? How much does biography influence a collector’s decision to buy or not to buy an object? Join for a panel discussion exploring this question through the paintings of Korean artist Park Soo-keun. The discussion will feature Joe Earle, Bonhams Global Consultant for Japanese and Korean Art, and Kyunghee Pyun, PhD, Professor of Art History and Museum Professions at FIT, with Eana Kim, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor of History of Art and Design at Pratt Institute, serving as moderator.

To register for free, click here.

Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Auction: Monday, March 23, 2026 at 9am EDT
Previews: March 18–22, 10am–5pm

A Fine and Exceptional Yangcai Blue-Ground ‘Lotus’ Bottle Vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period, estimated at US$300,000 – 500,000 is among the standout highlights in the Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale on March 23. Finely painted in brilliant pastel enamels over a meticulously carved blue sgraffiato ground, the vase exemplifies the technical sophistication and lavish aesthetic of imperial yangcai porcelain at its height. Closely related examples can be found in major museum collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Palace Museum, Taipei, underscoring the rarity and significance of the present vase.

Learn more

Francine and Bernard Wald Collection of Fine Snuff Bottles, Part III
Auction: Monday, March 23, 2026 at 2pm EDT
Previews: March 18–22, 10am–5pm

This third instalment of the couple’s collection will comprise 150 lots and will showcase a variety of media, including fine examples of jade and agate such as a Shadow‑Agate Snuff Bottle, 1780-1860, portraying five bats rising from a gourd plume, estimated at US$1,500–2,500.

Learn more

Chinese Paintings, Calligraphy and Prints
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 9am EDT
Previews: March 19–23, 10am–5pm

Leading the Chinese Paintings, Calligraphy and Prints sale on March 24, is a curated group of eight significant paintings from the collection of Paul Cheng-tzu Mao (1922–2012), consulate representative of the Republic of China in San Francisco and a prominent supporter of Asian artists in the Western United States. Through his decades‑long engagement with the artistic community, Mao forged close relationships with leading painters – including Zhang Daqian (1899–1986), one of the most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century – which resulted in several works dedicated to him. Standouts within the collection include two paintings by Zhang Daqian, both estimated at US$100,000 – 150,000: Red Lotus Dedicated to Mr. And Mrs. Mao Cheng-tzu, 1974; and Landscape with Waterfall for Mao Cheng-tzu, 1974.

Generally scarce and rare to come to market, the sale’s selection of Chinese prints includes editions of the Shizhuzhai Shuhuapu considered to be the most important examples of early polychrome printing, as well as wartime prints created by artists at the Lu Xun Academy of Art and Literature at Yannan, dating back to the 1930s.

Learn more

Bonhams_March2026Indian

A BLACKGROUND THANGKA OF MAHAKALA, TIBET 16TH/EARLY 17TH CENTURY; Lot 713; Estimate: US$200,000 – US$300,000; Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art Sale,

Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art
Auction: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 12:30pm EDT
Previews: March 18–23, 10am–5pm

Also on March 24, the Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art sale will offer 57 lots, spanning important stone and metal sculpture, Tibetan thangkas, early Jain bronzes, rare manuscript covers, and Indian court paintings. A major highlight in the sale is a Large Gold-Ground Thangka of Amitabha, 16th century, estimated at $US200,000 – 300,000. Masterfully painted in the tradition of the important Menri School of Tibetan painting, the present lot work has closely related to an example in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Download our catalogue today!

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Netsuke from the Collection of Joseph and Elena Kurstin, Part II
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 10am EDT
Previews: March 18–24, 10am–5pm

Following the success of the Kurstin Collection’s inaugural sale in 2022, which exceeded its expectations when it totalled US$1.9 million with over 93% lots sold, this next instalment of the internationally recognised collection of fine Japanese netsuke includes a of 30 miniature sculptural masterpieces. Highlights include an important Wood Netsuke of Shoki the Demon Queller by Tametaka (active circa 1750–1780), estimated at US$100,000–150,000; and an Important Wood Netsuke of a Man-Faced Kirin attributed to Unjūtō Shumemaru (active second half of the 18th century), estimated at US$70,000 – 90,000.

Learn more

Bonhams_March2026
A LARGE AND IMPORTANT WHITE PORCELAIN MOON JAR, Joseon dynasty (1392-1897), 18th century; Lot 1136, Estimate: US$800,000 – US$1,000,000; Fine Japanese and Korean Art Sale

Fine Japanese and Korean Art
Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 12pm EDT
Previews: March 18–24, 10am–5pm

A Large and Important White Porcelain Moon Jar, from the 18th century Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), estimated at US$800,000 – 1,000,000, highlights the Fine Japanese & Korean Art sale on March 25. With fewer than 30 Moon Jars known worldwide, the present lot ranks among the finest surviving examples of its type and is regarded to be one of the largest ever to appear on the market in the West. With its near‑perfect spherical form and luminous milky glaze, it exemplifies the technical mastery of the Gwangju royal kilns at the height of their production, reflecting an extraordinary level of craftsmanship.

Also notable in the sale are two fresh-to-market paintings by self-taught South Korean artist Park Soo Keun (1914–1965), whose works are increasingly rare to the market. Both estimated at US$250,000 – 350,000, and from the Collection of Peter Grey Vosburgh, by descent, they include Park’s Five Women, 1962, and Three Women and a Child Resting, 1960.

Learn more

 

Beginning March 20, be sure to check out the following Online Sales of impressive works of art:

Arts of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas Online
March 20–27, 2026 starting at 12pm EDT
Previews: March 18–23, 10am–5pm

Further details forthcoming.

Learn more

Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Online
March 22–31, 2026 starting at 12pm EDT
Previews: March 18–22, 10am–5pm

Further details forthcoming.

Learn more

Japanese Ceramics Online
March 25–April 2, 2026

Further details forthcoming.

Learn more

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Asia Week March 2026 Museum Exhibition Guide

TheMet_JapaneseCeramics

Dish with Three Jars. Edo period (1615–1868), 1680–90s. Porcelain with cobalt under and polychrome enamels over a transparent glaze (Hizen ware, Nabeshima type), H. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm); Diam. 6 in. (15.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1975.268.563). Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In addition to the extraordinary gallery exhibitions and auction house viewings, begin planning your Asia Week New York schedule with this highlighted selection of Asian art museum exhibitions on view throughout New York City and the surrounding region. Many will feature opening receptions or related programs, which are also listed in our Calendar of Events here. Start exploring now and make the most of these upcoming weeks celebrating Asian art across the city!

ASIA SOCIETY MUSEUM

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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. Courtesy Asia Society

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

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). With highlights including spectacular Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, and rare Chinese, Korean, and Japanese ceramics, this exhibition celebrates historic achievements in Asian art spanning more than two millennia.

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.

CHINA INSTITUTE GALLERY

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Photograph from the opera Farewell, My Concubine, performed in the U.S., 1930, digital image, collection of Chinese National Academy of Arts, ©Chinese National Academy of Arts. Courtesy Chinese Institute Gallery

The Dancing Goddess: Mei Lanfang in America
March 12 – July 12, 2026
Curator’s Talk: Mar. 12, 6:30–8pm
Asia Week New York Open House: March 26, 2026, 10am-8pm (free admission with light refreshments)

Step into the vibrant world of Mei Lanfang, the 20th-century’s greatest performer of Peking Opera, whose sensational 1930 American tour forever changed the landscape of modern theater. In celebration of China Institute’s centennial, this exhibition revisits this milestone of Sino-American cultural exchange, a pivotal moment sponsored by the Institute itself. Featuring an extraordinary collection of his revolutionary stage costumes, rare photographs, original production materials, and artwork that illuminate the breadth of his creative genius.

THE FRICK COLLECTION

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(From left to right): Vase, probably 19th century, Famille noire porcelain, 27 x 10 1/2 in., Henry Clay Frick Bequest @ The Frick Collection; Dragon Jars with Cover (Pair), Qing Dynasty (1644−1911), Kangxi Period (1662−1722), Hard-paste porcelain with underglaze blue, 3 3/8 x 3 9/16 in. Bequest of Childs Frick in memory of Frances Dixon Frick, 1965 @ The Frick Collection; Vase, Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong Period (1735-1796), Hard-paste porcelain with polychrome overglaze and underglaze blue, 21 x 10 1/2″ @The Frick Pittsburgh. Courtesy The Frick Collection

Looking East from Fifth Avenue: Chinese Porcelain at The Frick Collection
Friday, March 20, 2026 from 6–7pm
Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium
Free with registration

Join Yifu Liu, Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow, for an illuminating lecture tracing the evolution of Chinese porcelain at The Frick Collection—from Henry Clay Frick’s earliest acquisitions to the museum’s most recent additions. Alongside the famille noire vases, polychrome enameled jars, and mounted wares that Frick cherished, the lecture will introduce lesser-known yet highly valuable imperial porcelain from the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns; blue-and-white wares from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century; and Kangxi export dishes produced for European markets. Liu will examine the historical circumstances surrounding the formation of Frick’s porcelain collection, reevaluate its cultural relevance today, and explore its relationship with the European art for which the museum is best known.

JAPAN SOCIETY GALLERY

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Kawai Kanjirō, Dish with motif of hand and flower on white ground, 1951. Collection of Kawai Kanjirō House. Photo courtesy of Kawai Kanjirō House

Kawai Kanjirō: House to House
March 10 – May 10, 2026
Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 18 at 5pm (kindly RSVP)
Kawai Kanjirō’s Way of Tea Talk & Tea Ceremony: Thursday, March 19 at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm
JASA Annual Lecture: Sunday, March 22 at 11am

This solo exhibition celebrates the remarkable life and career of folk potter, poet, and artist Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966) for the first time in the United States. Kawai is best known for his influential role in the mingei (folk art) movement in Japan, which he founded in the mid-1920s with his friends, the philosopher Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961) and the potter Hamada Shōji (1894–1978). Showcasing representative works from Kawai’s personal collection that are rarely seen outside his former home (now a museum known as the Kawai Kanjirō House), the exhibit traces the evolution from the artist’s early functional ceramic ware to his late-career modernist wood sculptures.

JAPANESE ART SOCIETY OF AMERICA

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Lecture and Annual Meeting: We Do Not Work Alone: Kawai Kanjirō and Ceramics in Modern Kyoto
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Lecture at 11am & Annual Meeting at 12pm  
Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St. NYC

Preceding JASA’s annual meeting at noon, Meghen Jones, Professor of Art History at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University will give the talk We Do Not Work Alone: Kawai Kanjirō and Ceramics in Modern Kyoto. Kindly sign-up in advance. If attending in person for the Annual Meeting in person, register here.  If attending by Zoom for the Annual Meeting, register here. If attending the 11am lecture via Zoom, register here.

THE KOREA SOCIETY

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Ran Hwang, Return to Nature #1 (detail), 2025; Image courtesy of the Artist

Ran Hwang | Noble Blossoms
Through April 17, 2026
Artist Talk: Friday, March 20, 2026 at 6pm

In her solo exhibition, Ran Hwang presents large-scale installations that are both intricate and poetic, delicate yet dramatic, as they explore the cyclical patterns of life and the fleeting nature of beauty. Hwang creates her art through a meticulous and repetitive process, utilizing everyday materials such as paper buttons and pins. This requires intense concentration and discipline, reflecting the meditative state of Zen masters and the spiritual values traditionally sought by scholars of the past. Through her work, Hwang evokes a sense of tranquility, inviting the viewer into an experience that seeks fulfillment and peace.

KOREA GALLERY AT KCCNY

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Buhm Hong, Memory Weeds (2016–2025), razor-cut acrylic installation. Courtesy of the artist. Courtesy Korean Cultural Center NY

Choong Sup Lim: In Between
February 19 – April 12, 2025

The Korean Cultural Center New York is proud to present 사 잇 In Between, an exhibition celebrating the profound artistic legacy of Choong Sup Lim (b. 1941). Lim’s work transcends the boundaries of nature and civilization, tradition and modernity, Korea and New York, illuminating the transformative potential of the liminal spaces where these realms converge. Central to Lim’s work is the use of found objects, which serve as vessels of memory and time. His recent installations, marked by intricate craftsmanship, merge Korean sensibilities with contemporary relevance, offering a profound meditation on cultural duality and artistic reinvention.

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

TheMet-HinduGods
Subramaniyan with his consorts Valli and Devasena (detail), Ravi Varma Press, c. 1900–1915, Color lithograph, varnish. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art, 2021

In addition to their many Asian art exhibitions on view, join their Annual Distinguished Lecture on the Arts of South and Southeast Asia on Friday, March 14!

Gods at the Gate of Modernity—Religious Arts in Colonial Calcutta
Friday, March 20, 2026, 6-7pm
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

In Calcutta, the cosmopolitan colonial capital of 19th-century India, artists and artisans adapted new technologies of mechanical reproduction to render the Hindu gods more accessible and affordable. During this time, they pioneered the chromolithographic religious print, a form of popular devotional imagery that became ubiquitous in twentieth-century India. This lecture explores how this new genre emerged and proliferated into the pervasive visual language of modern India.

Household Gods: Hindu Devotional Prints, 1860–1930
Through June 27, 2027

Household Gods: Hindu Devotional Prints, 1860–1930 presents the first encyclopedic exhibition of these chromolithographic prints from the pioneering studio presses of Calcutta (Kolkata), Poona (Pune), and Bombay (Mumbai). These mass-produced prints became a powerful means of expressing Indian religious identity at a time when the country was experiencing the first stirrings of the Independence movement.

The Infinite Artistry of Japanese Ceramics
Through August 8, 2027

This exhibition explores Japan’s extensive and rich history of ceramic art through approximately 350 extraordinary works presented in themes that offer fresh perspectives on the diverse forms and functions, from everyday tableware to vessels created for tea masters and elite households to modern sculptural compositions.

Celebrating the Year of the Horse
Through January 26, 2027

This exhibition brings together works from The Met Collection to explore the horse’s enduring nature and vital place in Chinese civilization. In Chinese popular culture, horses are among the most celebrated animals, and in the spiritual realm they serve as noble mounts for divine guardians believed to bring joy, protection, and prosperity to the household. This presentation, featuring a range of expressive works in ceramics, glass, jade, and metal, and woodblock prints, illuminates these roles while celebrating the horse’s power, vitality, and spirit.

Colorful Korea: The Lea R. Sneider Collection
Through February 16, 2026

Over the course of forty years, Lea R. Sneider (1925–2020) formed a significant collection of Korean art that challenged established norms. This exhibition features a substantial gift and loans from the Lea R. Sneider Collection, featuring approximately 100 works spanning the fifth century to the present. Through paintings, ceramics, furniture, textiles, and funerary and ritual objects, the exhibition explores the enduring presence of auspicious symbolism and the understated dynamism that define Korean art.

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM

Princeton_Toshiko
Toshiko Takaezu, Sunrise Egg, ca. 2003–4, refired 2006. Princeton University Art Museum. Gift of the artist. © Toshiko Takaezu. Photo: Bruce M. White. Courtesy Princeton University Art Museum

Toshiko Takaezu: Dialogues in Clay
October 31, 2025 – July 5, 2026
David Nasher Haemisegger Gallery

Drawing from the museum’s collection including some recent gifts, the works featured in these galleries span more than five hundred years from 1500 to the present and vary in mediums from painting to ceramics. They showcase the evolution and expansion of artistic expressions of the land in Japan, and offer glimpses into the shifting cultural and social landscapes as well.

Journeys Real and Imagined in East Asian Art
Ongoing

South Asian Art
Ongoing

Trade and the Arts of Islam
Ongoing

RUBIN MUSEUM OF HIMALAYAN ART

Rubin_AboutLivingCulture

Installation view, About a Living Culture at Diversity Plaza, Jackson Heights, NYC. Photo by Nicholas Knight, courtesy of the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art

About a Living Culture
Through September 13, 2026
Diversity Plaza, Jackson Heights, NYC

Nepalese artist IMAGINE (a.k.a Sneha Shrestha) presents a new temporary public art installation that celebrates and takes inspiration from the diverse Himalayan cultures of the Jackson Heights, Queens, neighborhood. In her first public art sculpture, IMAGINE’s  installation is in the shape of an arch made of repeating rows of ‘Ka,’ the first letter of the Nepali alphabet. In Nepal, religious and sacred environments feature variations in the form of archways, which encourage passersby to look through and get blessings from the divine. IMAGINE’s sculpture will invite the public to interact and experience a meditation and “send” it out to the universe as they embark upon their pathways through Diversity Plaza.

CHARLES B. WANG CENTER AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

CharlesBWang_Sacred-Paper-Exhibition

Sacred Paper: Korean Ritual Artsnju Seo
March 9 – May 24, 2026
Opening Reception: Monday, Mar 9, 5-7pm (kindly RSVP)
Lecture: Monday, Mar 9 at 4pm
Demonstrations: Monday, Mar 9 at 5:30pm

Korea’s ritual paper arts reveal a remarkably inventive tradition in which humble mulberry paper becomes an expressive material of extraordinary range. Sacred Paper: Korean Ritual Arts highlights two regional practices that transform fragile fibers into complex sculptural forms. \ Shown together, these works celebrate paper’s versatility, regional diversity, and enduring craftsmanship.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART

Smithsonian_Vishnu
omposite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, © Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly

Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean
Through September 7, 2026

At the dawn of time, the Hindu god Vishnu slept on a coiled serpent floating in the primordial ocean. There, he dreamed the universe into existence. This magnificent story of creation comes to life through the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia, now on loan from the National Museum of Cambodia. For the first time in centuries, you can experience this sculpture’s full monumental scale: a breathtaking six meters long (nearly twenty feet). Only the head and torso have been displayed since 1936, when the sculpture was found buried in a pit with dozens of loose bronze fragments. A team of international experts has recently conserved and reconnected the body’s remnants after decades of scientific research.

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART

Philly_MiyashitaTwinBreezes
Twin Breezes, 2008, Miyashita Zenji (Japanese, 1939 – 2012), glazed stoneware with colored-clay bands. Purchased with the East Asian Art Revolving Fund and with funds contributed by Maxine de S. Lewis, 2024-9-1. Photography by Richard Goodbody, Courtesy of Joan B Mirviss LTD. Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art

Visions of the Land in Japan
Through April 20, 2026

Drawing from the museum’s collection including some recent gifts, the works featured in these galleries span more than five hundred years from 1500 to the present and vary in mediums from painting to ceramics. They showcase the evolution and expansion of artistic expressions of the land in Japan, and offer glimpses into the shifting cultural and social landscapes as well.

Fantastical Creatures of Asia
Ongoing

This exhibition brings together works that explore how artists across time and region have imagined the supernatural to express cultural values, spiritual beliefs, and contemporary concerns. Together, they reveal Asia’s enduring fascination with fantastical beings and the powerful stories they convey.

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Artists in Conversation: A Prelude to Asia Week New York

ZetterquistPanel1

Thanh Hoa Whiteware Bowl, Ly-Tran Dynasty, 13th-14th c., Vietnam, 60 x 120 cm. Copyright Eric J. Zetterquist, 2021

Asia Week New York x Sigma Foundation Present
The Art and Craft of Photography: From Asian Traditions to Contemporary Practice
Thursday, March 12 at 6:30pm (EDT)
Seizan Gallery
525 West 26th Street
Free and open to all

Get a first look at Asia Week New York! In colloration with Sigma Foundation, join us for an exclusive preview event that kicks off the celebrations and sets the stage for an extraordinary week of art, culture, and inspiration!

Join us for an engaging discussion on the evolution of photographic practice—from its historical foundations to today’s bold contemporary innovations. This panel brings together artists, a curator, and an industry expert to explore how photography has developed over time, highlighting the influence of Japanese and Asian traditions on modern work and its role in a global context today.

Panelists will delve into the interplay of tradition and experimentation, the impact of photographic technology on artistic vision, and the curatorial opportunities and challenges of presenting Japanese photography to international audiences. From postwar photo narratives to contemporary abstraction, this lively conversation will illuminate the enduring dialogue between history, craft, and creative reinvention.

Start the celebration of Asia Week New York with us and sign up today!

Kindly RSVP to [email protected]

 

The Distinguished Panel of Experts Include:

Gen Aihara, Artist
Aihara is a Japanese photographer whose work explores the relationship between materiality, light, and abstraction. In his earliest works with photograms, one of the earliest photographic processes, Aihara created images by placing and manipulating elements such as water directly onto photosensitive paper and exposing them to light. Rooted in historic photographic techniques, his practice bridges past and present, transforming analog methods into a contemporary visual language. In addition to his own artistic practice, Aihara serves as production and installation manager for Hiroshi Sugimoto. This dual perspective informs his work, blending deep technical expertise with a visionary approach to contemporary photography.

Maggie Mustard, Assistant Curator of Photography, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, The New York Public Library
Maggie is an educator, curator, and art historian specializing on the history of photography. She earned her PhD in Art History and Archaeology from Columbia University, where her dissertation focused on questions of memory and photographic representation in the work of Japanese postwar photographer Kawada Kikuji. Previously, she served as Chief Curatorial Advisor for The Incomplete Araki: Sex, Life, and Death in the Works of Nobuyoshi Araki, was the Marcia Tucker Senior Research Fellow at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and Visiting Assistant Professor at Wesleyan University. Her recent curated exhibitions at NYPL include New York Subways 1977: Alen MacWeeney and The Awe of the Arctic: A Visual History.

Kazuto Yamaki, CEO, Sigma Corporation, and Founder, Sigma Foundation
Yamaki is CEO of Sigma Corporation, a family-owned Japanese manufacturer of cameras and lenses. Appointed CEO in February 2012, he has led the company for more than a decade, overseeing the development of major new products, global growth, and numerous international design awards. In 2025, he established the Sigma Foundation, a philanthropic initiative dedicated to supporting photography as an art form and fostering new platforms for photographic expression.

Eric Zetterquist, Artist
Zetterquist draws on a millennium-old Chinese tradition of painting portraits of art objects to celebrate their beauty and the accomplishments of collectors. Following this practice, he creates portraits of Asian ceramics dating from 2500 B.C. to 1400 A.D., isolating forms and emphasizing the negative space they create. His large-scale, black-and-white images with “painterly” edges and matte textured surfaces evoke Asian calligraphy and offer what he calls “warm minimalist” abstractions. Not merely photographs of objects, Zetterquist’s work challenge their viewers to explore concepts of form and negative space in both ancient and contemporary contexts, and remind us that we are part of a human chain that stretches back through the millennia, whose core values of beauty and artistic integrity are stalwart.

Moderated by Alice Teng, Executive Director, Asia Week New York

 

About Sigma Foundation
The Sigma Foundation is a philanthropic initiative dedicated to advancing photography as an art form. The Foundation collaborates with artists worldwide to produce and present their work – regardless of whether they use Sigma products. Through its Photobook Project, the Sigma Foundation commissions and publishes long-form, artist-driven books. The inaugural artists in the series – Sølve Sundsbø, Julia Hetta, Stephen Gill, and Anders Petersen – reflect the Foundation’s commitment to craftsmanship, creative independence, and the enduring power of the printed image. To learn more, click here.

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