Building the Belfry

On Saturday, we welcomed the new year with the 26th annual Japanese bell ringing ceremony. In this annual tradition visitors, led by a Buddhist priest, mark New Year by ringing a 2100-lb., sixteenth-century Japanese bronze bell originally from a temple in Tajima Province in Japan. Now part of the museum’s collection, the bell will be struck 108 times with a large custom-hewn log. According to custom in several Buddhist cultures, this symbolically welcomes the New Year and curbs the 108 mortal desires (bonno) which, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind.

This video shows our preparations team building the belfry and hanging the bell ready for is ceremonial duties.

The Year of the Dragons

One of the cool things about working at the Asian Art Museum is that I get to meet artists from all over the world who are creating some fascinating works, big and small.

A few days ago, I received a holiday card from an AsiaAlive alumnus, Japanese bamboo artist Tanaka Kyokusho. He also sent me a photo of his latest work, a fifty-foot-long dragon made entirely from bamboo.

Tanaka's bamboo dragon display in Tokyo.

Another Japanese artist, Paris-based artist Natsusaka Shinichiro, recently sent us the new year’s netsuke he created specially for the museum. This is his third year designing netsukes for our education programs; he previously created netsukes for the year of the tiger and the year of the rabbit.

Natsusaka's dragon netsuke is about an inch tall.

Unlike Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities, Japanese people celebrate the new year on January 1. This change from the lunar calendar was made during the Meiji Restoration Period, in 1873. Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese new year starts on January 23, 2012 (it changes every year according to the lunar calendar), so you will have three extra weeks to make new year’s resolutions.

Next Saturday, December 31, museum visitors can ring the new year in with our annual Japanese bell ringing ceremony, make their own netsukes at our family art activity, and welcome the Year of the Dragon in style.

Christ as the Good Shepherd

The stories of how pieces come into our collection are always interesting, and since it’s the holiday season we wanted to share a story about an ivory sculpture of Christ as the Good Shepherd.

This sculpture is more than a lovely artwork; it is a window into history. It was made some time between 1650 and 1700 in Goa. A number of such statuettes were made during the Portuguese colonial period, when many local people converted to Catholicism, no doubt for a variety of reasons. In other parts of southern India Christianity had had a long history–back, it is said, to the time of the apostle Thomas, who traveled to India in the first century.

The statuette was probably carved by an Indian sculptor trained in Portuguese-related artistic traditions. Christ is shown as a boy tending sheep; in a cave below a woman reclines, reading. She is identified by some as Mary Magdalene, but others believe that she is St Catherine of Alexandria. St Catherine is associated with Goa because it was on her feast day in 1510 that the Portuguese took possession of the city.

Like any other work of art, this little statue is inextricably linked to the events that led to its creation. Some would say it is tainted by colonialism; others that it is important precisely because of its links to events that reach well beyond art, informed by a clash of cultures and an imperialist view of the world that has not entirely disappeared. And of course, Christianity in Goa is not a thing of the past – about 20% of Goans will celebrate Christmas this year.

We acquired this piece at the Arts of Pacific Asia show in February this year through the generosity of Paul and Kathy Bissinger. The Asian Art Museum has a tradition at the show – if one of the curators finds something wonderful, they approach supporters on the spot, hoping to generate enthusiasm for the piece. If we’re lucky, as we were this year, we are able to augment the collection with an important find. Mr. and Mrs. Bissinger write:

We were so pleased that we were able to help the Asian Art Museum fill a gap in its South Asia Collection. Dr. Forrest McGill, whose expert eagle eye first spotted the piece at last year’s APA Gala Opening, was enthralled by its beauty, fine execution and perfect condition. We were easily persuaded to acquire it for the Museum.

We plan to put the newly acquired statuette on display in mid 2012, so you can come in to see it for yourself.

Are there pieces of art that make you reflect on their history? We’d love to hear about them in the comments.

Mystery of the Five Buddhas: Decoding Three Tibetan Paintings

All knowledge begins with a mystery, and there are plenty of them at the Asian Art Museum. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the labyrinth under the museum, where some of our greatest mysteries reside. Among the most intriguing are a set of three Tibetan paintings, each one superficially identical to the others. At the center of each thangka sits a Buddha;  around him appear a host of red-haloed mini-Buddhas. But a closer look begins to reveal telling details.  Body color and hand position differentiate each central Buddha from the others – and this is the crucial clue that tells us we are missing two thangkas from what was once a five-thangka set.

In the original set, each of the five, differently-colored Buddhas presides over one of the cardinal directions, with an additional Buddha at their center. I’ve included an image of these Five Buddhas as they would appear in a complete set. As you’ll immediately see, the museum is missing the blue Buddha of the east, and the red Buddha of the west. I’ve been able to trace the blue Buddha (his name is Akshobhya, the “unshakeable one”) to Honolulu, but the red Buddha is still at large, perhaps in the Tibetan monastery where it was originally created – a place called Sakya, one of the most important institutions in the Himalayas.

The field of Buddhas behind each central Buddha might seem haphazardly arranged, but this is not the case. Looking closely, you’ll see that they occur in a regular sequence: red, yellow, white,  blue, and green, repeated ad infinitum. This fivefold pattern recapitulates in microcosmic form the fivefold structure of the original set of thangkas. Distributed regularly on the thangka’s surface, the field of haloed Buddhas reveals a bilateral symmetry in which diagonals consisting of a single Buddha-color flow downwards at 45 degrees.

Inside the central section of each painting appear 16 small figures. These too might seem randomly distributed, but again this is not the case. In fact, these figures, like the central Buddhas they surround, occupy one of the cardinal directions. When mapped out onto a ground-plan, the form hidden just behind the surface of the thangka becomes clear: our three Sakya paintings (and the two missing ones as well) each represent one quarter of the meditation aid called a mandala.

In the next post, I’ll show you the precise mandala from which these Tibetan images derive, and teach you how to read it. Then, we’ll be in a position to explore the imagery on some of the Asian’s more complex thangkas.

Until then, look closely and patiently at the thangkas, and see what kinds of insights emerge. When you start with a mystery, you may be surprised at what you can discover!

Jeepers Creepers, Where’d You Get Those…

A journalist asked us today about the enamel eyes sported by our Vishnu and Lakshmi sculpture in Sanjay Patel’s Deities, Demons and Dudes with ‘Staches.

One of our conservators with some ready-made enamel eyes.

This sculpture was originally intended to have eyes like these. There are carved depressions in the stone for them, as you can see from the picture below. We don’t know whether the sculpture never got its eyes, or lost them at some point.  Years ago we made a mold of the eye depressions, and I gave the mold to an artisan in India who makes such eyes. The artisan then created a pair for us from enameled metal, as is traditional.

Vishnu and Lakshmi in their former, eyeless state.

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A cornucopia

Some of my favorite objects in the museum’s fine collection are netsuke — delightful little mini-sculptures that I like to call Japan’s Edo Period cell phone charms, except netsuke are not only ornamental but highly functional.

The persimmon, a lovely symbol of fall

In a nutshell, they act as toggles (fasteners), used to secure a purse or container suspended on a cord from the sash of a robe.  The museum’s labels explain:

An inro (literally “seal casket”) is a small tiered container that a man would suspend from the sash of his kimono on a silk cord. A netsuke threaded onto this cord would serve as a toggle, and a movable bead (ojime) would keep the inro closed. Inro were used not only to hold seals (sometimes called “chops”)—which function in East Asian cultures in much the same way signatures do in the West—but also to hold other small items such as medicines.

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Seven Swords

Death, protection, wisdom, prestige, peace, war, and beauty; throughout the world the blade has taken many shapes and has had many uses and meanings.  From the elegant beauty of a samurai’s sword to the unique serpentine kris blades of Southeast Asia, come take a closer look at these seven blades from the Asian Art Museum’s collection representing different cultures, ideals, and uses.

DEATH – Punch Dagger – Gallery 5

This wicked fang, called a kattari, comes from South Asia. The parallel bars of the unique H-shaped grip could be used to block attacks while the perpendicular handle gives leverage for punching attacks. This weapon was known as “the tooth of Yama”. Yama is the god of death. It was used to make quick stabbing attacks that packed an armor-piercing punch. This weapon was even said to be capable of piercing the skull of an elephant! A chilling name and a reputation for pachydermatic carnage is indeed a striking feature of this weapon.

Consider the names given our modern weapons, such as the Hellfire missile or the Reaper unmanned aircraft.  How might a weapon’s name and reputation come about and what could be some of its effects?

PROTECTION – Dagger – Gallery 10

This bladed weapon from Southeast Asia is called a kris. The wavy serpentine shaped blade is a distinctive characteristic. The handle which is often shaped like a pistol-grip shows that the kris was designed for stabbing attacks. Kris were often carried for self-defense while traveling. They were seen as possessing an essence or presence, some being good luck and some bringing misfortune. Some blades are said to have the power to turn away flames, control floods, or even to fly to their master’s defense!

Compare the different kris blades in this gallery case. What kinds of animals and figures adorn the weapons? What kinds of protective powers do you imagine these various blades might be thought to possess?

WISDOM – Ritual Dagger – Gallery 12

The blade can also have a religious and symbolic use.  This instrument for subjugating demons is called a phurba. A closer look at this dagger will reveal that the blade itself issues from the jaws of a fearsome reptile and that there are three heads encircling the handle. This triple-bladed ritual dagger symbolically cuts away the bonds of desire, ignorance, and hatred.

How might a blade help people to overcome desire, ignorance, and hatred?  What are ways people might use weapons during rituals?

PRESTIGE – Sword for Red Scarf Officer – Gallery 12

Bestowed only to those who are knighted by the king of Bhutan, the wearer of the raven crown, this sword with its fine silver filigree and animal-shaped buckles is a serious symbol of rank and prestige. Swords have long had this purpose.  Recall that officers of the U.S. Marine Corps also wear sabers as prestigious symbols of rank.

What are some qualities that make an object prestigious?  Why?

PEACE – Dagger and Scabbard – Gallery 12

Covered in Buddhist symbols and intricately detailed designs this dagger from the Himalayan nation of Bhutan is a work of beauty. Yet many Buddhist art objects in this gallery remind us that Buddhism in the Himalayas so often espouses compassion as a supreme virtue.

What might be the relationship between weapons and compassion?  Is there such a thing as a weapon of compassion and peace?

WARFARE - Bronze Sword – Gallery 14

Superior weapon technology is as important as military skill during warfare. During their time these bronze weapons represented cutting-edge technology. The straight sturdy blade and simple unadorned shape tell us that this is a no-nonsense weapon that gets straight to the point! Also check out the dagger-ax (ge) in the same case. This versatile weapon could hook, stab, and slash opponents on foot or horseback.

Think about the relationship between warfare and technology.  How do imagine they affect each other?

BEAUTY – Long sword – Gallery 27

The exquisite lines of the beautiful gleaming blade of this sword is sheathed in a flawless black lacquered scabbard. The long sword, called a katana, is said to be the soul of the samurai. The short sword is called a wakizashi.  Together as a pair they are called daisho, or the “long and short”. The sword is idealized as the perfect expression of an important part of the samurai code: the sublime integration of beauty and power. Today, as in the past, these swords are seen as art objects of great beauty.

Do you think modern weapons of our own time hold an artful beauty?  How so?  For example, would you consider the graceful soaring jets of the U.S. Navy flight exhibition team, the Blue Angels, art, weapons, or something else?

Asian Art in San Antonio

I recently returned from a site visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) where we have some loans from our collection that we have been checking each year.  I feel a strong connection to SAMA because it was the first loan I coordinated when I first began working at the Asian in 1991.

Rear view of the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA)

The Asian has had loans from our permanent collection on view at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) since February 1992. At that time SAMA, which opened their doors in 1981 in the remodeled historic Lone Star Brewery complex, had a collection of Asian Art which they supplemented by borrowing additional pieces for display.

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Avatar at the Asian, part II

Having now seen the movie Avatar, I can’t say there’s much Hindu lore in it beyond the word “avatar” and an approximation of its ancient concept.

It’s true that the hero of Avatar, like the Hindu deity Vishnu, has blue skin and rides a mighty sun bird, but hey, we’re in the realm of myth, and X doesn’t have to be derived from Y.

Here’s a painting from the museum’s collection showing a very blue Vishnu (and his consort) riding through the sky on the great bird Garuda. It’s from the north Indian state of Rajasthan, and dates from around 1760.

If you see the movie and notice other connections with Hindu lore, write in and tell us, OK?

Avatar at the Asian

There you go again, Hollywood, stealing from ancient Hindu lore.

The word “avatar” comes from Sanskrit avatara, literally meaning “descent.” It referred, originally, to the incarnations of the great deity Vishnu. When humankind was threatened with disorder and violence Vishnu would take on an appropriate form and descend to earth to set things right.

There are usually thought to be ten incarnations, and they include animal or part-animal forms such as The Tortoise and The Man-Lion, and human forms such as The Dwarf, Rama, and Krishna.

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