The Wall Paintings of Nyag Lhakhang Kharpo

by Thomas J. Pritzker, a businessman and an Honorary Professor at Sichuan University.

During the summer of 2007, the author travelled with his wife and others to Khartse to further understand the role of early Guge kingdom in the development of Tibetan culture. Khartse was not only the ancestral home of Rinchen Zangpo; it appears that it was also an important economic centre. In the village and along its valley are a series of important sites, including cave complexes and the remains of twelve local temples mentioned in Rinchen Zangpo's biography. In their search for Pu Khar, recorded as one of the temples he founded, the party stumbled across a cave known locally as Nyag Lhakhang Kharpo with dazzling wall paintings similar to those at only a very few other sites in the region. The author gives a detailed account of the scenes in the paintings which reflect the Kashmiri style introduced by the artists brought by Rinchen Zangpo to West Tibet during the early part of the 11th century. Among the more interesting figures in the assembly is a monk, possibly the earliest known representation of Rinchen Zangpo. In an attempt to establish credible dates for the paintings, the author refers to the style of those at Tholing, Mangnang, Tabo, Nako and Dungkar and suggests that most at Nyag Lhakhang Kharpo date to sometime before the mid 11th century; more specifically, perhaps to the second quarter of the 11th century. He concludes that the paintings provide a precious source of information for understanding this most interesting period in the development of the religion, artistic history and culture of Tibet. Unfortunately, the location of Nyag Lhakhang Kharpo allows full time scholars in the field only very limited access. The author hopes that this initial assessment will add to the knowledge available to those interested in such material.

Section of the Dharmadhatu-Vagishvara Manjushri mandala on the south wall showing White Manjughosha (left) and Amitabha (right)

by Eileen Hsiang-ling Hsu, an independent scholar of Chinese art history and a contractual researcher at Princeton University Art Museum. She is co curator of `Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture from the Sackler Collections at Columbia University', which will travel to the University of Virginia Art Museum, the Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida and the University of Michigan Museum of Art after being shown at Columbia.

Most of the 21 sculptures dating from the Eastern Han to Tang period in the exhibition `Art Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture from the Sackler Collections’, opening at Columbia University on 18 March, came from temples or caves on mountain sites. They are on view for the first time since they were acquired by the university more than forty years ago. When viewed in the cultural contexts of mountains as preferred sites for spiritual aspiration and eternal rest in ancient China, the sculptures are a window on the dynamic relationship between political and religious ideas and their visual manifestations in Chinese history. The author’s recent visit to the sites in China provided contexts and further insight into the history of the creation of the sculptures particularly in the absence of an established curatorial and scholarly framework for the 21 pieces

Votive stele From Shangdang prefecture, Changzhi county, Shanxi province Eastern Wei period (534-50), 548 Limestone Height 68.5 cm, width 38 cm, depth 23 cm Sackler collections at Columbia University (S0270)

by Leopold Swergold, co curator of `Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture from the Sackler Collections at Columbia University', and a graduate of Columbia College, class of 1962. He and his wife Jane have been collectors of Chinese art for approximately 15 years.

A brief article describing how this exhibition came about, the new information and material that has been revealed in its preparation and the findings of scholars who have reviewed the material and contributed to a fully illustrated catalogue.

Standing Buddha Possibly from Dingzhou, Hebei province Northern Qi period (550-77) Marble Height 89 cm Sackler collections at Columbia University (S3516)

by Donald Jenkins, Curator Emeritus of Asian Art, Portland Art Museum in Oregon.

To celebrate the opening on 27 February of the exhibition `Designed for Pleasure: The World of Edo Japan in Prints and Paintings, 1680-1860’ at the Asia Society organized by the Japan Art Society of America, the author has selected nine paintings to illustrate his discussion on the key role such works have played in the history of ukiyo-e paintings and are also impressive in their own right. Works by Keisai Eisen, Katsushika Hokuun, Katsushika Tatsujo, Katsushika Hokusai, Hishikawa Moronobu, Katsukawa Shunsho, Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Okumura Masanobu are featured.

Hell Courtesan By Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), c. 1850 Hanging scroll mounted as a framed panel, ink, colour and gold on silk Height 140.3 cm, width 81.9 cm John C. Weber Collection (Photography by Bruce Schwarz)

by David Waterhouse, Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto.

The author’s recent study of some of Harunobu’s chosen themes, such as the series `Eight Parlour Views’ and other single-sheet prints of beautiful women, sheds light on the literary and topical allusions which underlie Harunobu’s designs and enhance our appreciation of them. These works from public and private US collections will be on view at the exhibition at the Asia Society.

Visiting a Shrine in Night Rain By Suzuki Harunobu (1725?-70),c. 1769 Colour woodblock print Height 28.5 cm, width 21 cm The Mann Collection, Highland Park, Illinois

by Joe Earle, Director of Japan Society Gallery, New York.

The exhibition `The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterpieces by Shibata Zeshin’ opens at Japan Society on 21 March and includes works from various collectors including Catherine and Thomas Edson, Nasser Khalili, Mary Burke, Klaus Naumann, Richard and Peggy Danziger and Florence and Herbert Irving. The author’s fresh assessment of Japan’s greatest lacquerer reveals how Zeshin successfully preserved Japanese tradition during a time of tumultuous change but also participated in the transformation of artistic life that followed the Meiji Restoration.

Food box and cover By Shibata Zeshin (1807-91), c. 1860-90 Lacquer on wood Height 41 cm, width 22.9 cm, depth 24.4 cm Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection, courtesy of the San Antonio Museum of Art

by Sonya Rhie Quintanilla, Curator of Asian Art at the San Diego Museum of Art and the curator, author and project manager of the exhibition `Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose (1882 1966)' and its accompanying catalogue. She is the author of History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura, Ca. 150 BCE 100 CE (Leiden, 2007), and numerous articles on the art of India.

The author explains how the exhibition `Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose (1882-1966)’, at the San Diego Museum of Art from 23 February to 18 May 2008, engages the many facets of the life and work of Bose and how he successfully brought about a cultural regeneration of Indian art in terms of purpose, techniques and practice that laid the foundation for a new visual culture in post-colonial India without dependence on Western models.

Bull Handler By Nandalal Bose (1882-1966), 1937 Tempera on paper Height 63.2 cm, width 59.4 cm Collection of Supratik Bose

by Supratik Bose, the former director of long range planning at Harvard University. In 1982, he placed his family's collection of art by Nandalal Bose in the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. In 1983, an exhibition of works from this collection travelled to four cities in India, Beijing, Osaka, Tokyo and Djakarta. In 2008, Supratik worked to promote the first exhibition of Nandalal Bose's art in the US.

Recalling his youth spent with his grandfather, who directed the art school at Visva Bharati University founded at Santiniketan by Rabindranath Tagore, the author offers insights into the creativity of Nandalal and his contributions to the culture of Santiniketan.

Head of Shiva By Nandalal Bose (1882-1966), 19 March 1948 (first version, c. 1910-15) Wash and tempera on paper Height 44.5 cm, width 37 cm National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi (74)

by Edward Wilkinson.

Pratapaditya Pal, curator emeritus and scholar extraordinaire, has remained one of the most influential forces in the field of Indian art and its most tireless propagator from the 1960s. Apart from establishing public collections at various museums in the US, Canada and Australia, he has also played a key role in the formation of major private collections such as those of Christian Humann (Pan-Asian), Norton Simon, Edwin Binney 3rd, and James and Marilynn Alsdorf. His seminal publications include monographs on and catalogues of the collections at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Norton Simon Museum, as well as numerous private collections (among them the Zimmerman Family Collection and the John and Berthe Ford Collection) and countless pioneering exhibitions. All are milestones in furthering interest in and understanding of the arts of greater India worldwide. Throughout his career, Pal also formed a private collection reflecting many interesting aspects of his vision and mind; on 20 March, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian sculpture, paintings and works of art from the collection, together with lithographs of Indian scenes by British artists and Japanese woodblock prints, will be offered for sale at Christie's, New York. Edward Wilkinson, principal of EW Art in Los Angeles, talks to Pal about his collection and his views on the current state of the field.

Pratapaditya Pal signing copies at a book launch for Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, 2003

Pratapaditya Pal with LACMA Director Kenneth Donahue (left) and LA County Supervisor Ernie Debs at the opening of the Heeramaneck Collection of Indian and Himalayan Art, 1970 (Photograph courtesy of LACMA)

by Katherine R. Tsiang.

In her review of Ann Paludan’s Chinese Sculpture: A Great Tradition, Katherine R. Tsiang notes that this book has provided a much needed study in English of recent archaeological finds and also a reassessment of known and well-studied works. This ambitious project affords a more comprehensive understanding of the material and its historical development and reflects Paludan's knowledge accumulated through many years of first hand study of the subject - her `personal observations in the field'.

Dancing lady Tang period (618-907) Pottery Height 21.5 cm, width 11 cm Palace Museum, Beijing (After Ann Paludan, Chinese Sculpture: A Great Tradition, Chicago, 2007, fig. 207)

Sandrine le Marchand’s gives an account of the trends at the Asian art auctions in Paris during the autumn/winter 2007. A number of Indian and Southeast Asian art works, rarely seen at auction in France, did well. The highlight at Binoche Renaud Giquello's `Art Précolumbien, Art de l'Inde et d'Asie du Sud Est' on 26 September was a 12th century Khmer grey sandstone Avalokiteshvara from Angkor Thom. Despite some controversy over the quality of the piece, the strong provenance (the famous fashion designer, Takada Kenzo) impressed a European collector who was willing to pay €384,000. `Succession de Monsieur Robert Schrimpf', organized by Fraysse on the same day, included 74 Asian works, most of them Indian statues owned by French collector Robert Schrimpf. The star lot was a 16th century South Indian granite seated Ganesha which achieved €252,000, more than five times the upper estimate. One of the specialists in charge, Antoine Barrère, commented: `We are exceedingly pleased with the results of both sales; strong provenance and coherent collection attracted eager collectors and dealers from America and also Europe, pushing prices to the international level.' This proved to be true as well in the successful sale of two other private collections. The first was Piasa's `Laques chinoises provenant de M. le Professeur et Mme Robert de Strycker' on 5 December. According to Thierry Portier, the specialist in charge, De Strycker, a Belgian professor who taught metallurgy at Louvain University, was an avid collector of Chinese art in general who was especially fond of tixi carved lacquer. The good provenance, with purchase dates from 1939 to 1965, and a reference to an exhibition at the Municipal Museum of Louvain in 1964, were important factors in the success of the sale. The star piece was a Jiajing period pewter ewer lacquered in the tixi technique which was acquired in 1940 from a London dealer called Nott. It was eventually went to Max Rutherston of Sydney L. Moss for €1,556,310, setting a world record for Chinese lacquer. Bidding at `Cloisonnés d'Exception, Collection Juan Jose Amezaga et Maria Dolores Feijoo, Partie II', held by Christie's on 7 December, was dominated by mainland and overseas Chinese buyers. Hong Kong collector Robert Chang won a pair of pagoda form Qianlong imperial incense burners against strong competition in the room, paying €704,250, the top price. He bought seven other pieces, among them a Qianlong phoenix rhyton, for which he paid €408,250 despite the missing handle. At Sotheby's `Art d'Asie' on 6 December, Chang paid €84,250 for a small Qianlong gilt bronze and cloisonné enamel vase. In the `Extrême Orient' sale at Chayette & Cheval - Blanchet & Associés on 3 December, an imposing Qianlong gilt bronze and cloisonné tripod censer and cover went for €49,827 to S. Marchant. A similar one but without an imperial mark was featured at Tajan's `Art d'Asie' on 18 December. The specialist in charge, Pierre Ansas, had expected a better price than the €23,545 it achieved. Provenance clearly played a crucial role in the sales results. Many of the jade carvings from French collections formed in the 1950s or '60s did well, particularly those in white jade. At Chayette & Cheval - Blanchet & Associés, the main attraction was the eclectic `collection de Madame X'. According to Pierre Ansas the consignor, a French collector, had acquired them from a renowned Parisian dealer. An 18th century white jade box with cover in the shape of a fish sold for €109,377, multiples of its upper estimate, and an early Ming yellow jade figure of a bird made €51,043, despite some restoration. Both pieces were bought by Hong Kong dealer Raymond Chak. At Sotheby's, a Qing period carved russet and white jade ruyi from a French private collection elicited strong interest due to the colour of the jade and the mark carved on the wood stand. A Hong Kong dealer secured it for €98,650. The highlights at Beaussant Lefèvre's `Art d'Orient, Art d'Asie' on 21 November were a celadon and russet jade group of two children which finally sold to S. Marchant for €30,082. At Artcurial’s `Art d'Asie' on 10 December, two carved celadon jades from different French estates sold to the mainland Chinese trade - an 18th century lobed dish carved with lingzhi and peaches went for €38,415 and a Qianlong period group of gourds with insects for €30,980. At Piasa's `Art d'Asie' on 24 October, 252 of the 418 lots came from a French private collection. A beautiful Qianlong white jade carving of a stag and fawn with stalks of lingzhi and bamboo in their mouths went for €95,725, the second highest price of the sale). The highlight among the snuff bottles was an enamelled glass one of circular form with a four character Qianlong mark on the base, attributed to Ye Bengqi. A Hong Kong dealer paid €100,634. A famille-rose snuff bottle with a Qianlong mark also proved the surprise of the day at Christie's `Art d'Asie' sale on 7 December. There was a real battle between a Chinese collector on the telephone and two mainland Chinese in the room, with the telephone bidder finally securing it for €114, 250. The top prices were achieved by Buddhist gilt bronze statues, with the Tibeto Chinese pieces faring especially well - a trend which started in the last sales. The quality and rare iconography of a large 18th century group of Yama and Yami produced strong competition in the room, and the piece finally went to a mainland Chinese collector for an astonishing €928,250. As well as mainland Chinese, the gilt bronzes proved attractive to buyers from Russia. Philippe Delalande commented that for the first time, the percentage of mainland Chinese buyers in the total sale value exceeded greatly the percentage of those from Hong Kong (40.12 per cent by value was bought by mainland Chinese, 7.82 per cent by clients from Taiwan, and 7.31 per cent by clients from Hong Kong).

At Sotheby's, a significantly high price was achieved for a Qianlong period moonflask enamelled in an unusual famille-rose palette with a large floral design including lotus, peony and hibiscus. Despite restoration, it went to a mainland Chinese collector for €180,250. A Qianlong yellow ground famille-rose wall vase also did well, selling to London dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi for €57,850.

Yama and Yami Tibeto-Chinese, early 18th century Gilt bronze Height 47 cm Christie's `Art d'Asie' sale, Paris, 7 December 2007, lot 368 Price: €928,250 (estimate €55/75,000)

Censer China, Qianlong period, 18th century Cloisonné Height 55 cm Ritchies' `Decorative Arts' sale, 29 November 2007, Toronto, lot 1315 Price: CAD$129,000 (estimate CAD$40/60,000)

The fair, to be held at the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre from 7 to 16 March, features more than 220 leading dealers, including several Asian art specialists. The fair's location and the regional audience it attracts are factors that contribute to its success; and because it was established at a time when fairs were perhaps less ubiquitous than they are now, TEFAF has a strong core of faithful exhibitors and visitors. According to Ben Janssens, the chairman of TEFAF this year, `most dealers who participate find it commercially rewarding, which prompts them to keep some of their best pieces for the fair'. Consequently, it has become one of the most prestigious events in the art world, and this has led to a long waiting list of potential exhibitors, thus making it difficult for newer dealers to take part. To remedy the situation a new initiative, `Tefaf Showcase', will be unveiled this year. Seven galleries/dealers - of at least three and no more than ten years' standing - will be given a one off opportunity to participate. Chosen from more than eighty applicants by a selection committee, these young dealers will be given a small space in a specially designed pavilion in the west hall of the fair. Janssens believes that `this will enable us to see what new talent is available in the marketplace and give them the opportunity to experience what it is like to be part of a major international fair'. `We think that the applicants we have chosen provide a perfect mix of specializations and countries,' he continued. `We also like the fact that we can welcome two new disciplines at the fair - vintage photography and Japanese arms and armour, and two new countries - the Czech Republic and Japan.'

Flask China, Western Han period, 3rd/2nd century BCE Bronze Height 35 cm Ben Janssens Oriental Art

Kyoto based Robert Winter is one of the dealers selected for `Tefaf Showcase'. He has been handling some `very serious' armour for more than 20 years, and has been buying from private museums and old collections. Consequently, he was able to build up two of the most significant collections of kawari kabuto outside Japan. Unusual items include jinbaori made of peacock, pheasant and duck feathers, and a three piece helmet jacket set representing a range of Japanese craftsmanship, from embroidery to lacquering. The appointment of Janssens, an Asian art specialist, as TEFAF's chairman, underscores the importance the organizers have placed on developing content and clientele from this field. While the fair's representation of Chinese art is quite strong, Janssens believes that the profile of Indian, Islamic and Japanese art, and TEFAF's visibility in Asia, can both be raised. Janssens's own display will feature early Chinese sculpture, terracotta and bronze pieces, as well as Southeast Asian works. He will also be showing contemporary works by Dutch artist Harmen Brethouwer, whose creations are inspired by Chinese porcelain and metalwork. Highlights at Littleton & Hennessy include a Yongle mark and period cinnabar lacquer box and cover. A group of hardstone carvings they are showing will be accompanied by a catalogue. Aimed at showing the diversity of materials used by lapidaries of the Qing period, the works are in jade, agate, tianhuang, tourmaline, rock crystal and various soapstones. Given the fair's geographical location, one of TEFAF's strengths is inevitably in Chinese porcelain made for Western tastes. A Chine de Commande blue and white basin dated circa 1740 that was made specially for the Dutch market, with a design of swans and water reeds by Cornelis Pronk, is among the star pieces at Vanderven & Vanderven's stand. Cohen & Cohen will display pairs of court ladies in porcelain, lacquer and ivory will take centre stage, including a set in the form of candleholders dated to the Qianlong reign. There is also a pair of Yongzheng period jardinières of previously unrecorded form which are notable for the quality of their floral painting. The focal point of Jorge Welsh's display is a stone sculpture of a Christian saint carved in China during the late Ming period, which resembles figures on the facade of the Church of St Peter in Macau. A pair of Kangxi soldier vases, similar to a pair in the Augustus the Strong collection in Dresden; a pair of 17th century Imari ewers made for the Islamic market, and the largest Namban oratory ever recorded are among the rare examples of export art from China and Japan in Welsh's selection.

Torso of a Christian saint China, Ming period, late 16th/early 17th century Marble Height 52 cm (without stand) Jorge Welsh

Regular exhibitor Grace Wu Bruce is bringing a small collection of nineteen pieces of huanghuali furniture from the Ming period. Highlights include a small pingtouan side table dating to the late 16th/early 17th century. Marcel Nies Oriental Art's presentation will feature South and Southeast Asian works from their catalogue, Majesty of the Sacred. An 11th century Shakyamuni from Nagapattinam and a 12th century Jayavarman style Buddha are examples of monumental bronze and stone sculpture from these regions. Priestley & Ferraro is showing primarily Song ceramics, with a special focus on teawares, and Robert Hall, snuff bottles and other Chinese works of art. Others taking part include Blitz Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art and Polak Works of Art.

The International Asian Art Fair This year, fair moves to 583 Park Avenue. Utilizing all three floors of this building, the fair will feature a new look, while retaining its trademark elegance. The IAAF begins with a gala preview to benefit Asia Society on 14 March, and is open to the public from 15 to 19 March. Sundaram Tagore believes that it is very important to show antiquities with contemporary art, and as such, his gallery has always tried to present Asian art in the context of the past. The IAAF, which has a display environment that provides a direct relationship with both the historical and the contemporary, is an ideal opportunity to show work by Asian artists who are grappling with their tradition. According to Tagore, only a museum with great collections could match the approach of such a fair. Artists represented include Hiroshi Senju, Natvar Bhavsar, Nathan Slate and Korean Hosook Kang.
Joan Mirviss is showing the work of contemporary ceramicists from Japan. Kishi Eiko is a female artist who is known for clay sculptures that combine both angularity and delicacy. Even though her works have the monumental appearance of stone, close examination reveals that they are meticulously created with inlays of coloured clays applied in a time consuming mosaic technique. There are also masterworks by Sakiyama Takayuki, whose stoneware vessels feature forms and patterns inspired by the waves below his home on the coastline of the Izu peninsula.
The paintings and objects from China, Korea and Japan at Kaikodo's focus on the potential and defining parameters of the materials artists and craftsmen use in their works. Kaikodo Journal XXVI accompanies the presentation, and will be available at the fair. One of the star pieces is a 3 rd century BCE Chinese bronze belt hook in rhinoceros form, similar to a piece in the Sackler collection.
This will be Christian Deydier's first time exhibiting in New York. As president of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, Deydier has spent much of his time working with authorities to improve legislation for French dealers, but is now focusing on his business. Concerned about the problems of fakes in the market, the objects in his catalogue are sourced mostly from old collections. Highlights include a Tang dynasty silver dish originally in the Wannieck collection and taotie masks.
Jonathan Tucker and Antonia Tozer bring a diverse selection of mainly Buddhist sculpture from Southeast Asia, India and China. A group of Thai Buddhas from the Ayutthaya period sourced from European and US collectors and an 11th century polychrome Guanyin are noteworthy. The centrepiece of Oi Ling Antiques’ display is a group of noblewomen figures of the Tang dynasty which have been collected from different parts of China, including two which are believed to be from an imperial workshop of the High Tang period. There will also be a pair of carved stone panels dating to the 10th century.
A wood figure of Bishamon-ten from the Kamakura period is among the earliest pieces in Hiroshi & Harumi Yanagi's display. Another highlight is an image of Shotoku Taishi, the 7th century promoter of Buddhism, carved in the Muromachi period.
Erik and Cornelia Thomsen's exhibit focuses on screens, scrolls, tea ceramics and lacquer from their two new catalogues. There are Zen paintings of Daruma by Hakuin Ekaku and Fugai Ekun, two ink works by Ito Jakuchu, and a pair of 17th century gold leaf screens from the Hasegawa School with depictions of drying fishing nets by the ocean shore and a dense pine forest. Ceramics include a 13th century Tokoname stoneware jar from the Kamakura period. Jean and Clifford Schaefer of Flying Cranes Antiques have assembled a collection of Yokohama silver in various configurations and sizes. Objects in this material were usually made for export and are often double walled, with a higher concentration of silver than British sterling. A foliate punchbowl decorated with a dragon amidst turbulent waves is representative of the dramatic ornamentation and sturdy design seen on these wares.
Sandra Whitman is showing an exceptional group of 17th and 18th century Ningxia runners and 18th century safs (prayer rugs) from East Turkestan. Following the success of her Tibetan Tiger rugs exhibition last year, Whitman is occasionally offered excellent examples of such rugs, two of which she will be bringing to the fair.
At Martha Sutherland's stand, landscapes by Hsu Kuo-huang, Hsia I-fu and Hai Tao provide a comparison between traditional and new approaches in ink painting. She is also showing works by Hu Xiangdong and Zhu Jinshi, two Beijing based artists working with modern media.
Art Miya and Shinseido Hatanaka Gallery are jointly holding a solo show of work by Yabuuchi Satoshi, a renowned Japanese sculptor and professor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Combining the facets of popular culture found in manga, Yabuuchi's works are humorous with a universal appeal. Children are among his favourite subjects as he believes that they possess supernatural powers.
Shalini Ganendra is showing contemporary works by artists from Sri Lanka and Malaysia, two regions which are still unfamiliar to the contemporary art world. Works by Eric Peris and Leela Bandaranaike capture the impact of progress and natural devastation on their respective homes. There are also works by George Keyt, Sri Lanka's leading modernist painter. KooNewYork is showing a range of Korean objects dating from the Three Kingdoms to the Joseon period, mostly acquired in Korea by US collectors during the 1950s and '60s. Lea Sneider is focusing on 20th century ceramics and textiles from Korea and Japan.

Figure of an imperial consort China, Tang period, c. 700 Earthenware with pigment Height 54 cm Oi Ling Antiques

New York Arts of Pacific Asia Show This year's the show runs from 21 to 24 March at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue with a preview on 20 March from 6 to 10 pm (tickets US$100 per person). The organizers have placed an emphasis on selectivity this year: the number of stands has been reduced to 72. Several major dealers will be taking part for the first time, including S. Marchant & Son. Ceramics from their new catalogue Recent Acquisitions 2008 will be on display, including well provenanced examples from the Ming and Qing periods, among them a doucai dish of Yongzheng mark and period once belonging to the English collector William Cleverley Alexander. Other new exhibitors include Robert Hall, Knapton Rasti Asian Art, Jan van Beers Oriental Art, Nicholas Grindley and Georgia Chrischilles, who features jewellery and objects from the Indian subcontinent; and export porcelain dealer Imperial Oriental Art. Orientations Gallery will be showing metalwork and lacquer from a Japanese collection, together with inro, netsuke and ojime. At Wei Asian Arts archaeological pieces in terracotta, jade and bronze will be the focus. Interesting examples include a Northern Wei terracotta group of a two wheeled carriage drawn by an ox and a bronze Avalokiteshvara similar to one in the Palace Museum Beijing. Robert Bigler and Vicki Shiba are joining forces again after their success at the last APA. Bigler's selection of Chinese and Himalayan Buddhist art consists of Tibetan manuscript covers, stupas, ritual objects and bronze images. The centrepiece will be a large bronze bodhisattva from the Liao period, which once belonged to a US museum. Soo Tze Oriental Antiques's exhibition, `Golden Harmony', looks at the theme of harmony in diversity. Gilt repoussé images from the 18th century include a Nepalese Guyaneshvari, a syncretic fusion of Avalokiteshvara and Shiva in Tantric form, and a Chinese inspired figure of the female deity Syamatara from Tibet. A circa 13th century rendering of a Bonpo master holding a shang, or bell like instrument, is an early example of a Tibetan tsakli painting. Of great rarity at Leiko Coyle is an early Tibetan painting on silk of a mahasiddha with attendants that bears resemblance to the murals at Lori Gompa in upper Mustang.
Among Eleanor Abraham’s South Indian bronzes is a 13th century figure of Sambandar, the Shaivite saint, is remarkable for its elegance, grace and sense of movement. From the Vijayanagar period, there are two images of Parvati: one a superbly moulded bust and the other standing in tribhanga on a lotus pedestal. Kapoor Galleries has a group of very fine Himalayan bronzes, mostly from Nepal and Tibet. Masterworks from Nepal include a sculpture of Indra and a large repoussé figure of a seated Buddha with original polychrome decoration. Renzo Freschi's selection includes four pottery pieces from Chandraketu garh dating to the 2nd/1st BCE, several Gandharan sculptures, and Indian and Himalayan bronzes. Judith Rutherford is showing woven and embroidered textiles with an animal theme. Dating from the 17th to the 19th century, many of the exhibits will feature the dragon, one of the symbols of imperial China. These include court dress, pillow ends and even children's hats. Laurence Paul of Fleurdelys Antiquités will show a Chinese wood stands as well as a selection of Asian artworks. Highlights include an unusual 19th century huanghuali stand carved as two lotus leaves, with tendrils, a flower and auspicious animals. Sara Kuehn's exhibition `Central Asian Treasures from the Spiritual Realms' comprises ritual objects in stone, copper alloy, silver and gold from the Bronze Age; Hellenistic and Gandharan sculptures; and Islamic ceramics, metalwork, textiles and jewellery. Highlights include a Gandharan terracotta head from the 1st-3rd century and a 17th/18th century arch shaped tile from Multan decorated with a floral spray. Thomas Murray is bringing Southeast Asian sculpture and Indonesian and Indian textiles with a Modernist aesthetic for his display, while TK Asian Antiquities are showing gold artefacts from China, Mongolia and Korea, with dates corresponding to a period from the Shang to the Ming dynasties.

Mahasiddha with attendants Inscribed `Tsering Dorje' Tibet, c. 1400 Pigment on silk Height 27.3 cm, width 19.7 cm Leiko Coyle Asian Art

This year's Asia Week in New York promises to be buzzing as usual, with an even greater number of dealers, including many from London and other centres in Europe, staging independent exhibitions. There will be an abundance of Japanese art. `Early Images from the Floating World: Japanese Paintings, Prints and Illustrated Books, 1660-1720', on view from 3 March to 5 April at Sebastian Izzard in association with Mitsuru Tajima of London Gallery, Tokyo, explores the origins of ukiyo-e. The 37 works come mainly from a collection formed in the early 20th century, and include guidebooks to the Yoshiwara pleasure district as well as prints of courtesans that rarely appear on the market. Two prints and five of the books illustrated by Hishikawa Moronobu are shown together with one of only two known examples of Ihara Saikaku's Great Mirror of Male Love (Nanshoku okagami) illustrated by Yoshida Hanbei. Desirable impressions of prints of courtesans by Kaigetsudo Doshin, Torii Kiyomasu and Okumura Masanobu, as well as other masterpieces from successive generations, complete the exhibition.
Joan Mirviss will be involved in three events this season. The first, `Daring Visions - Prints from the Utagawa School' (3 March 2 April), includes landscapes by Hiroshige, warrior prints by Kuniyoshi, actor portraits by Kunisada and depictions of beautiful women by Toyokuni. Her second show, `Masterworks by Sakiyama Takayuki from his Solo Exhibition at the Imperial Villa in Numazu City' (19 March - 2 May), features the stoneware vessels of this contemporary ceramicist inspired by the sands and waves near his home on the Izu peninsula. Mirviss is also collaborating with Barry Friedman in `Transformation' (20 March - 26 April), which will include an installation of around twelve of Kondo Takahiro's tall monolithic porcelain sculptures, some with cast glass elements, along with a number of his large mixed media wall sculptures from the new Oil and Water series, and porcelain wall plaques with the artist's unique `mist' glaze.
Koichi Yanagi celebrates Asia Week with an inaugural exhibition at his new gallery at 17 East 71 st Street, from 19 March to 15 April. `Faces from Medieval Japan: Kishin Masks (14th - 17th century)' concentrates on kishin masks, which were given to shrines and worn during dances. Very few survive, particularly Nambokucho or Muromachi period examples. Three of the thirteen masks on view have dated inscriptions, which are extremely difficult to find. Also included in the exhibition are several screens relating to masks. Kaikodo's spring show `Material Witness' comprises Chinese, Japanese and Korean paintings from as early as the 12th century to the present day and Chinese and Japanese art created between the 3rd century BCE and the 19th century. The paintings and objects bear compelling witness to the times and places of their production and to the imagination and skill of the artists and craftsmen who made them. A camel and rider - haughty in their bearing yet imbued with composure and grace - seizes the attention of the viewer, appealing both to the intellect and the emotions. It is astonishing that such basic materials as clay and paint could result in such a stunning image. An anonymous Chinese painting is arresting in its size and complexity, and compelling in its colour and detail. The painting evokes the grand and grandiose halls of the wealthy merchants and high officials of its day. Each work is discussed in Kaikodo Journal XXIV, which also features six. The works will be on view at the IAAF as well as at the gallery.

Camel and rider China, Tang period (618-907) Earthenware Height 66.7 cm Kaikodo

John Kang and his son Peter of Kang and Sons will debut their own collection, accumulated over the last 32 years, of Chinese scholar's objects and Buddhist art from the Northern Wei to the Qing period. Korean and Japanese material will also be on view, as well as new pieces by master craftsmen such as Korean lacquer artist Mong Hue. Throckmorton's exhibition `Jades of the Qijia and Related Northwestern Cultures of Early China' (6 - 29 March) explores two prominent jade forms - perforated bi and cong - that emerged from the central and southeast coastal cultures and were appropriated by the Qijia artisans who created, for symbolic and ritual use, monumental abstract forms with textural richness that gives them an aesthetic appeal. Consistent with previous years, John Eskenazi's exhibition at Adam Williams Fine Art (12 - 29 March) again reflects the highest artistic achievements of the sculptors of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Among the highlights is a 6th/7th century head in sandstone from Salt Hills in the northern Punjab, Pakistan which reveals the royal portraiture traditions of both the Kushan and Sassanian empires. Different regional styles are evident in a 13th century bronze Buddha from Lopburi, eastern Thailand - the main image is typically Khmer whereas the small figures around the base resemble the style of Haripunchaya. Notably, the work shows that the Lopburi bronze casters were as accomplished as those at Angkor. The carving of beautiful goddesses on a 13 th century strut that would once have adorned a tiered temple is testament to the exemplary wood carving traditions of the Kathmandu Valley.

Head Pakistan, northern Punjab, Salt HIlls, 6th/7th century Sandstone Height 34 cm John Eskenazi

MD Flacks's show of Ming and early Qing classical Chinese furniture and scholar's objects (13 - 24 March) comprises around twenty examples in various woods. A pair of tapered huanghuali cabinets from an American private collection were previously in the holdings of the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture at Renaissance, California. Another example, which Flacks firmly dates to the Ming period, is a jumu altar table with a wonderfully aged solid top and legs with pierced openings.
Kang Collection Korean Art is usually open by appointment only; however, from 14 to 28 March the public will be able to view one of the most eclectic presentations of the season. The works in `Classic to Contemporary Korean Art' are representative of Keum Ja Kang's interest in all aspects of her heritage: Buddhist court and folk paintings, such as Indra and the Dragon General from the late 18th century; literati paintings, including An Jung-shik's Heron and Lotus, and calligraphy by Gim Gyu jin and Shin Wi; and the boldly decorated or elegantly formed ceramics of the Goryeo and Joseon periods, such as a covered bowl with a delicate milky glaze, which would have been used for offerings in ancestor worship during the latter period. Joining this impressive list is the work of contemporary artists Kang Ik Joong and Her Suyoung.

Indra and the Dragon General Korea, late 18th century Ink, mineral colour and gold on cloth Height 142.5 cm, width 165 cm Kang Collection Korean Art

Littleton & Hennessy are staging the first one man show in the US for Qu Leilei. It features eighteen works that represent a new departure for Chinese figure painting. According to the eminent scholar Michael Sullivan, who will be attending the opening of `Brush, Ink, Light, Shadow' on 15 March, Qu’s talent as a painter and draughtsman enables him to draw even the most difficult subject, such as the human hand, as `powerful images expressive of thoughts, feelings, humanity and love' and is he is also constantly exploring different forms and subjects, culminating in the nudes that are on view in this exhibition. Eric Zetterquist's exhibition (15 - 26 March) is a panorama of the many diverse forms and glazes produced from the Tang to Song period in kilns such as Changsha, Yue, Ding, Yaozhou and Jingdezhen. Among the group of fourteen ceramics from the Tang period are two jars - one with a lavishly applied cobalt blue glaze and another large example with phosphatic splashes on a white ground. An attractive Northern Song pedestal bowl and foliate saucer with an incised Guan mark features within the group of Five Dynasties and Song Ding ware.
For his spring exhibition, Andrew Kahane has secured a collection of Song period ceramics that was amassed by an American collector over the past 25 years. Here the Ding kilns are represented by a Northern Song dish of bucket shape and carved with a lotus design. Peonies are a feature on a late Southern Song/early Yuan baluster vase with a bluish green glaze from Longquan. Interesting forms are also included - an early Northern Song celadon petal lobed bowl from Yaozhou resembles a contemporaneous lacquer shape.
KooNewYork's exhibition `Korean Art including Selections from Various Private American Collections 1950-60's' (16 - 30 March) is the first in a series that gives an insight into how Americans, living and working in post war Korea, were entranced by Korean art. The Buddhist bronzes and early pottery from the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla periods, and the Goryeo and Joseon ceramics, paintings and folk art, reflect the diversity of their interests. The collection is particularly useful for research purposes. Selections will also be on view at the IAAF.
The Chinese Porcelain Company's exhibition, `An Oath Between Trees and Rocks' (17 - 31 March), features works by Liu Dan and Zeng Xiaojun, contemporary artists who both work in the literati tradition and tackle subjects - the tree and rock - that are omnipresent, but mostly only as secondary elements, in Chinese landscape paintings. Liu Dan is well known for his masterful ink depictions of imaginary landscapes and rocks, and Zeng Xiaojun's renditions of unique trees and scholar's objects reflect his passion for the latter and for Chinese furniture. Eskenazi's exhibition `Chinese Sculpture and Works of Art' at PaceWildenstein (18 - 29 March) represents some of the greatest achievements of artisans working in jade, cloisonné and stone from the Han dynasty to the 18th century. Standing out among these is an impressive early 15th century gilt bronze and cloisonné zun form vase richly enamelled with plants on a turquoise ground. Eskenazi suggests that it was probably once part of the imperial collection; it has been in the Moreau collection in Paris since the early 20th century. Another work, also possibly of imperial provenance, is a rhyton dating to either the Yongzheng or Qianlong period. Regardless whether the form is derived from a sophisticated Shang bronze vessel or a simple leather jug, the true value lies in its material - jade, so much revered by the Chinese. The white and russet stone is masterfully carved with an archaistic dragon and phoenix motif. A lokapala has unusual features such as an ochre glaze on its face and hands and turquoise within some areas of its more common `three colour' glaze; this additional colour is rarely seen in ceramics produced during the Tang period. Similarly, Tang tombs have rarely revealed well modelled small animals, hence a cream glazed rabbit seated on its haunches is another notable work in the show.
Francesca Galloway in association with Sam Fogg will be exhibiting some forty works from the Mughal, Deccani, Rajput and Pahari schools at Peter Findlay Gallery (18 - 28 March). A highlight is a painting illustrating an Indian musical mode or ragini in which the heroine sits within an exquisitely detailed landscape beside a river. According to Galloway, it displays motifs common to the styles of Golconda and Bikaner, and was therefore probably painted by an artist who was taken to Bikaner after the capture of Golconda by the Raja of Bikaner.
Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch will show their collection of miniatures at 9 East 82nd Street ( 15 - 22 March). The finest of the group is a leaf from an imperial Mughal manuscript, the Akbarnama, or story of Akbar's life and deeds. This highly evocative page depicts the arrival of Humayun in Lahore in 1555 within the walls of the fort. The portrait of Akbar's father wearing his distinctive turban is ascribed to the artist Mukund, one of the seventeen named painters in the Ayin I Akbari, a contemporary account of Akbar's administration. Other highlights in the exhibition are two leaves from a Zafarnama (Book of Victory) manuscript, a history of the exploits of Timur and his descendants completed in 1425. Timur Ordering a Campaign Against Georgia shows the ruler splendidly enthroned and no doubt coercing the Emir from Armenia to join his campaign against his Georgian neighbours. This painting is signed by two senior artists of Akbar's studio, Tulsi and Madhav, the latter being identified as the portraitist.
E&J Frankel's exhibition, on view from 20 March to 26 April, is titled `The Julia and Vance Hall Collection of Korean Art: Bronzes and Ceramics Unified Silla, Koryo & Choson Dynasties'. The earliest of the 38 pieces are two Unified Silla period grey pottery vessels, while works from the Goryeo dynasty include several long handled bronze spoons and a pyriform bronze vase with an everted mouth and the imprint of a textile in its patination. Among the Joseon ceramics, an unusual starch blue circular pot with an underglaze blue painted design of branches and flowers, circa 1800, stands out.
One of the highlights among the Asian ceramics in Richard Gien's show `Organic Forms by Pure Hand' is a freely moulded Japanese stoneware bowl, probably from the 16th or 17th century. When viewed from a certain angle, the bowl seems to take on the appearance of a cabbage leaf. At least ten exhibitions will open in the Fuller Building at 41 East 57th Street on 17 March. This year J.J. Lally, who has been in the building since 1991, celebrates his sixteenth exhibition with `Two Thousand Years of Chinese Sculpture' (17-29 March). Most appealing are two painted pottery Daoist deities that have the appearance, based on their dress, posture and stern expression, of `judges of hell'. However, correct identification of Daoist deities in paintings and sculptures continues to be much debated by scholars. Lally has done extensive research on the figures, and has also had discussions on Daoist imagery with experts in the field. This exhibition and its catalogue will stimulate further debate and hopefully engender a consensus. The figures date to the Five Dynasties period, based on stylistic analysis, and the results of a TL test are consistent with this attribution. Lally is also offering a monumental Tang period stone head of a Buddha in three quarter relief from this site; it has been in his office since he acquired it from the family of Sir Rudolph Bing in 1997. Lally recently bought back from a client after many years a tall lacquered wood tomb figure from Changsha dating to the late Eastern Zhou dynasty. Such figures have universal appeal and this example has a provenance dating to the 1930s - it was one of a large group of early wood sculptures that was brought to the US by John Hadley Cox and exhibited and published by Yale University in 1939.

A pair of Daoist deities China, Five Dynasties period, (907-960) Potttery with pigment Height 37.5cm and 39 cm J.J. Lally & Co

Carlton Rochell has not only been actively enriching the holdings of some collectors - his success also appears to have had the desired effect of encouraging others to divest of their Indian and Southeast Asian sculptures. Most of the forty examples on view from 18 to 28 March come from four collections in the New York area. An excellent example of the unique hybrid of cultures in South Asia is a well carved 3rd century seated grey schist figure of Maitreya, identified by a waterpot. It is among a number of such images from Gandhara with similar iconography. A Jain bronze image from Tamil Nadu dating to circa 800 can be identified as the Jina Parsvanatha by the prominent parasol of snake heads that shelters his head. Parsvanatha is one of the few Jinas recognizable out of context by an attribute. In addition to the elegant and linear aesthetic, the work has an excellent provenance, having been acquired by J. J. Klejman in New York in 1963.

Maitreya Gandhara, 3rd century Grey schist Height 59.7 cm Carlton Rochell

Rossi & Rossi will be exhibiting a group of rare Buddhist carpets from a Swiss private collection for their Asia Week exhibition. Titled `Tantric Carpets from the Himalayas', the show will include fifteen examples from Tibet, China and Mongolia, and will run from 17 to 25 March at the Neuhoff Gallery in the Fuller Building. The imagery on the carpets, which date from the late 18th and 19th centuries, originates in yogic practices associated with the charnel grounds of India.

Carpet China, Ningxia Wool and cotton Length 312 cm, width 308 cm Rossi & Rossi

Gisèle Croës's exhibition at Nohra Haime's gallery from 17 to 22 March gives an impressive overview of the creativity of early China and includes the most important piece she has handled - a late Warring States/early Han bronze stand. It is an impressive 78 centimetres high and terminates in the body of a bird of prey with three heads. Possibly a support for an oil lamp or a tray, its overall sumptuous decoration in gold and silver of stylized bird motifs attests to the brilliant inlay inventions of this period, which became so highly prized throughout China. Also exceptional is a Northern Qi ceramic figure of a kneeling foreigner holding a wine flask.

Oil lamp China, Han period (206 BCE-CE 220) Bronze Height 38 cm Gisèle Croës

Mika Gallery's show `Japanese Art - Prehistoric to Medieval' (11 - 21 March) includes Buddhist art, ceramics and lacquer. Among the most precious is a Heian period wood incense burner decorated in vibrant colours, which was used during Buddhist ceremonies and originates from the Yakushi temple in Nara. Carole Davenport's exhibition `Basic Elements - Japanese Art from the 2nd Millennium to 1900' at Meridian Arts (15 - 25 March) is comprehensive in its coverage of all media, from a Jomon vessel to early wood sculpture, mediaeval storage jars, and Buddhist ritual objects, tea wares and everyday items of artistic merit. Alan Kennedy's exhibition `Circles, Curls and Cascades in Japanese Costumes' at the James Goodman Gallery (17 - 23 March) brings together a diverse group of textiles all linked by the theme of circularity in their design motifs. Carlo Cristi of Milan will be exhibiting at AFP Galleries (17 - 25 March). His show, `West Tibet: Illuminations and Thangkas', brings together works of the 12th to the 14th century, juxtaposed with early gold artefacts and textiles from Central Asia. Anthony Smith has commissioned another set of oil paintings from Thai artist Rearngsak Boonyavanishkul for his exhibition `Intimate Images' at Susan Aberbach Fine Art (17 - 28 March). The paintings depict preparations for ceremonial dances in Thailand and Bali. Gregg Baker will be showing his Japanese screens and works of art at the Leonard Hutton Gallery (17 - 24 March). The `jewel' in his show is an Edo period two panel screen displaying, in a particularly unusual style, a scene of scholar's objects placed on a shodana with a male attendant resting on a lacquer box and with an ikebana arrangement in the background. Although Ghangkhar Ah Nhey have opted to exhibit at Antiquorum Auctioneers on the fifth floor (17 to 23 March). Tenzing Gyaltsen is anticipating that the gallery's collection of textiles, wood and metal works, and sculptures and paintings from the Himalayas will create excitement. The highlight is a 11th/12th century palm leaf manuscript. Some of the Tang ornaments in TK Asian Antiquities' exhibition `Gold' (18 - 28 March) are particularly interesting as they are evidence of the extent of cultural exchange in northwest China during this period. For example, the style of a gold and silver necklace or headdress with pendants suspended from a chain of rosettes resemble Greek gold in the Hermitage in St Petersburg. Three or four dealers at 5 East 57th Street will also open their exhibitions on 17 March. Berwald Oriental Art will have a lavish display until 29 March of new acquisitions in their recently expanded gallery on two floors. A highlight among the pottery, porcelain, stone, lacquer, cloisonné and jade from the Han dynasty to the 18th century is a pair of Tang period warriors vibrantly painted and with remnants of gilt. China 2000 is one of the few galleries in New York to offer Chinese ink-and-brush painting and calligraphy by 20th century masters such as Zhao Zhiqian, Wu Changshuo, Chen Hengke, Huang Binhong, Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian, Pu Ru and Zhu Qizhan. They will also be showing furniture, scholar's objects and stones. Part of their gallery will be given over to Priestley & Ferraro for their exhibition of Chinese ceramics and sculptures.

On 19 March Christie's, New York will be offering 150 lots in a sale titled `The Imperial Wardrobe: Fine Chinese Costume and Textiles from the Linda Wrigglesworth Collection'. Orientations talked to Wrigglesworth about her career in London over the last 30 years.

Chaogua (sleeveless vest) China, c. 1850 Kesi Length 138 cm Christie's `The Imperial Wardrobe: Fine Chinese Costume and Textiles from the Linda Wrigglesworth Collection' sale, New York, 19 March 2008

Paris
Christian Deydier is moving to a larger space at 30 rue de Seine, with an upper floor to house his expanding library, and private reception rooms for honoured guests. As the area is home to an increasing number of important galleries, Deydier is looking forward to the camaraderie of colleagues in the field and the prospect of more walk in business.

Christian Deydier's new gallery at rue de Seine, Paris

London
`Self Portraits: State of Unbalance', featuring new works by the Tibetan artist Nortse is on view at Rossi & Rossi until 22 March. In many of the fourteen works, Nortse depicts himself bound in bandages or wearing a surgical mask. Only in Extrication is there a suggestion of hope: butterflies are released as the hands are shown escaping from their restraints. Reflecting the local global dialogue in contemporary art, his works have a universal appeal as they deal with issues that range from the environment to the search for personal identity.

Geneva
Galerie Leda Fletcher in Geneva will be introducing the works of Taiwan artist Yao Jui-chung to the Swiss public. Yao is well known for his photography and installation work and is also a respected cultural commentator. Works from the Wonderful series will be on display through the month of March. Created during the time Yao spent at an artist's workshop in Scotland, its narrative is based on the tale of a literati banished to the edges of the known world and the cynics and devils he encounters. The paintings are a combination of rough handmade Indian paper, gold foil, rich colours, historical motifs and compositions from Chinese ink painting, and thistle patterns.

Beijing
`Rent' Collection Yard, a sculptural installation by Li Zhanyang, will be unveiled at the Lucerne and Beijing based Galerie Urs Meile on 26 April, and will remain on view in their Beijing galleries until 28 June. Consisting of 34 life sized coloured fibreglass likenesses of international celebrities and art world luminaries (including the artist himself), it is the largest and most complex work the artist has created to date. As the title suggests, it derives its inspiration from the iconic 1965 Cultural Revolution masterpiece.

Venice
Until 15 April, Studio Arga's exhibition `Latest Acquisitions' is on view at their gallery and website (www.argainc.com). Highlights inlcude a Kushan stone panel depicting a scene from the drama of Vasantasena and Charudatta, a 16th century thangka of Vajrapani and a 7th-9th century Prakon Chai ronze of Maitreya.

Announcements John Guy, formerly Senior Curator for South and Southeast Asia at the Victoria and Albert Museum, has been appointed Curator in the Department of Asian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with responsibility for the collection of South and Southeast Asian Art. On 1 March, an interdisciplinary symposium will be held at the Asia Society in New York to coincide with the exhibition `Designed for Pleasure: The World of Edo Japan in Prints and Paintings, 1680 - 1860', on view at the Asia Society and Museum from 27 February to 4 May. Titled `Designed for Pleasure: Popular Culture in Edo Japan' and co sponsored by the Japanese Art Dealers Association (JADA), the symposium will address related issues of popular art, literature and entertainment in Japan's capital during the Edo period. Tickets are US$20 for Asia Society and Japanese Art Society of America (JASA) members, US$25 for non members and US$20 for students/seniors. For tickets telephone 212 517 ASIA or visit http://tickets.asiasociety.org; for further information visit the Asia Society's website (www.asiasociety.org ). In conjunction with the exhibition `Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose (1882 - 1966)', on view at the San Diego Museum of Art from 23 February to 18 May, the museum is holding a symposium, `Rethinking Nandalal: Asian Modernism and Nationalist Discourse', on 5 April. Discussions will focus on the context in which Bose lived, his work and career, and his impact on Indian art and artists today. The cost for attending is US$10 for museum members and educators, US$15 for non members and US$5 for students. For further information, email programs@sdmart.org or telephone the museum on 619-232-7931.

John Guy (Photograph courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Don Pollard)