Divine Beauty: Revealed and Concealed

by Vidya Dehejia, Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian and South Asian Art at Columbia University, New York.

Chola bronzes created by master artists display sensitive modelling and technical virtuosity that together capture the physical beauty of the divine body in a way that is truly mesmerizing. However, the fact that they are displayed on pedestals in museums with special lighting that creates an atmosphere of rarefied grandeur is, for some, a reversal of their original intent. This essay considers the viewing and handling of the Chola bronze in some five differing contexts, exploring the ways in which each experience reveals or conceals the beauty of the divine body. Starting with the sthapati, instructed to produce an image that would serve as a `body' worthy of being inhabited temporarily by the god, and considering the contrast provided by the temple-goers' experience; seeing the bronze elaborately draped in sumptuous silk clothing and richly arrayed; the display of Chola bronzes in museums; the vision of the divine presented in the hymns of the saints and the acharyas who composed verses in adoration of temple images; and finally the ritual purification of bronzes, Dehejia investigates the concealment and revealing of the beauty of the Chola bronze.
Vidya Dehejia is also consulting curator of the exhibition `Chola: Sacred Bronzes of Southern India', on view at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, from 11 November 2006 to 25 February 2007.

Arunajateswara Sthapati in his workshop at Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu (Photography by Dick Waghorne)

by Sharada Srinivasan, Fellow of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore.

Srinivasan addresses Chola bronzes of Shiva, in particular links between the imagery of the god depicted as Nataraja, the Lord of Dance, and astronomical ideas. Remarkably, in an era preceding Leonardo da Vinci, the Nataraja bronze achieved a poetic synthesis of art and science, perhaps conceived as an iconometric star chart for Orion, as argued here from archaeometallurgical and astro-archaeological evidence. A collaborative study between Srinivasan and Nirupama Raghavan points to an exciting iconometric link between Nataraja and the constellation ù a star chart for Orion dated 800 was mapped on to the Nataraja image, identified from archaeometallurgical and lead isotope study as being of Pallava vintage. A `stellar' inspiration for the Nataraja icon, at least at its inception, may be inferred from the astonishingly good fit given by this superposition. The dualistic nature of Shiva worship and the ideas linking Nataraja to the consciousness and the sky are also considered, and details of metal analysis of selected Chola bronzes are discussed.

Shiva as Nataraja (Lord of Dance) Chola period, 11th Century Bronze Height 111.5 cm The Cleveland Museum of Art (1930.331) Purchase from the J.H. Wade Fund (Photograph copyright The Cleveland Museum of Art)

by John Guy, Senior Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The essence of devotional activity for a Hindu is making eye contact with an image of their god, the climax of a devotee's temple visit and consists of a momentary glimpse of the temple's cult image housed in the inner sanctuary of the temple. But periodically the gods venture outside the confines of the sanctuary to visit secondary shrines and halls within the temple grounds, and on occasion - to mark special temple festivals - beyond into the streets of the town. These excursions are explained as the presiding deity wishing to `see' his followers and his territory, but more importantly these ceremonial processions provide an opportunity for the faithful to see their god. These are occasions in which the god is both seeing and seen. Guy examines the history and practice of these processions, and follows one example at the Svetavanesvara temple in Tiruvenkadu, Tamil Nadu.

Street procession of the temple gods on their animal vehicles and chariots, Panguni Uttiram Festival, Svetavanesvara temple, Tiruvenkadu, Tanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, April 1993. The parade is led by Ganesha on his rat.

by Wenzel Jacob, Director of The Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Jacob presents a brief history of the Art and Exhibition Hall (KAH), summarizing its purpose and the major Asian exhibitions that it has held, and also discusses the upcoming exhibition `Angkor - Sacred Heritage of Cambodia', on display from 15 December 2006 to 9 April 2007. This will be the most comprehensive exhibition of its kind in Germany, with an overview of Khmer culture that enables the observer to explore not only the art of this ancient civilization but also its historical, social and religious aspects.

by Helen Ibbitson Jessup, an independent scholar specializing in the art and architecture of Southeast Asia, and co-curator of the exhibition `Angkor - Sacred Heritage of Cambodia'.

In this article, Jessup looks at early Khmer art and architecture and what evolved and developed from it. For example, how the small 8th century temple of Prasat Ak Yum - with its mountain profile invoking Mount Meru, home of the Indic gods, its cave and its mandala plan - provided the template for successive temple mountains, and ultimately Angkor Wat. And if the elision of cave and mountain in Khmer sacred structures can be perceived as an original conception, can a similar recognition account for the astonishing nature of 7th century Khmer statuary? Jessup goes on to examine inspirations for and consequent development of Khmer sculpture.

Garuda From Prasat Thom, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear province, second quarter of the 10th century Sandstone Height 213 cm National Museum of Cambodia (Ka 1737) (Photography by John Gollings)

by Wibke Lobo, head of the South and Southeast Asian Department at the Museum of Ethnology, Berlin and co-curator of the exhibition `Angkor - Sacred Heritage of Cambodia'.

The Khmer kings laid out their colossal temple complexes and artificial lakes not only as an expression of worldly power, but also in an effort to secure deification after death. The desire for permanence guided their drive towards ever larger and grander projects. Permanence, however, could be assured only through a life in harmony with the gods and the cosmic order. By commissioning temples and monasteries and granting generous donations such as land, sculptures, jewels and precious ritual objects to them, the Khmer kings hoped to garner maximum religious merit. Lobo investigates the design of these temples, and their statuary and decoration under the reigns of different monarchs, and even on into the twentieth century.

Vishnu Anantashayin From West Mebon, Angkor, Siem Reap province, last quarter of the 11th century Bronze Height 122 cm, length 236.2 cm National Museum of Cambodia (Ga 5387) (Photography by John Gollings)

by Ang Choulean, Research Associate at the +cole frantaise d'ExtrOme-Orient in Paris.

In Indian religious iconography there are two kinds of linga, the svayambhu-linga and the sthapita-linga. The former is an element of nature - a lump of stone rising from a surface, even a termite mound - imbued with a phallic meaning in the magico-religious sense of the term, appropriated into the Hindu religions where they became the sign or distinguishing mark of the Lord Shiva. The latter carved linga are geometrically perfect phalluses combining circle, octagon and square. Ang Choulean investigates the traditions of the Brahmanic linga in Cambodia, and compares them with similar indigenous beliefs and practices.

Mukhalinga Wat Bodhi Metrei, Takeo Province, 7th/8th century Sandstone Height 83 cm National Museum of Cambodia (Ka 1622) (Photography by John Gollings)

by Hab Touch, deputy director of the National Museum of Cambodia, and Lucie Folan, curatorial project officer at the National Museum of Cambodia, under the Australian Volunteers Abroad programme.

Removal of Cambodian art treasures from archaeological sites and the country itself has a long history, extending beyond the dynamics of modern looting. A large amount of significant Khmer art is now held in international museums and private collections outside of Cambodia: these objects are commonly incomplete stone sculptures, often in the form of torsos, detached heads and architectural fragments. A fascinating area of art scholarship is the identification and reunification of the separate parts of once complete works, within and across collections, to increase understanding of Khmer sculpture and restore some of their veracity. In this article, Touch and Folan highlight recent successful examples of the reconstitution of Khmer art.

Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana From Phnom Da, Angkor Borei, Takeo Province, 6th/7th century Sandstone Height 230 cm National Museum of Cambodia (Ka 1641) (Photograph courtesy of Ocelus/Darren Campbell)

by Helen Ibbitson Jessup, an independent scholar specializing in the art and architecture of Southeast Asia, and co-curator of the exhibition `Angkor - Sacred Heritage of Cambodia'.

Few countries have been so challenged in the survival of identity and life itself as Cambodia. A whole generation of political upheaval, genocide and foreign occupation created a hiatus in economic development and education and shredded the very fabric of society. Beyond the challenge of healing the wounded, training and integrating the limbless, demining the fields, eliminating malnutrition, instituting adequate schooling, restoring the infrastructure and building governance lay the task of finding a group of people capable of the self-sustaining planning and execution without which no country can be truly independent. Here Jessup has interviewed and pays tribute to a selection of the people who are working to preserve Cambodia's cultural heritage, from veteran leaders in the field to some of its newer members.

Pich Thyda at the Ceramics Conservation Lab, Siem Reap, January 2005.

by Patricia Frick, an independent scholar.

Having begun to devote himself to Chinese lacquerware while still a young man, Low-Beer collected with tremendous passion and at the highest levels, so that within a very short time, he succeeded in amassing a trove of unusual and, in some instances, unique works of art. The criteria for Low-Beer, who had early on felt the `wish to possess "beauty"', were based on aesthetics alone. Venturing into the unknown terrain of Chinese lacquer, he felt the urge to find his own answers to questions heretofore unresolved, and the results of his pioneering research are still pertinent today. In celebration of this great collector's centenary, the Museum für Lackkunst (Museum of Lacquer Art), Münster and the Linden-Museum, Stuttgart are holding a special exhibition. This article considers Low-Beer's collection and life, and features several examples of excellent lacquer pieces once owned by him.

Fritz Low-Beer, c. 1920s. Low-Beer Family Archive

Bowl and stand Late Song-early Yuan period, 13th/14th century Carved lacquer on wood Bowl: height 10.1 cm, diameter 20.8 cm; stand: height 9.2 cm, diameter 19.3 cm Linden-Museum, Stuttgart (Inv. no. OA 20825 a + b L) (Photography by Anatol Dreyer)

by Tina Yee-wan Pang, curator at the University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong.

The imitation, copying or reproduction of motifs, forms, materials, technologies and even functions occurs in China as early as the Neolithic period in ceramics that imitate bronze vessels, or in soapstone imitating jade. The relationship between an original and its referents, whether created in reverential emulation, or as an object of intentional fakery, is a complex one which forms the focus of the exhibition, `Art & Imitation in China', presented by the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong at the University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong (UMAG). This article focuses on two lobed dishes of the Tang dynasty featuring the makara motif, both of which are included in the exhibition and elaborate some of its main themes, and demonstrate how an Indian motif of iconographical significance in an architectural context has been adapted to Near Eastern metalwork forms and furthermore imitated in ceramic.

Dish Tang period (618-907) Gilt-Silver Width 13 cm Private Collection

Sotheby's New York's `Kungfu Hustle':(from left) Yuan Shiyuan, Florence Chan, David Martinez, Joe-Hynn Yang, Edie Hu, Jean Seo, Zhang Xiaoming, Alexandra Wang and Mee-Seen Loong

Kevin Ching joined Sotheby's Asia as Chief Executive Officer in early July this year. Ching has extensive experience of doing business in mainland China. From 1994, he was Executive Director of Hong Kong luxury-goods group Dickson Concepts Ltd, in charge of their business development in China and Hong Kong as well as legal affairs. Prior to this, Ching, a qualified solicitor, practised with Johnson Stokes & Masters, and was their chief representative in Beijing. Orientations talked to Ching about his plans for Sotheby's expansion into China and other developments.

Kevin Ching

by Margaret Tao

Although the room at Christie's for the `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale was crowded, it did not have the same buzz as the March session. Nonetheless, the total of US$12.1 million for 422 lots offered was the second highest achieved by the house for a sale of Chinese art in New York. A globular vase from the Xuande period took top spot (lot 242; estimate US$200/300,000). Despite its cut-down neck, Hong Kong dealer William Chak paid US$2.2 million for this early and rare example. Japanese dealer Iketani Ikemasa prevailed against Chinese bidders to purchase a pair of massive carved lacquer circular covered boxes for US$216,000 (lot 65; estimate US$60/80,000).

Beaker Western Han period (206 BCE-CE 9) Jade with gold-and-silver decorated bronze mount Height 16 cm Christie's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale, New York, 19 September 2006, lot 175 Price: US$856,000 (estimate US$500/600,000)

There were also some strengths in the tremendous range of material at Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale. The total was US$10,562,760 for 368 lots offered. Notable works included the top lot, an exceptionally large Kangxi period carved rhinoceros horn `log raft' wine vessel (lot 8; estimate US$500/700,000). The masterpiece by the famed carver You Kan was probably made for imperial use, and is quintessentially Chinese in taste: it was fought over by at least six serious bidders and purchased on the telephone by a mainland collector for US$2.032 million, setting an auction record for this category. Questions about authenticity led to the withdrawal of three important archaic bronzes after test results proved the vessels to be fake; consequently most of the remaining bronzes were unsold.

Wine vessel By You Kan (act. 1660-1720) Height 32.5 cm Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art' sale, New York, 21 September 2006, lot 8 Price: US$2.032 million (estimate US$500/700,000)

The sale of `Indian Art including Miniatures and Modern Paintings' at Sotheby's totalled, US$14,803,600 for 169 lots offered - the highest ever for an Indian art auction at Sotheby's. A new collector from Singapore outbid four others to buy the cover lot (38), Man with Monstrance by Francis Newton Souza, for US$1.36 million, making this the sale's top lot (US$500/700,000). Chamunda and the Shaktis Battle Raktabija, twenty important illustrations belonging to the ever-popular Devi series - early and in particularly good condition - sold for US$262,400 (lot 20; estimate US$10/15,000).

Man with Monstrance By Francis Newton Souza (1924-2000), 1953 Oil on board Height 91.5 cm, width 61 cm Sotheby's `Indian Art including Miniatures and Modern Paintings' sale, New York, 19 September 2006, lot 38 Price: US$1.36 million (estimate US$500/700,000)

The inaugural sale of `Contemporary Indian Paintings' was extremely successful: a total of US$1,818,780 was achieved for the 58 lots offered. In 1998 works by Dodiya were selling for between US$4/6,000. Here the cover lot (16), Mirage, an installation from Dodiya's `shutter' series, brought the highest price; it went to an international dealer for US$216,000 (lot 16; estimate US$180/220,000). G. Ravinder Reddy's Head-06, an enormous head of a woman in fibreglass painted polyester resin, was also sought after and went to another Indian collector for US$156,000 (lot 44; estimate US$100/150,000).
Christie's `Modern and Contemporary Indian Art' brought US$17,811,360 for 168 lots offered, their highest total ever achieved for this category. The provenance and high quality of the material had a positive impact on the results; the paintings once belonging to two important collectors, Robin Howard and Krishna Riboud, were especially sought after. The US$1.36 million an Indian hedge-fund manager paid for Man and Woman by Francis Newton Souza, one of four works from the Howard group, made it the sale's top lot (lot 23; estimate US$300/500,000). Two 1971 works by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, a contemporary of Souza's, from Krishna Riboud's estate sold for US$688,000 and US$632,000 (lots 38 and 40 respectively).

Man and Woman By Francis Newton Souza (1924-2000), 1954 Oil on board Height 91.3 cm, width 122 cm Christie's `Modern Contemporary Indian' sale, New York, 20 September 2006, lot 23 Price: US$1.36 million (estimate US$300/500,000)

The afternoon sale, `Indian and Southeast Asian Art' was unfortunately a completely different story. A total of US$2,306,520 was raised for 210 lots offered, with only 44 per cent sold by lot and 56 per cent by value. The quality was considered spotty and there was interest only in the best pieces from private collections. There was some success with the large sculptures, for example a 2nd/3rd century black schist figure of the teaching Buddha, one of a group from the collection of Julian Sherrier, sold for US$108,000 (lot 28; estimate US$100/150,000).
Another uneven sale was `Japanese and Korean Art' at Christie's. The total was US$2,760,720 for 483 lots offered. Paintings and screens were the strongest in the Japanese section, particularly decorative examples or those with good provenance. Otherwise, few pieces brought high prices. The great disappointment was the cover lot (228), a Kamakura period enormous Kei School wood sculpture of a temple guardian. It was expected to be the highlight of the week and bring in about US$1.2/1.8 million, but there were no bids. The Korean section yielded the highest price for the session: US$240,000 for a Joseon period blue-and-white porcelain bevelled jar decorated with autumn grasses from a Japanese collection (lot 459; estimate US$250/300,000).
The total for Sotheby's second `Contemporary Art Asia: China, Korea, Japan' sale surpassed that of the inaugural sale: US$18,165,920 for 300 lots offered. Four out of the top ten lots were by Zhang Xiaogang. His Amnesia and Memory: Man sold to an American collector for US$884,000 (lot 157; estimate US$300/500,000). It was expected to bring in the region of US$1.5 million. The top lot was Chen Danqing's Street Theatre which sold to a telephone bidder for US$1.472 million (lot 29). The contemporary history painting consisted of two panels: one depicting the aftermath of the Beijing Spring in 1989 and the other a scene in France after the liberation in August 1944. There was little interest in the Korean and Japanese works. Clearly it was the contemporary Chinese art that people had come to buy.

Milan

Renzo Freschi will hold an exhibition `Glances from the Past: Chinese Portraits of the Ming and Qing Dynasties' from 18 to 25 November. Chinese portraiture developed in two traditions. Works in the earlier style emphasized the subject's personality and spirit. The second `commemorative portrait' school was developed in the Ming and Qing periods for formal renditions. The exhibition comprises forty paintings with examples from both schools, ranging in date from the 16th to the 19th century.

Portrait of a Civil Official of the First Rank China, Qing period, 18th century Ink and colour on silk Height 168 cm, width 100 cm `Glances from the Past: Chinese Portraits of the Ming and Qing Dynasties' Renzo Freschi

San Francisco

Xanadu Gallery will be displaying `Jaroslav Poncar: Sacred Vistas and Ancient Stones - Photographs of the Himalayas and Lands of the Khmer' from 16 November to 16 December. The images will be shown accompanied by related antiquities from the two regions.

New York

Following her show of contemporary Korean ceramics from an American private collection in September, Jiyoung Koo of Koo New York will hold `Entertaining and Decor with Asian Art' in December. Focusing on limited editions of contemporary functional Korean ceramics by Lee In-Chin, Cho Sung-mook and Lee Un-bom, used at Koo's `Asia on My Mind' dinner in June, the show is aimed at younger collectors. Other works including pieces by Vietnamese-Chinese photographer Sebastian Huynh and some antiques will also be on display.

For a comprehensive listing of exhibitions, seminars and conferences, complete with links, visit Orientations Asian arts events calendar.

Even though Cambodia is now at peace after decades of civil war, its financial and human resources are unable to support and safeguard its heritage, which is consequently under threat. Friends of Khmer Culture (FOKCI) is a not-for-profit organization established to help support Khmer arts and culture that works with Cambodian institutions to develop self-sustaining projects, offering independence for the future. One of the organization's first objectives is to help the National Museum of Cambodia, which is facing many budgetary constraints. To benefit the institution, FOKCI has published Masterpieces of the National Museum of Cambodia for visitors, which costs US$25 or the equivalent in other currencies, with its profits going towards projects there. This publication presents eighty works from the collection in four languages - English, French, Japanese and Khmer.
FOKCI is already funding the continuing work of a team educated under a bronze conservation project set up by the Freer and Sackler Galleries of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, as well as a long-term project to support the training of staff to protect more than 25 collections of Khmer art in Cambodia's provinces, and to make an inventory of them. More information can be found at FOKCI's website or by emailing them (info@khmerculture.net).

On 9 August Hongnam Kim was named Director-General of the National Museum of Korea, Seoul, the first woman and also the first person from outside the ranks of the museum to be appointed to the post. Kim is also a scholar of Chinese paintings and Asian art history, and has taught at universities in the US and Seoul. She will be in charge of the National Museum as well as eleven regional and local branch museums, and aims to enhance the international exchange programmes, and strengthen exhibitions and education at the museum.

On 1 September it was announced that the Leh Old Town Conservation Model Area project, run by André Alexander and John Niewoehner at the Tibet Heritage Fund, had been recognized with an honourable mention in the 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation programme. The selection panel commended the project, which restored a residential neighbourhood and its range of buildings, for catalysing conservation and urban rehabilitation in Leh, and encouraging the community to show interest in continuing the work. Additional information about the Leh project and Tibet Heritage Fund can be found at their website.

Newly conserved religious icons form the centre of an exhibition jointly hosted by the Honolulu Academy of Art and the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of the Royal Government of Bhutan which opened in Thimpu, Bhutan on 7 October. The show is a result of a cooperative restoration effort run by the director of the academy's Asian Painting Conservation Center, Eddie Jose, and Mark Fenn, Associate Conservator at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.

Eddie Jose explaining thangka restoration techniques to Bhutan's Home and Cultural Affairs Minister Jigme Thinley

The Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas, is to hold an exhibition of Qing period Chinese snuff bottles from The Spinnaker Collection. There are notable objects in various media including jade from the Suzhou School, imperial yellow glass, and a rare enamelled white glass bottle with a cricket on each side. Two examples with decoration painted on the inside by Ding Erzhong can also be seen. The show runs from 14 December 2006 to 15 April 2007 and is curated by Robert Hall.

Collection of Qing period snuff bottles `The Spinnaker Collection' The Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas

Claudine Bautze-Picron responds to the letter `Once Again: Kalyanasundaramurti, the Sacred Marriage of Shiva' which featured in Orientations October 2005 issue (Marianne Yaldiz and Toralf Gabsch, pp. 88-89), and Wolfgang Klose enlightens us about an unusual Japanese invention: Daytime Fireworks.

by Dougald O'Reilly, Director of Heritage Watch.

Heritage is the lifeblood of Cambodia, a country emerging from decades of civil strife that saw the destruction of the nation's entire infrastructure. Bordered by Vietnam, Thailand and Laos, it is home to the region's most impressive ancient remains, a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Khmer people. However, this heritage is and has been under threat for a great length of time, extending back at least to the Thai invasions in the 15th century. Today most temples are devoid of statuary, and tourists interested in viewing the sculptural wonders of the ancient Khmer must visit the National Museum in Phnom Penh. O'Reilly discusses the threats that Cambodian heritage faces today, and what is being done and needs yet to be done to preserve it, before it is lost.

Damage done by hacking devatas from the Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, Kompong Thom province