http://www.asianart.org/blog Blogging Asian Art and Culture Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:26:09 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have just discovered the only reason to want an iPhone.  This impetus, strangely enough, comes from the V&A Museum's Tipu's iTiger App. If you're not up on the history of colonial inequity, let me explain.  The life-sized wooden and mechanical tiger mauling a European unsubtly summarized the Sultan of Mysore's ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/07/26/tiger-tiger/ Here's an amazing time lapse video of Shanghai. Shanghai-ed | Shanghai In a Minute from Joe Nafis on Vimeo. http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/07/21/shanghai-in-a-minute/ It's amazing what one finds when cleaning out the closet--even when that closet happens to be a photo-hosting site. Since I'm at nearly 7000 images and can't seem to find anything when I look for it, it's time to do some tagging.  A bit tedious, but a reasonable way to spend ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/07/18/beyond-good-evil/ Tag, round three: In this series, museum staff, artists, and guests answer a grip of questions about life, love, liberty and all that magic. The featured person then tags another with five more questions. It’s like transmitting a virus, but happy and fun. Up today is Nancy Jacobs, executive assistant ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/07/12/tag-nancy-jacobs/ In the third episode of season one of Star Trek: The Next Generation, titled "Code of Honor," Captain Picard welcomes the Ligonian leader, Lutan, aboard the Enterprise. In the two screenshots below, we see Picard presenting, as a welcome gift, a clay horse sculpture of ancient China: Picard identifies the sculpture ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/07/02/if-only-picard-had-visited-the-asian-art-museum/ If I hadn't committed myself to pressing matters of civic pride, I'd be at the Mechanics' Institute on Wednesday to see William Dalrymple talk about his new book, Nine Lives. Fascinated as we are with the way in which much of spiritual Asia has rocketed to the fore of economics and ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/29/nine-lives/ [caption id="attachment_2439" align="alignnone" width="442" caption="photo courtesy of Bunky's Pickle © used with permission"][/caption] Although 1940s Shanghai had lost considerable luster courtesy of occupation, war, and revolution, another Shanghai was angling to take its place.  In the same fashion that Hollywood had been responsible for inspiring glamor the world over, nightclubs ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/15/the-other-shanghai-oakland/ Flying someplace fabulous this summer? If so you might just stumble across the Asian Art Museum on your way out of town. [caption id="attachment_2719" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="Hidden Meanings: Symbolism in Chinese Art at San Francisco International Airport (photo courtesy San Francisco Airport Museums)."][/caption] Beginning this week, more than one hundred objects from ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/04/not-so-hidden-after-all/ Tag: Round Two. In this series museum staff, artists, and guests answer a grip of questions about life, love, liberty and all that magic. The featured person then tags another with five more questions. It's like transmitting a virus, but happy and fun. Next up is, me, Ken Ikemoto, School ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/03/tag-ken-ikemoto/ Jeffrey Wasserstrom gave a really interesting interview on KPFA this morning about China. (He comes on at 34 minutes into the morning show). The Morning Show - June 1, 2010 at 7:00amClick to listen (or download) It made me think anew about the rapid changes China has undergone over the past ... http://www.asianart.org/blog/index.php/2010/06/01/china-in-the-21st-century-discussion-on-kpfa-this-morning/