Image in a Mirror, Moon in the Water: Liao Period Bronze Mirrors Incised with Buddhist Images

by Hsueh-man Shen, Senior Curator of Chinese Art, National Museums of Scotland, and Lecturer of Chinese Art, University of Edinburgh

On 4 October, 'Gilded Splendor: Treasures of China's Liao Empire' opens at the Asia Society Museum, New York. One interesting section of this exhibition is a bronze Buddhist mirror from the White Pagoda, Qingzhou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Incised with a date and an image of the Buddha - unusually, on the reflective side - it would have been affixed to the exterior of the pagoda. Hsueh-man Shen discusses the metaphor of mirrors in Buddhism, and particularly the use of inscribed images on the reflective surface. The use of mirrors in a Buddhist context in China and Japan is also investigated, as is the connection with the proliferation of the Great Daharani Sutra of Stainless Pure Light across China, Korea and Japan, replicated and stored in case of an upcoming period where the Buddhist law would be lost to mankind (mofa).

The White Pagoda at Qingzhou, Balin Right Banner,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (After Wenwu, 1994:12, cover page, pl. 1)

Mirror From the White Pagoda in Qingzhou, Balin Right Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Liao dynasty, 1105 Bronze Diameter 50 cm Museum of Balin Right Banner

by Hsieh Mingliang, Professor of Art History at the National Taiwan University, and Director of its Graduate Institute of Art History.

Further exploration of Liao artefacts is made by Hsieh Mingliang, who raises interesting thoughts on ceramics. Looking at items excavated from tombs and kiln sites, Hsieh builds a picture of the tastes, trading links and origins of Liao dynasty ceramics. Links with the Northern Song are highlighted with the presence of qingbai items, and maritime trade with Wu Yue is evident in the presence of Yue celadons. Liao imitation of forms external to their culture is also considered, for example with mallet–shaped glassware from Iran, copied into earthenware vases, and a particular bottle from the Ding kilns in China reproduced in low-fired earthenware. The possibility of inspiration from Liao metalwork is also discussed.

Lidded jar From the tomb of Yelu Yuzhi and Chonggun at Hansumu Aluke'erqin Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Northern Song period, 942 or earlier Yue ware, stoneware with celadon glaze Height 34.2 cm Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Inner Mongolia

by Yang Xiaoneng, Curator of Chinese Art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City.

In the second article of the series, Yang Xiaoneng considers the Ding mausoleum, where the Wanli emperor and his empresses were interred. Its construction, funerary ware and burial customs are taken into consideration, then compared with other contemporaneous royal burials around China. Looking at the tombs in Sichuan of Zhu Yuelian and Zhu Youxun, royals of the Shu lineage, the comparison reveals some stark architectural and decorative differences. These are especially clear in the use of stone relief decoration and murals - absent in the Ding mausoleum. Examination of other royal tombs shows that Ming burial codes were not always adhered to, especially when they dictated which privileges may only be used in an imperial interment. Stelae bearing the epitaphs of the deceased are also included.

Empress's crown with nine dragons and nine phoenixes From Dingling, the tomb of the Wanli emperor (r. 1573-1620) Changping, Beijing Ming period (1368-1644) Gold and precious stones Height 48.5 cm Ding Mausoleum Museum, Beijing

by Wu Hung, Harrie A. Vanderstappen Distinguished Service Professor, Director of the Center for the Art of East Asia, Consulting Curator of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, and Chief Curator of the Sixth Gwangju Biennale.

By making Asia the focus of representation and interpretation, the Gwangju Biennale poses two questions to the artists displaying their work, art critics and the general audience - Wu Hung attempts to explain what is Asia at this moment of human history as seen in contemporary art and how is contemporary Asian art related to contemporary Asia? The works of Dinh Q. Le, Whang Inkie, Xu Bing Jean-Marc Pelletier, Akio Kamisato, Shu Min-Lin and Song Dong are discussed in the context of some of the themes encountered in the event, 'Myth and Fantasy', 'Nature and Body' and 'Past in Present'. Wu also tackles the issue of the 'flattening' of regional art in multinational exhibitions, and hopes that artists from different parts of the globe can bring their work together in an artistic exchange without suffering this phenomenon. He believes that this has been achieved at the sixth Gwangju Biennale.

After `Mount Diamond' By Whang Inkie (b. 1951) 2001 Lego blocks on plywood Height 779.8 cm, width 533.7 cm Collection of the artist

by Peggy Wang, PhD candidate in contemporary Chinese art at the University of Chicago, and assistant in organizing the exhibition `Shu: Reinventing Books in Contemporary Chinese Art'.

China Institute Gallery is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and is holding an exhibition `Shu: Reinventing Books in Contemporary Art' as part of the celebrations. Peggy Wang looks at the works on display and interviews some of the artists to discover their attitudes towards books. Wenda Gu's Tea Alchemy, a series of books made from 'tea paper', and Hong Lei's embroidered silk accordian-book Compendium of Songs from Golden Lotus are discussed and featured. Wang also investigates books featured in the exhibition that are impossible to read, making us ask the artists why they are producing something that cannot be read at the same time as asking ourselves why we feel compelled to read the illegible; a selection of woodblocks and prints from Xu Bing's Book from the Sky and Chen Xinmao's Historical Text: Blurred Printing Series being two examples of this. The exhibition investigates our complex relationship with books, and the torrent of diverse feelings that the artists harbour towards them, explored through the works displayed.

Woodblock from Book from the Sky By Xu Bing (b. 1955), 1987-1991 Height 33 cm, width 25.4 cm, depth 5.1 cm Collection of the artist

by Bruce Coats Professor of Art History at Scripps College.

Yoshu Chikanobu was one of the most prolific woodblock print artists of the Meiji period; here, Bruce Coats explores his life and works. Starting from his roots as a samurai in Takada fighting for the Shogun in the battles of Ueno and Goryokaku, subsequent injury and arrest, it is little wonder that Chikanobu repeatedly turned to military and classical themes in his art. Chikanobu trained under Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi at the same time as Yoshitoshi did; although both famed for their warrior prints, their styles are very different. Coats investigates Chikanobu's attitude of pro-westernization, revealed in prints of the horse races at Ueno Park and Japanese women wearing Western clothing, which subsequently changed to one of preserving Japanese tradition, expressed in prints of ladies' etiquette and images heavy with literary allusion. The whole range of Chikanobu's work, from warrior prints and pro-westernization images to nostalgic recollections of Edo Japan can be seen at the exhibition 'Chikanobu: Modernity and Nostalgia in Japanese Prints' which is touring the US and Japan.

Great Horseraces at Ueno Park's Shinobazu Pond Illustrated (Ueno fushi no daikeba no zu) By Yoshu Chikanobu (1838-1912), November 1884 Triptych, colour woodblock print Height 35.7 cm, length 71.1 cm Scripps College (2003.1.84)

Ladies' Etiquette Pictures: Welcoming Guests into a Room (Onna reishiki no zu: Kyaku o zashiki e iru) By Yoshu Chikanobu (1838-1912), February 1893 Triptych, colour woodblock print Height 35.6 cm, length 74.8 cm Scripps College (98.4.5)

by Scott Johnson, vice director of the Center of International Affairs and professor of foreign languages and research at Kansai University in Osaka.

Scott Johnson recalls his excitement at the rediscovery of notes from the 1950s written by Dick Lane, the famous scholar of Japanese literature and illustration, on the 17th century Musashi abumi - a novel describing the great fire of Edo in 1657. The story concerns a priest and salesman, the former relating the terrible events in Edo to the latter while at a shrine in Kyoto. The notes were found with a copy of the text, bearing superb illustrations by an unknown artist that fully convey the horror of the disaster. Lane's analysis reveals his detailed knowledge of Japanese literature, and fluency in the language as he unfolds the history of the fire with examples from the text. However, the notes stop abruptly, and Johnson hypothesizes why this might be.

The beginning of Lane's pencil notes on Musashi abumi

People being crushed by the advancing carts full of belongings, while others perish in a canal within the city From Musashi abumi

Philippe Debacker has collected Ming period furniture for almost two decades. Recently, he exhibited the collection in the Forbidden City, Beijing, alongside a selection of modernist designs from the Vitra Design Museum. Debacker discusses his collection, the exhibition and the reactions that it has stimulated.

Philippe Debacker in the Yongshougong at the opening of `MING Furniture in the Forbidden City', April 2006

ACAW in New York provided excellent opportunities to see contemporary Asian art throughout the city. This year, after the passing of Nam June Paik, father of the genre, the onus was firmly on video art; Miwako Tezuka reviews the event, and the art it displayed. A panel discussion started the week on 22 May, where noted curators, art historians and artists debated Asian video art, its present state and future across various countries in Asia. The work of video artists from the Philippines, Afghanistan and Japan is explored and discussed.

Enclose By Bea Camacho (b. 1983), 2004 Video Duration 11 hours Image courtesy of the artist At ACAW, New York

A panel of archaeologists, scholars and museum directors assembled on 4 May to discuss the role and responsibilities of museums in acquiring antiquities at a symposium organized by the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD). Keith Carlisle discusses talks given, including those by Kwame A. Appiah, Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University, about the importance of maintaining a balance between nationalism and cosmopolitanism in formulating legislation that protects cultural property; Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, and Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Met about the importance of encyclopaedic museums and objection to guidelines proposed by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) which would require that museums reject all antiquities with no documented provenance prior to 1970; James Watt, a specialist in Chinese archaeology, about objects and provenance; and panel discussions tackling the questions of: who owns culture and under what circumstances is it ethical for museums to collect cultural property; and museum acquisition policy.

Robert Piccus reviews two books on an often-overlooked but increasingly important subject, Tibetan furniture - Wooden Wonders: Tibetan Furniture in Secular and Religious Life, edited by David Kamansky, and Tibetan Furniture: Identifying . Appreciating . Collecting by Chris Buckley.

Cabinet Tibet, 19th century Painted wood and metal Height 104.41 cm, width 107.95 cm, depth 44.45 cm Collection of Ruth Sutherlin Hayward (After Kamansky, p. 298)

Hans Michael Jebsen and David Tang

Many of the guests at Christie's then proceeded to the preview for the International Asian Antique and Art Fair at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre. The event was sponsored by Lehman Brothers and the proceeds from the benefit went towards an education and training programme run by the Fine Arts Department and the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Kenneth Chu, Betty Lo and Alice King

Christie's CEO Edward Dolman talks with Orientations about the recent sales in Hong Kong, their move to the Hong Kong convention centre, Steve Wynn and the HK$78.52 million Hongwu vase and Christie's current growth future in the region. He reveals how the development of the auction market over the last 200 hundred years follows the patterns of economic successes, and how now they are looking at Asia where there are so many new collectors, especially in mainland China. The move to consolidate the auctions in two five-day events per year has started clients from Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and even further afield buying outside their traditional collecting areas. In discussing Christie's future in mainland China, Dolman talks about the current law that does not allow a foreign entity to sell `cultural heritage' and lending the Christie's name to a Chinese auction house, Forever.

Edward Dolman (right) with Steve Wynn and the Hongwu underglaze copper-red vase that Wynn bought for a record HK$78.52 million

During Christie's 20th anniversary sale in Asia, more than 2,400 lots were offered over five days, netting the house a total of more than HK$1.2 billion.
The opening sale of `Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art' on 28 May achieved HK$51,612,800. A work by Le Mayeur took top place: Terrace Affording a View of the Sea with Pollok under an Umbrella and Several Figures sold for a record HK$13.56 million.
It was standing room only at the `20th Century Chinese Art' sale, where a total of HK$214,413,600 was reached. Chu Teh-chun's Rouge, La pluie de pétales sur le village; Blanc, Le nuage au-dessus de la maison No. 53, sold on the telephone, reportedly to a Taiwan collector, for a record HK$25.88 million. There was significant interest in Sanyu's Flowers in a Bright Yellow Vase in the room and on the telephone, but it was an anticlimax when bidding stopped at HK$21.064 million.

Rouge, La pluie de pétales sur le village; Blanc, Le nuage au-dessus de la maison No. 53 By Chu Teh-chun (b. 1920), 1960 Oil on canvas Height 195 cm, width 130 cm Christie's `20th Century Chinese Art' sale, Hong Kong, 28 May 2006, lot 182 Price: HK$25.88 million (estimate HK$4/6 million)

For onlookers at the sales, the current `in'-ness of `Asian Contemporary Art' was not missed as many who took their places in the room are regulars on the society pages. The sale took HK$86,945,600, a phenomenal 99.14 per cent by value. The top lot was Drawing for Man, Eagle and Eye in the Sky: Eagles Watching Man-Kite by Cai Guoqiang, which sold to an Asian collector for HK$6.952. Wang Guangyi's pop-art Rolex fetched HK$3.928 million. However, it was Korean artist Kim Dong-Yoo's Marilyn Monroe vs. Chairman Mao which provided the surprise, fetching HK$2.584 million.
Selectivity prevailed in the `Fine Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy' sale on 29 May, with a total of HK$39,634,400 achieved. Star lots like the handscroll of Colophons by Song scholars on the Seal Script Calligraphy of Xu Changsi and Ni Zan's Bamboo were bought in. Shi Tao's Bamboo and Rock took HK$3.032 million, making it the sale's top lot.
The mainland's fascination with its imperial past continues, several calligraphic works by the Qing emperors offered in `The Imperial Sale' realized prices which were well in excess of estimate. An example of running script written by the Yongzheng emperor dated 1732 fetched HK$420,000.
The size of the `Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings' sale may have accounted for the lacklustre atmosphere; despite this, it garnered a respectable total of HK$122,886,400. There was interest in well-provenanced works by Zhang Daqian: Red Peony, a gongbi work from the collection of Wu Shutong, whose family established the Chung Hwa Book Company, was purchased directly from the artist, Zhang had apparently loved the work very much and had tried to buy it back from Wu. This attracted interest on the telephone and from several dealers in room which drove its price up to HK$2.136 million.

The changing and escalating market for Chinese ceramics and works of art can be measured by Christie's performance in Hong Kong - their first sale organized by James Spencer in January 1987 took in HK$16,721,430. Their 2006 auctions `The Imperial Sale' and `Importance Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' on 30 May made HK$331,411,800. Another significant milestone was the reappearance of one of the most important Hongwu period underglaze copper-red pear-shaped vases. Steve Wynn, the casino mogul, seized the opportunity to get international publicity for his casino, opening in Macau in September, by buying the vase for HK$78.52 million and announcing his intentions to donate it to the Macau Museum. It had sold at Christie's London in 1984 for £421,200, appeared in 1988 at Sotheby's Hong Kong going for HK$17.05 million and again at Christie's in 1997 where it was bought by a Taiwan collector for HK$22.02 million. Another highlight was a Qianlong kesi panel which had originally belonged to the famous late Qing official, Li Hongzhang - it went to William Chak for HK$17.48 million.

Tapestry China, Qianlong period (1736-95) Hanging scroll, kesi with embroidered decoration Height 287 cm, width 108 cm Christie's `The Imperial Sale', Hong Kong, 30 May 2006, lot 1264 Price: HK$17.48 million (estimate HK$3/4 million)

In late May, Orientations participated in the International Asian Antique and Art Fair (IAAAF) which took place at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre, just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Christie's auctions. Sundaram Tagore, a New York gallerist who specializes in artists that engage in cross-cultural dialogue, was enthused by the camaraderie among the exhibitors; `judging from the attention to detail and aesthetics, the IAAAF has the potential to attract prestigious galleries and become an important event'. There was also another event which was held at the same time, the Asia International Arts and Antiques Fair (AIAA) at the Asia World-Expo, near the airport. The differing approaches of these two fairs - evident to those who visited both - raise many of the same issues that are encountered in the organization of art fairs the world over. Marcus Flacks observed that the events were in some way more polarized examples of the two fairs in New York, but he believes their formats, if developed, could become very successful.

Faina Goldstein, art consultant, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, discussing their artists with a collector.

Michael Hatch reports from China Guardian in Beijing, where sales reached a three day total of RMB535 million. `Arts from the Scholar's Studio - The Jiansong Ge Collection' made RMB35.9 million. A zitan ruyi sceptre inlaid with Han dynasty jade commissioned by the Qianlong emperor and inscribed in silver and gold fetched RMB3.9 million.
The sale of `Classical Paintings and Calligraphy' achieved over RMB87 million, a high rate in an area usually approached with caution. Shi Tao's The Lotus Society is a densely layered and intensely beautiful handscroll of a gathering of enlightened eccentrics. The final bidding came to two overseas Chinese collectors, and settled at RMB10.7 million.
The sale of `Porcelain, Works of Art, Jadeite and Diamond Jewellery' had the star lot of the weekend: a Qianlong period famille-rose eight immortals vase, formerly in the collection of Chen Qinghua. Bidding was enthusiastic and, at the last moment, a phone bid from a local collector interceded and won the lot at RMB48 million, a mainland auction record for porcelain. Altogether the sale made over RMB100 million.
There was another record of note in the `Rare Books' sale, where a five-scroll Map of the Jinsha River dated to 1742, fetched an unprecedented price for a Chinese map at RMB3.08 million. At `Fine Contemporary Paintings' works sold consistently, from precise bird-and-flower works by the Nanjing artist Jiang Hongwei, to the expressive-style figures of Fan Zeng. A wall-sized work of dense ink abstraction by the Beijing artist Jia Youfu, Boundless Surges, tied for top lot at RMB3 million with the more nostalgic but equally large, Tao Yuanming's `Drunk and Happy Old Men' by Wang Mingming. The total reached RMB28.4 million.
In `Modern and Contemporary Paintings and Calligraphy I and II' works by the modern canonical masters attracted a lot of interest. Xu Beihong's A Pair of Cranes brought RMB2.55 million. Then a rare and serene Qi Baishi landscape, Autumn Willow by the Bridge and Stream, took RMB2.45 million. In part two, Fu Baoshi's Mountain Wine made RMB3.1 million. The total for part I was RMB49.3 million, and part II made over RMB63 million.
For the sale of `Oil Paintings and Sculptures', a few new and conspicuous overseas bidders made their presence known both in the room and on the telephone. Zhou Chunya's expressionist Dogs sold at RMB1.5 million after intense competition between an English-speaking telephone bidder and several others in the room. Meng Luding and Zhang Qun's 1985 work, In the New Age - Adam and Xiawa, went to a mainland collector for RMB5.7 million; though a pregnant pause by the auctioneer before the hammer fell indicated he believed it would go higher.

Ruyi sceptre Qianlong period, 1755 Zitan with jade,silver and gold inlay Length 39 cm China Guardian `Arts from the Scholar's Studio the Jiansong Ge Collection' sale, Beijing,3 June 2006, lot 1564 Price: RMB3.9 million (estimate RMB2.8/3.8 million)

Over this spring and summer, there were several important sales in Paris, from where Hwee Lie Bléhaut reports. Although Doutrebente's `Céramiques Anciennes' included Asian and European art the crowd filling the room was predominantly Asian and clearly focused on the cover lot, an exceptional blue-and-white Yuan dynasty jar. London dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi placed the winning bid - a staggering €3.5 million which made up most of the sale's €3,848,910 total.

Jar China, Yuan period,mid-14th century Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration Height 28.5 cm Doutrebente's `Céramiques Anciennes' sale, Paris, 31 March 2006, lot 50 Price: €3.5 million (unpublished estimate €1/2 million)

At Tajan's `Art d'Asie' sale, the highest price went to the cover lot, a pair of Qianlong mark-and-period cloisonné dishes, that sold at €22,198. Other areas that proved attractive to buyers were red lacquer and Japanese prints.
Christie's `Art d'Asie' sales continue to dominate the French Asian art market: a total of €4,628,216 was achieved. Cloisonné produced the top lot of the sale - there was a battle on the telephones for a rare gilt-bronze Qianlong period guang, with the price reaching an astonishing €370,400. Two Qianlong period jades sourced from the same collection: a teapot and a cup with cup-stand attracted a lot of attention. The knowledge that the only related examples known are in the Beijing Palace Museum stimulated fierce competition, with Eskenazi coming out as the winner. He bought both lots for €180,000 each. Although there was little Ming porcelain in the sale, the majority sold, even pieces which had sustained damage. An example being a Wanli-marked dish painted with dragons and phoenixes in the wucai palette, which went for €12,600.
Piasa's `Art d'Asie' sale was, for many, a frustrating event. It was unclear why the sale's main attractions - two of the Qianlong emperor's imperial seals - were suddenly withdrawn the evening before the sale after a Musée Guimet curator noticed tiny labels on the seals marked with the initials E.G., which stand for Emile Guimet, the museum's founder. Apparently, due to private arrangement, objects bearing such a label were destined for the Museum. The Guimet is at present looking further into the matter, and the seals may possibly become part of a donation in future. Cloisonné, as at Christie's, produced the top lot of the sale: a Jiaqing period gilt-bronze censer and cover, that made €115,000. The highlight of the South and Southeast Asian works of art was a 14th century Nepali bronze of Avalokiteshvara, selling for €50,000.

The sale of `Fine Asian Works of Art' on 21 June was very successful, Margaret Tao reports. A total of US$4,120,112 was achieved. An elaborately carved 17th/18th century rhinoceros horn ding with elephant-head supports, became the top lot. An anonymous telephone bidder paid a record US$832,250, considerably more than the conservative estimate of US$50/80,000. The cover lot, a Zhang Daqian splashed-colour landscape, went for US$419,750. A rare series of prints, Thirty-two Aspects of Daily Life by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, fetched US$20,315.

Following last year's rescheduling, all three major auction houses continued to hold their 2006 summer auctions of Asian art in July, reports Meri Arichi. Bonhams' `Fine Asian Art' sale achieved a respectable total of £1,546,140. The highest price of £218,400 was for a pair of tall Kangxi period blue-and-white baluster vases with covers. There was lively competition for a famille-rose rectangular screen with the `hundred deer' motif, a telephone bidder secured it for £69,600.

One of a pair of vases China, Kangxi period (1662-1722) Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration Height 103 cm Bonhams' `Fine Asian Art' sale, London, 10 July 2006, lot 107 Price: £218,400 (estimate £100/150,000)

Christie's `Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale reached a total of £5,182,500. The highlights of the sale included a rare Yuan period blue-and-white fish jar from a European collection, bidding started at £700,000, and reached £1 million in a matter of seconds. The lot was finally bought by Eskenazi for £2.136 million. An exceptional price was achieved by a Kangxi period signed rhinoceros horn libation cup by well-known carver You Kan - it made £332,800. One of the most unusual items in the sale was an extremely rare Tang period Buddhist banner from the collection of Fred Andrews, a close friend of Sir Aurel Stein. It was bought by a European dealer for £170,400. Ruben Lien of Christie's Chinese department noted that this sale reinforced the increasing strength of the Chinese art market, with buyers from Asia, America and Europe all showing appreciation for rare and important works of art in all media.
Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale made £4,969,200. The highest result was achieved by a pair of fine Qianlong mark-and-period blue-and-white hexagonal vases consigned by the family of the Prussian count, Alfred von Waldersee. Several bidders fought vigorously for the vases and they were finally acquired by Littleton & Hennessy for £702,400, who also secured a rare Guangzhou ivory panel for £332,800. A Chinese collector paid £388,800 for a famille-rose ruby-ground vase which was given to French prime minister, Leon Blum, during an official visit to China in the first half of the 20th century. The total for Sotheby's `Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale came to £2,926,200. A rare textile panel featuring Chairman Mao set against a landscape - an item of historical interest - sold to a US collector for £28,800. All of the jades from the Mu Fei Collection sold.
Christie's `Japanese Art and Design' featured netsuke deaccessioned from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as well as over 200 from the estate of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. The highest price was paid for an 18th century boxwood netsuke of a grazing horse which fetched £26,400. A bronze vase signed by Saito Zenbei and decorated with the figures of a courtesan and her young attendant made £28,800. The unusual feature of this vase is the decoration on the reverse, depicting silhouettes of dancers on a window which slides open to reveal the scene inside. The sale made a total of £1,875,272.
Buyers at Sotheby's `The Katchen Collection of Netsuke - Part II' sale were selective. The sale totalled £406,020. Suzannah Yip, specialist-in-charge, felt that this temporary setback was due to the sheer quantity of netsuke offered this season. Nevertheless, some lots made excellent prices, including the cover lot, an ivory standing horse by Tomotada, that was sold to a British collector for £57,600.
Meiji export art in bronze, ivory, lacquer, porcelain and cloisonné was among the highlights of Sotheby's `Japanese Works of Art, Prints & Paintings' sale. The highest result was £45,600, paid for a pair of bronze kendo fighters by Miyao. The star lot of the print section, a complete set of the series Wrestling Matches between Mountain and Sea by Hiroshige, failed to sell, perhaps due to the varying condition and the high estimate. The total of £1,743,960 was the highest for a Japanese sale at Sotheby's London in some years - a very encouraging sign for the Japanese market.
Christie's `Exploration and Travel: Asia' sale offered interesting artefacts relating to China and Japan. The highlight being The Reeves Macao Album by George Chinnery dated 1836-37, comprising approximately 200 sketches of Macau and its environs. It sold for £332,800.

Erik and Cornelia Thomsen.

Puyun's new gallery at 135 East 55th Street aims to bring fresh examples of early Chinese art and high-quality Song porcelain to the New York market. They plan to show only a few choice items through the year and then focus on an annual exhibition during March.
At Weisbrod Oriental Art's `Recent Acquisitions - Autumn 2006' are a jade carving from the Ming period depicting a mare nuzzling her colt, and an interesting seated wooden bodhisattva from the Song featuring a rectangular recess in its back which was probably used to store relics.
`Innovation and Refinement of Yuan and Ming Dynasties Porcelain' will run from 5 to 30 September at Art Collectors Gallery. Significant exhibits include a Yuan period meiping and cover decorated with a three-clawed dragon framed by rows of lappets in underglaze copper-red.
Since the death of Zhu Qizhan ten years ago and their last exhibition in 2002, Leon and Karen Wender have had time to reflect on their close association with this distinctive artist and the body of his works that they have sold. A retrospective titled `So Clear and So Cool' will be the fourteenth show of Zhu's works at their gallery, China 2000 Fine Art.
Zheng Shengtian will curate an exhibition of works by Geng Jianyi at Chambers Fine Art from 14 September to 21 October. Geng's use of playful visuals and subtle sounds in his mechanical book installations provide a further dimension to an otherwise static medium.
Carlton Rochell has again been able to secure a number of important Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian works with impressive provenances. Among the thirty examples on view from 14 September to 13 October are two Gandhara sculptures, a seated Buddha with a serene countenance and a fine schist bodhisattva in royal attire. Another highlight is a 14th century Drigungpa School portrait of a lama.
`Northern Lights: The Art of the Liao' at Kaikodo from 16 September to 31 October will demonstrate how the artistic conventions of the Tang were not only kept alive but were built upon through blending with the Liao's nomadic traditions. On display will be an elaborate gilt-bronze funerary crown crafted for a noble or royal burial and a sancai inkstone, and also wood panels with flower-and-bird decoration rendered in the distinctive hand of Liao painters.

Crown China, Liao period, 11th/early 12th century Gilt bronze Height 29.1 cm `Northern Lights: The Art of the Liao' Kaikodo, New York

Eric Zetterquist will be exhibiting new works by Kyoto ceramicist Takiguchi Kazuo from 17 to 29 September. Takiguchi is known for his highly-textured organic forms and the show will feature works in a variety of different styles, including some produced with Shigaraki clay.
Berwald Oriental will be displaying its latest acquisitions from 18 to 26 September. Of particular importance are a pair of painted and gilded Northern Qi pottery horses and a Kangxi period underglazed blue-and-red soldier vase.
China Gallery's `Marco Polo Show' from 18 September to 20 October will include a small selection of their choice terracotta and bronze pieces. A recently acquired Tang dynasty camel and rider is distinctive for its unusual form and the delicate painting of the rider's apparel. Most notable among the bronzes is a realistically cast kneeling figure which may once have held a parasol and was used in a sacrificial ritual.
Flying Cranes' exhibition `Antiques of Meiji Japan: Inspiration for the New Face of Design' from 18 September to 31 October features 100 objects from the Meiji period from important museum and private collections. On display are metalwork, cloisonné, carving, lacquer and ceramic pieces.
`A Feast for the Eyes' at Dai Ichi Art from 19 September to 21 October comprises recent works by seven Japanese ceramicists including Yasuo Hayashi and Yuriko Matsuda, who is known for her life-sized depictions of body parts.
`Japanese Prints from the Mid-19th Century: 1830-1865', on display at Sebastian Izzard from 20 September to 24 October, includes a series of landscapes by Hokusai and works by contemporaries such as Hiroshige and Kunisada.

`South Wind, Clear Dawn' from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji By Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), c. 1830-31 Oban, colour woodblock print Height 25.7 cm, width 38.4 cm `Japanese Prints from the Mid-19th Century: 1830-1865' Sebastian Izzard, New York

`Sticks and Stones: Scholar's Objects: Song through Qing Dynasties' from 20 September to 28 October at E & J Frankel comprises about fifty brushpots, brushrests, brushes, scroll weights, paintings and other items. Wood, bamboo, ivory and stone have been transformed by adept carvers into accoutrements for scholars, decorated with subjects drawn from nature.
`Pathfinders of Kano School, 17th century masters' at Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts from 21 September to 17 October features the most significant artists of an influential school. The highlight is a pair of six-fold screens in ink, colour and gold on paper titled Cranes, Pines and Plum Blossoms by Kano Sansetsu. Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is a rare painting of a common subject by Kano Koya, the official painter to the Mito branch of the Tokugawa family in Wakayama prefecture. These works will be on view alongside works by other Kano painters and their disciples like Hanabusa Itcho and Kusumi Morikage.
Throckmorton Fine Arts will have a small group of early Chinese jades on view including dragons of the Hongshan period. Spencer Throckmorton has been working with Gu Fang, an archaeologist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, on this collection and plans to produce a catalogue with new research on the jade working culture of this period.

Jadestone Gallery's October exhibition `Private Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles and Works of Art' in Portland and San Francisco features over 300 snuff bottles, amassed by an American collector. A highlight is a mid-Qing period carved red lacquer canister, similar to one in Sir Harry Garner's collection.

Alisan Fine Arts' exhibition `Calligraphy-Painting, Luo Qi', on view in Hong Kong from 12 September to 5 October, features recent works by the Hangzhou-born artist. Luo belongs to a group of Chinese artists who are attempting to transform traditional calligraphy into a contemporary idiom, challenging its aesthetic style and semantic function.

Bertrand de Lavergne's exhibition `Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Qing Period' from 16 September to 7 October in Paris features approximately 100 snuff bottles in jade, agate, coral, amber and porcelain and many of them are from one private collection.
Brussels-based Wei Asian Arts will hold an exhibition together with Arlette Gimaray in the latter's Paris premises from 11 to 17 September. The display will contrast ancient with contemporary China. Highlights include a pair of 6th/5th century BCE wooden figures from the Chu state, which still retain their silk robes tied by leather belts with bronze hooks.

Long Live the People's Republic of China China, 1979 Colour print Height 77.5 cm, width 105.5 cm Bloomsbury Auctions `Chinese Propaganda Posters' sale, London, 21 September 2006

Detail showing Krishna consoling Satyabhama from the Bhagavata Purana India, Kangra School, 1810-20 Opaque watercolour and gold on paper Height 42.2 cm,width 56.2 cm EW Asian Art

One of a pair of fanghu China, Warring States period (475-221 BCE) Bronze inlaid with copper and malachite Height 28.4 cm Gisèle Croës at Biennale des Antiquaires, Paris

Coffin China,Three Kingdoms/Western Jin period, 3rd century Lacquered wood and pigment Length 190 cm Jacques Barrère at Kaos, Paris

`Whispers from the Stone: The James R. and Ann A. Peltier Collection', an exhibition of Chinese jades, will be on view at The Louisiana State University Museum of Art in Baton Rouge from 8 September 2006 until 25 February 2007. Exhibits also include works donated to the museum by the Peltiers, who have been collecting 18th and 19th century jades for over a decade. The diversity of forms, ranging from rhytons and wedding bowls to a pillow in the shape of a crouching boy demonstrate the significant position that jade occupies in Chinese culture.
Heritage Watch, an organization committed to the preservation of Cambodian antiquities and the prevention of their illegal trade, recently thwarted an attempt to loot the Preah Khan of Kompong Svay. On 9 May, an anonymous caller to the organization's `Heritage Hotline' reported that powerful local officials were hiring looters to pillage the temple. Heritage Watch informed the Ministry of Culture, and within days provincial officials, police and military had established a post at the site. There had been about thirty well-organized armed men searching the site for artefacts. They planned to remove stone statues and comb the area with metal detectors in hope of finding bronzes. Although none of the raiders were caught, they did not return after the arrival of the authorities. Heritage Watch subsequently dispatched a team to photograph the damage, and passed on their findings to the FBI Art Theft Team. Visit their website to learn more about Heritage Watch's efforts.
The British Museum Diploma in Asian Art, run by Heather Elgood, is now in its fifth year. The programme has attracted international students of varied ages and backgrounds, including lawyers, company directors, diplomats and other professionals who have worked in East Asia. According to Elgood, some students take the course to prepare them for a career in a museum or in the commercial art world, others are in transition between careers, and some to nourish a long unfulfilled interest after retirement - but they all share a deep passion for Asian art. Elgood says that commitment and an open mind are a requirement, rather than previous knowledge. For additional information, contact Dr Heather Elgood, British Museum Diploma in Asian Art (tel: +44 207 323 8144; email)

by John Finlay

On 18 May 2006, the Musée Guimet, the French national museum of Asian art, unveiled a newly restored masterpiece of Khmer sculpture. The late 9th century torso of a Hindu goddess in the Preah Ko style had long been part of the museum's collections, but the head - now reunited with the body - is the recent gift of former US ambassador John Gunther Dean. How the two pieces came together after many centuries is a remarkable tale of history and archaeology, and of war, coincidence and personal generosity.

The female divinity on display in the Musée Guimet's gallery of Khmer sculpture before the discovery of its head From West gopura 1 of Bakong (Roluos), Prasat Bakong district, Siemreap province, Angkor period, style of Preah Ko, c. 875-c. 900 Sandstone Musée Guimet, MG 18862