What's Happening in Asian Art...
September 15, 2021
A Gilt Copper Alloy Figure of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava and Vajravetali, Ming Dynasty, mid-15th century, 19 1/4 in. (49 cm) high, Bonhams, Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art
Bonhams
The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy III
20 September 2021, 10:00 EDT
Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Paintings
20 September 2021, 12:00 EDT
The Manfred Arnold Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles
21 September 2021 10:00 EDT
The Emily Byrne Curtis Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles
21 September 2021, 13:00 EDT
Fine Japanese and Korean Art, including the Crawford Collection of Surimono
22 September 2021, 10:00 EDT
Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art
23 September 2021, 10:00 EDT
Auction viewings:
16 Sept 2021 10:00 - 17:00 EDT
17 Sept 2021 10:00 - 17:00 EDT
18 Sept 2021 10:00 - 17:00 EDT
19 Sept 2021 10:00 - 17:00 EDT
An Exceptionally Rare and Important Parcel-Gilt Silver 'Rhinoceros' Dish,Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), 6 in. (15.2 cm.) diam.; weight 315g, Christie's, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Christie's
Important Japanese Art
21 September 10:00 AM EDT
Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art
22 September, 08:30 AM EDT
South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art
22 September 11:00 AM EDT
Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
23 September 08:30 AM EDT - 24 September 08:30 AM EDT
Asia!
14 September 10AM - 28 September 9AM (EDT)
From Artist to Woodblock: Japanese Prints Online
14 September 10AM - 29 September 10AM (EDT)
Auction Viewings: September 17-22. Check for viewing hours. Appointments are needed
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 Works of Art
Doyle
Asian Works of Art
Auction: Monday, September 20 at 10am
Session II: Friday, September 24 at 10am
Exhibition: Friday, September 17-Sunday, September 19, Noon-5pm
Location: Doyle, 175 East 87th Street, NYC 10128
Attributed to Chen Yu (Chinese, 1313-1384), Scholars and Attendants with Painting, Ink and color on silk, 67 x 41 inches (170.2 x 104.1 cm) (work), 99 x 47 inches (251.5 x 119.4 cm) (scroll), Heritage Auctions, Asian Art
Heritage Auctions
Asian Art
Signature® Auction | September 22, 2021
Highlights Preview
September 13 – 21 (closed Sunday, September 19) | By Appointment
Heritage Auctions
445 Park Ave | New York, NY 10022-2606
Pair of Chinese Zitan Armchairs, Nanguanmaoyi, Qing Dynasty, iGavel, Asian Works of Art
iGavel
Asian Works of Art
October 5 - 21, 2021
Viewing available by appointment
Contact: office@larkmasonassociates.com or +1 212-289-5524
An Exceptionally Rare Gold-Ground Famille-Rose Five-Piece Altar Set (Wugong), Seal Marks and Period of Qianlong, Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, Session 1
Sotheby's
LIVE AUCTIONS
Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art
20 September 2021, 11 am. EDT,
Important Chinese Art, Session 1,
21 September 2021, 9 a.m. EDT
Important Chinese Art, Session 2,
22 September 2021, 9 a.m. EDT
ONLINE AUCTIONS
Junkunc: Chinese Art,
17-27 September 2021, Bidding opens at 10:00 a.m. EDT
In the Studio: Asian Art Featuring Works from the Collection of Bruce Dayton and Ruth Stricker Dayton,
17-28 September 2021, Bidding opens at 10:00 a.m. EDT
The Hundred Antiques: Fine and Decorative Asian Art,
17-28 September 2021, Bidding opens at 10:00 a.m. EDT
EXHIBITION TIMES
17 Sept 21 • 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT
18 Sept 21 • 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM EDT
19 Sept 21 • 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT
20 Sept 21 • 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT
21 Sept 21 • 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT
View the Asia Week New York: Autumn 2021 Viewing Rooms here
September 14, 2021
Portrait of Fath ‘Ali Shah from the William Fraser Collection,
India, Delhi, c. 1815-1820, Opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Oval Painting :12. 5 x 9.8 cm in its original frame, Francesca Galloway
We are very excited to announce that starting September 17th through October 1st, 23 international galleries will present their exhibitions online at www.asiaweekny.com or in their New York galleries (by appointment or check for hours) with six auction houses–Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Heritage, iGavel, and Sotheby’s mounting their respective sales.
Says Asia Week New York chairman Dessa Goddard: “We are delighted to present the Autumn 2021 edition of Asia Week New York. When it comes to exhibiting the rarest and finest examples of Asian ceramics, paintings, prints, textiles, sculpture, jewelry, bronzes–demonstrating artistry, ingenuity and imagination from every time-period and corner of Asia–our members have pulled out all the stops.”
Organized by category, here is a round-up of the highlights at the galleries:
Ancient and/or Contemporary Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asia
Portrait of a standing nobleman is one of four Indian miniature paintings offered by Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch, Ltd. This Mughal drawing, circa 1660-80, with opaque watercolor and gold on paper, in a reduced album page with a specimen of calligraphy on the reverse–depicts an unidentified nobleman wearing a traditional court costume of simplified form, which indicates his status as a nobleman rather than a prince. Online only
Untitled (Isabelle in Black Dress), by Paritosh Sen, is part of an exhibition called The Wonder of India: Explorations through 19th and 20th Century Art on view at DAG. In 1981, Paritosh Sen was invited to be a visiting professor at the Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore. His Isabelle series came from his time there, witnessing and depicting the violence of racism in the USA. Possibly modeled on one of his students, Isabelle is a beautiful, remote figure lost in thought while seemingly confined to her home. She is painted as a classic, unattainable female figure, seeing and dismissing a thousand mythologies springing about her. 41 East 57th Street, Suite 708, Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-6pm
This portrait of Fath ‘Ali Shah from the William Fraser Collection at Francesca Galloway-–executed in Delhi between 1815-1820 for William Fraser–is painted on identical paper to a contemporary portrait of the Mughal Emperor Akbar II, also commissioned by Fraser. Both portraits are similarly framed and bear his inscriptions on the back of the frame. This presupposes the existence of a Qajar portrait of Fath ‘Ali Shah in Delhi at this time. Online only
Taking center stage at Kapoor Galleries is Lalita Maha Tripura Sundari, circa 1810, an opaque watercolor, enhanced with silver and gold on paper. The majesty of this supreme shakti is perfectly captured by this finely decorated Pahari composition. Her beauty, as her name indicates, transcends the vast Tripura (three demon citadels) within which she is believed to have defeated many demons. 34 East 67th Street, call for hours, 212-794-2300
The showstopper at Thomas Murray is an exceptionally rare and important 19th century gold Mamuli heirloom ear ornament from Sumba, an eastern Indonesian island which excelled at their creation. The ornaments are symbolic of women as the giver of life. This piece is balanced with “male” goats, which brings about a cosmic harmony and symbolizes wealth and prestige. Online only
Akar Prakar presents Krishna on a swing made of Gopinis, a limited edition black and white woodcut print which depict scenes from Indian mythologies with the gods and goddesses as part of the visual narrative and showcases the remnants of a lost art form from 19th century Bengal, which became obsolete because the traditional artisans and printings presses no longer exist. Online only
Ancient and/or Contemporary Chinese Art
Tai Xiangzhou, Celestial Chaos- From Nothing to Being, Mounted and framed, ink on silk, Size: 26.77 x 54.09 inches (68 x 137.4 cm), signed Xiang Zhou, with one seal of the artist, ca.2019, Fu Qiumeng Fine Art
Newcomer Fu Qiumeng Fine Art, which specializes in contemporary Chinese painting, presents works by Tai Xiangzhou. In Celestial Chaos- From Nothing to Being, the artist retells the history of Chinese landscape representations by delving into their origins in classical cosmology, particularly its elaborate systems of correspondence between the celestial, terrestrial, and human realms, he further expands his perspectives of art creations into cosmology, astrology, and how they intertwine with the aesthetics of painting. 65 East 80th Street, for gallery hours, phone 646-838-9395
Ralph M. Chait Galleries is offering a superb Chinese blue and white porcelain baluster vase from the Kangxi period, circa late 17th century. Decorated along the exterior with a scene from a classic tale with military figures conversing, situated on a draped terrace of a palace, with a Court lady waiting outside the meeting, this piece is a combination of beautiful form, exquisite color of the blue, impressive historic decoration, and notable Western provenance from a private American collection. 16 East 52nd Street, 10th floor, for gallery hours, phone 212-397-2818
At Kaikodo LLC, expressive, energetic brushwork brings to life a conversation between a Confucian and a Buddhist gentleman in a fan-shaped painting by the Japanese priest-painter Shabaku, active during the late 15th-early 16th century. Images of such philosophical dialogues painted by Chinese artists, including the spontaneous renderings of Chan painters, were among the treasures brought back to their home temples by Japanese monks after study on the mainland. Online only
Zetterquist Galleries is pleased to debut the ceramic work of Ipek Kotan, a ceramist whose love of the vessel form stems from a visceral need to create with her hands using natural materials. This ubiquitous form, still one of the most essential in daily life even after 30,000 years since its invention, is for her the embodiment of timelessness, endurance, and the universality of the human experience. This burnished porcelain ceramic sculpture with its glazed interior is an excellent example of her work. 3 East 66th Street, Suite 2B, by appointment
Ancient and/or Contemporary Japanese Art
Featured at The Art of Japan is a rare fan print of two beauties amid a swirl of rich multi-colored fabrics, by Gountei Sadahide (1807-79). The fabrics swirling about the two bijin make this a rather unique design. An Utagawa school artist, Sadahide was best known for his Yokohama prints of foreigners who inhabited Yokohama after Admiral Perry opened Japan to the West. Most of his fan prints were typical of the Utagawa school. Online only
Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. will present a Shino Flower Vessel, by Suzuki Osamu, designated a Living National Treasure in 1994 and recognized for his revitalization of the Shino glaze techniques The milky pattern over this red underglaze draws attention to the illusory qualities of Shino techniques: the surfaces of his works have a milky smooth quality to them that evokes surfaces of stones that have been eroded over time by their surroundings. 18 East 64th Street, by appointment
Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints is featuring landscapes from the early 20th century, mostly by the perennial favorite Kawase Hasui (1883-1957). Rain at Omiya (Miya no ame). From the first limited edition, this print conveys a rainy evening in a peaceful village in Saitama prefecture. The rain is done in a fine silver/white, and falls straight down, indicating that there is no wind at all. This work represents the unbeatable caliber of prewar Japanese printmaking and two of Hasui’s strongest subjects: evening and rain. Online only
At Ippodo Gallery, Crescent Moon, by Ken Matsubara, captures the essence of Japanese aesthetics while using traditional techniques and advanced and technical anomalies. Featured worldwide from the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum to Paris and Cologne, Ken Matsubara is an exemplary artist whose paintings are serene and yet dynamic. Each painting represents a return to nature. He conscientiously considers nature and Japanese roots in his work, such as collecting natural elements, pigments, and materials to produce his paintings. 32 East 67th Street, by appointment
Evening Cool at the Iseya Teahouse at Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art tells the story of a lovely courtesan on a summer evening languidly looking down at the sparklers that her assistant has laid afloat onto a river. They are on a platform built over the water at the Iseya. These platforms over water were popular restaurant extensions for clients relaxing during the heat of the summer months. 17 East 76th Street, 3rd Floor, by appointment
Hori Ichirō (b. 1952), Nezumi-shino, diagonally faceted, flattened vessel with swirling iron-oxide patterning, 2020, Glazed stoneware, 16 1/2 x 15 x 11 3/4 in., Joan B Mirviss LTD
Continuing the gallery's recent focus on Mino ware, Joan B Mirviss LTD showcases works by two artists who represent the extraordinary range of ceramics long produced in this historic region of Japan: Hori Ichirō and Itō Hidehito. "Classical Dignity, Contemporary Beauty" displays Hori's innovative use of traditional Mino-style glazes and his command of firing techniques alongside Itō's exceptional skill using the exceedingly difficult craquelure celadon technique. While unmistakably rooted in classical forms and glazes, Hori Ichirō and Itō Hidehito express their original viewpoints through strikingly contemporary vessels and sculptures created exclusively for their New York debut at Joan B Mirviss LTD. 39 East 78th Street, 4th floor. Hours are Monday to Friday, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and Saturday, the 18th from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Onishi Gallery features Mokume-gane Vase 050, 1996, a stunning hammered silver, copper and shakudo by Tamagawa Norio, a Living National Treasure, renowned for his unique metal-hammering technique, Mokume-Gane (wood-grain metal). He uses about twenty different metal alloy plates in his work and each plate illuminates a different color which makes his work both colorful and playful. His crafting process begins by layering and fusing the metal plates together to create one solid block, and the billet is then hammered flat. 521 West 26th Street, by appointment
Saruhashi Bridge in Koshu Province, 1931 by Takahashi Shotei stands out at Scholten Japanese Art. This is a rare snow scene produced in collaboration with the publisher Fusui Gabo, with whom Shotei made some of his most accomplished, although rare, woodblock prints. 145 West 58th Street, Suite 6D, appointment appreciated
This powerful Hobi Bamboo tray-style flower basket from 1940 is a major piece at TAI Modern. Not only is it an excellent example of this artist’s work but also represents the work of this period. It is constructed from hobichiku (phoenix tail bamboo), centuries-old smoked dwarf bamboo taken from the ceilings of traditional farmhouses. Ueda split these precious bamboo culms vertically into quarters, plaited them randomly, and then bent them in a round shape to accentuate the beauty of the material. He carefully dyed a section of whole madake (timber) bamboo with prominent nodes to create an imposing handle. Online only
Thomsen Gallery will present the work of Minol Araki, who pivoted from being an electronic designer to a full-time artist. A key turning point in his artistic formation was a meeting in 1973-when he was already in his forties-with Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), one of the most influential figures in the twentieth-century pictorial art of East Asia. Araki's atmospheric landscapes and plant paintings, never for sale during his lifetime, were widely exhibited in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States and have recently been acquired by several leading American museums. 9 East 63rd Street 2nd floor, by appointment
Hiroshi Yanagi Oriental Art presents a rare 17th century Fusuma, made in the Edo period. Used to separate rooms in a Japanese home, these 4-paneled sliding doors are decorated beautifully with ink and color on heavy gold paper. Online only
Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts is featuring Peonies in the Wind, by Itō Jakuchū (1716-1800). This painting, together with the painting of crabs on the reverse, are Jakuchū’s only known paintings affixed to a freestanding wooden single-panel screen, called a tsuitate in Japanese. Jakuchū, one of the most famous painters of the Edo period in Japan, depicts a powerful wind gust blowing the peony flowers from the upper right downward to the lower left. The stormy weather is succinctly expressed by the looping brushstrokes depicting grasses on the ground and wind-swept peony flowers and stemlets that cling to the twisted thicker stems. 17 East 71st Street #4, by appointment
Ancient and Contemporary Korean Art
HK Art & Antiques Ltd presents Light on the Sea, an exhibition of paintings by Cho Taikho, who grew up on the coast of Korea. Fond of the many seascapes that he has encountered, his work captures the nuanced reflections of light cast on the water. This seascape titled Light 1, 2016, dated 2017, is one of the artist’s best works. Currently living in Paris, Cho’s work has been exhibited in New York, Seoul, and Paris. 49 East 78th Street, by appointment
View the Asia Week New York: Autumn 2021 Viewing Rooms here
September 13, 2021
Ali Banisadr. We Haven't Landed on Earth Yet, 2012. Oil on linen. H. 82 x W. 120 in. (208.3 x 304.8 cm). Mohammed Afkhami Foundation. Photograph courtesy of Mohammed Afkhami Foundation
Asia Society Museum
Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians — The Mohammed Afkhami Collection
September 10th, 2021 - May 8th, 2022
Admission is by timed ticketing only
Asia Society Museum presents Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians—The Mohammed Afkhami Collection, an exhibition of works by more than 20 Iranian-born artists and one German-born artist, reflecting a dynamic and thriving contemporary arts scene. The exhibition, illuminating the multifaceted experiences and identities of artists spanning three generations who are working inside and outside of Iran, probes subjects such as gender identity, war and peace, politics and religion, and spirituality.
Drawing from the collection of financier and philanthropist Mohammed Afkhami, the exhibition comprises paintings, sculptures, photographs, and videos. Of the 23 participating artists, over a third live in Iran, over a third live outside of Iran, and five live in New York City. These established, mid-career, and emerging artists are working from unique vantage points, informed by a rich cultural heritage as well as more recent extensive social and political unrest in Iran. Referencing “contemporary Persians,” the exhibition’s title evokes an ancient culture that is still very much alive today.
This is the exhibition’s first presentation on the East Coast of the United States, following its premiere in 2017 at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, and subsequent showing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The exhibition is on view at Asia Society Museum from September 10, 2021 to May 8, 2022.
For more information, click here.
September 8, 2021
Kotan 14 L, courtesy of Zetterquist Galleries.
Zetterquist Galleries
Announcing a one-woman exhibition by
IPEK KOTAN
September 8th - 25th, 2021
by appointment only
Kotan’s work stems from a visceral need to create with her hands using natural materials and a love of the vessel form. This ubiquitous form, still one of the most essential in daily life even after 30,000 years since its invention is for her the embodiment of timelessness, endurance and the universality of the human experience.
Generosity, openness, sharing and offering are the core of a vessel’s DNA, weaving it tightly into the better parts of the story of humankind. Kotan is interested in what the vessel symbolizes historically and metaphysically rather than its potential as a functional object and uses it as a canvas and frame in which she explores sculptural, modern and minimalist expressions.
Ipek Kotan was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1977 and studied media arts with an emphasis on photography at Emerson College in Boston, USA. She later attended Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, USA and completed her foundation studies in which she explored drawing, painting, ceramics, and metal smithing. In 2008 she moved to England and received her master’s in ceramics from Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent in 2010.
Public collections representing Ipek Kotan’s works include the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in the Netherlands, and Staatliche Kunstammlungen Dresden and Museen der Stadt Landshut in Germany. Kotan received commissions from Cartier and Barneys New York, and her works are represented in over 250 private and public collections and museums worldwide. She was the only artist to complete a year-long residency at the European Ceramic Work Centre, now also known as sundaymorning@ekwc, a residency whose past residents include artists such as Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley and Betty Woodman.
Her work has been reviewed by renowned ceramic art critic Walter Lokau, former Christie’s senior director, interior designer Richard Rabel, published in art publications such as Ceramic Review, New Ceramics, Art Aurea and popular magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Elle Decor. Ipek has previously lived in Turkey, the United States, Indonesia, England, Austria, and Switzerland and currently resides in Leiden, the Netherlands.
For more information, click here.
September 7, 2021
Minol Araki (1928-2010), Reflected Rainbow, 1977, Ink and colors on paper, 16¼ x 73 inches (41 x 185.5 cm), courtesy of Thomsen Gallery.
Thomsen Gallery at the Armory Show
September 9 - 12
Javits Center, New York
Thomsen Gallery is pleased to participate again in The Armory Show, which this year takes place at the New York Javits Center.
Thomsen Gallery is pleased to participate again in The Armory Show, which this year takes place at the New York Javits Center. Our exhibition in Booth 219 focuses on works by three leading post-war and contemporary Japanese artists: Minol Araki (1928–2010), whose landscapes evoke the world of the Chinese scholar-artist; Shigeki Kitani (1928–2009), a member of the avant-garde Gutai group, whose canvases combine rugged materiality with wistful lyricism; and Sueharu Fukami (b. 1947), whose elegant, curvilinear porcelain sculptures have earned him an unmatched global following.
Exhibition hours:
Thursday, September 9: VIP Preview Day
Friday, September 10: 12–8pm
Saturday, September 11: 12–8pm
Sunday, September 12: 12–7pm
For more information, click here.
September 3, 2021
Sako Ryuhei (b. 1976), Mokume-gane Uchidashi Vase 02, 2020, silver, copper, shakudo, shibuichi and kuromido, H 7 x dia. 5 1/8 in. (18 x 13.1 cm.), courtesy of Onishi Gallery
Sako Ryuhei (b. 1976), born in Okayama Prefecture, graduated from Hiroshima City University in the Department of Design and Applied Arts in 1999, and then earned his master's degree in 2002 from the same institution. Sako Ryuhei creates pieces using Mokume-gane, a Japanese metal technique dating back to the 17th century. First, very thin different colored alloyed metal sheets are layered and bonded. Then the layers are cut into, or drilled, and reworked. Achieving a successful lamination takes a very skilled artist, and although his work is based on research and experimentation using this traditional process, he manages to create very contemporary pieces. In 2004, he became a member of the Nihon Kōgeikai (Japanese Handcrafts Association) and in 2013, during his first exhibition outside Japan, the Victoria and Albert Museum purchased one of his pieces for their public collection.
Selected Public Collections:
Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York
Hiroshima City University | Hiroshima, Japan
Machiko Hasegawa Art Museum | Tokyo, Japan
Victoria and Albert Museum | London, UK
For more information, click here.
September 2, 2021
courtesy of Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
Terraform: Depictions of Earth in Japanese Ceramics from 1970
September 2 - 29, 2021
Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
The exhibition brings focus to Japanese ceramics that play upon the theme “Terraform.” Curated into two parts, the first group of works is bound by the theme “Memories of the Earth”, articulating the relationship between time, memory, earth, and clay. The sculptural forms from the ceramicists Suzuki Osamu 鈴木 藏 (b. 1934, LNT), Hiruma Kazuyo 昼馬 和代 (b. 1947) in this group respond to the wonders of the natural landscape in their work. The second group of works surrounds “Earthen Images,” tying together representations of the earth via image, pictorial forms, and surfacescape from the ceramic works of Murata Gen 村田 元 (1904-1988) and Wakao Toshisada 若尾 利貞 (b. 1933). From form to image, this exhibition enquires into the literal, affectual, sculptural and representational ways that clay may be used to envision the earth.
For more information, click here.
Moonlit Night
September 2 - October 5, 2021
Ippodo Gallery
Ken Matsubara, b. 1948, Crescent Moon, painting H 70 7/8 x W 46 1/8 in (180 x 117 cm.), courtesy of Ippodo Gallery
Autumn is one of the most poetic and enriching seasons in Japan. When the crop is cultivated, gorgeous foliages bloom, and many traditions have been passed down to celebrate and remember this season. When the moon is particularly stunning, the fall season is a time for festivals such as Choyo-no-sekku and Jogoya. In honor of the season, people drink sake with chrysanthemum petals and stroll through the Susuki gardens. Ippodo Gallery, New York, is pleased to welcome you to Moonlit Night, a selection of crafts that celebrates this Otsukimi season.
For more information, click here.
August 27, 2021
interior of the Leica Cafe at The Songtsam Lodge Lhasa
The award-winning luxury hotel group, Songtsam Hotels Resorts Tours in Tibet and Yunnan Provinces of China, and the world renowned Leica Akademie announced the official opening of the new Leica Cafe at the Songtsam Lodge Lhasa in Tibet. This initiative represents a continuation of the creative partnership between Songtsam and Leica.
Songtsam Founder & Chairman, Baima Duoji, originally a documentary filmmaker himself, said “One of the best ways to learn about Tibetan culture and explore the amazing natural beauty of Tibet and Yunnan, is through a camera lens. We are proud to continue our partnership with Leica to provide such a unique space for photographers, as well as non- photographers, to enjoy Leica Cafe’s unique collection of historic photographs as well as antique Leica cameras, and to provide photography buffs an opportunity to learn from Leica Akademie’s Master Photographers.”
The Leica Cafe is a photography enthusiast’s biggest dream and a great introduction and starting point to explore Tibet. This is the world’s first Leica collaboration space and boasts albums full of breathtaking photographs, vintage and antique Leica cameras, and unique historical images with remarkable stories behind them. For Leica and Songtsam this image space is unlike any other. The Leica Cafe is located in the foyer of the Songtsam Lodge Lhasa, a Tibetan-style building which integrates the architectural styles of palaces, temples, aristocratic residences and gardens. Every month the Cafe will hold photography lectures hosted by Leica’s master photographers. This will allow photography buffs a unique opportunity to learn from professionals how to apply these skills in the real world.
For more information about Songtsam visit www.songtsam.com/en/about
August 20, 2021
Women at the Well, Attributed to Mihr Chand, Mughal, Faizabad, Awadh, ca. 1765-70, Ink and opaque watercolor with gold on paper, 8 1⁄2 x 3 1/8 in. (20.5 x 13 cm.), courtesy of Kapoor Galleries
Provenance:
George Halla, Czech Republic consul to New South Wales, 1948.
Thence by descent.
Private collection, Sydney.
This masterful painting is an intriguing variant of a scene drawn from Indian literature and popularized in numerous 17th- and 18th-century Mughal paintings, that is, the chance encounter between a noble out hunting blackbuck and a comely village maiden at a well. Sparks of attraction fly as the man locks eyes with the woman pouring water to slake his thirst. The hunter, who is normally mounted and armed with a bow and arrow, pointedly relinquishes the physical advantage of his higher social station by having to reach up to the woman on the wellhead. In this iteration, however, that nobleman stands directly on the ground, holding only a long spear, and is accompanied by two unlikely fellow travelers: a mulla tendering a small covered bowl in his raised hand, and a tribal man with a shaved head, bare chest, and a grass lower garment. Surprisingly, it is the latter figure who reaches around the nobleman to extend a gourd-shaped cup to accept the gift of water, in effect displacing the customary romantic charge of village hospitality.
As usual, the woman pouring out refreshment is juxtaposed with two others hauling up water. Inventively, he assigns prominent positions in the composition to two other figures who bookend the panoply of village life: a naked, European-inspired toddler plunked down beside a basket and amusedly feeding a pair of ducks, and an old woman seated on a low stool passing time in spinning while she minds the infant. The exceptionally sensitive rendering of the dowager’s aged face and body is matched by the remarkably well-observed account of the utilitarian objects she holds – a spindle wound with cotton thread in her right hand and a wooden niddy-noddy supporting two skeins of thread in her left.
The only 18th-century artist skilled enough to begin to approximate the subtle sense of light and shadow, soft contours, muted palette, and stippled surface of the present painting is Mihr Chand (active ca. 1759-86), who worked for Nawab Shuja‘ al-Dawla and the Swiss adventurer Antoine Polier at Faizabad, the one-time capital of Awadh. Mihr Chand’s diverse artistic interests and high level of technical accomplishment allowed him to paint in a number of different manners, many of which feature hard-edged forms, pronounced shadows, and deep landscapes with low horizons. Others are conspicuously softer in style, as seen here in the faces of the nobleman and tribal figure.
By Dr. John Seyller
For more information, click here.
The recording of our webinar, The Color that Changed the World: The Impact of Blue in Asian Art is online
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797−1858), Kinkizan on Enoshima Island in Sagami Province (Sōshū Enoshima Kinkizan), Color woodblock print: aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e, 8⅞ x 11½ in. (22.5 x 29.2 cm), courtesy of Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art
The recording of our July 29th Zoom webinar, The Color that Changed the World: The Impact of Blue in Asian Art, a fascinating discussion by five expert panelists about this topic, is available to view on our website.
Click here to watch the webinar
August 16, 2021
Isohi Setsuko, Blooming Garden, 2019, madake bamboo, rattan, 5.75 x 12.50 x 6.50 in., courtesy of TAI Modern
TAI Modern Virtual Artist Talk: Isohi Setsuko
Wednesday, August 18
4:00pm PST / 5:00pm MST / 6:00pm CST / 7:00pm EST
Join Japanese bamboo artist Isohi Setsuko in her studio in Otawara-Shi for a discussion of works in her solo exhibition on view through August 28th. Viewers will have the opportunity to hear Isohi talk about her process and inspiration. Discussion and Q&A will follow.
To register now, https://events.eventzilla.net/e/isohi-setsuko-artist-talk-2138802655
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