In the galleries: a few additions

Over the coming months, astute visitors may notice some gallery changes that are not part of our regularly scheduled gallery rotations. This is because with Shanghai is up for an extended period, museum staff have an opportunity to rotate some of our less light sensitive objects, including bronzes, ceramics, and stone sculpture. This week we started by installing three new works in the South Asian and Chinese galleries.

First, newly on view in the South Asian galleries is a recently acquired silver bowl featuring scenes of Zoroastrian rulers. Made in a Burmese silver shop for a well-to-do Parsi family, this impressive bowl measures more than a foot in diameter and was meant for use in an annual ceremony honoring deceased relatives.

Ceremonial bowl with Zoroastrian themes, approx. 1875. Burma. Silver. Acquisition made possible by the Zarthosti Anjuman of Northern California, Rati Forbes, Betty N. Alberts, and members of the board of the Society for Asian Art in honor of Past President Nazneen Spliedt, AAM# 2009.25

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In with the new

June 31 is the end of the museum’s official business year, so over the past few weeks staff throughout the museum have been busy going over the happenings and accomplishments of the last twelve months. For registration, part of this has included checking that the year’s new acquisitions are in order.

Every year is a little different when it comes to acquisitions. Factors such as current art trends, the economic environment, and serendipity all interact with curatorial priorities and exhibition plans. But one thing I’ve noticed this year is an increase in the number of gifts of work by living artists. With this in mind, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite such gifts from the past year.

The White Wild Kerria Rose, 2004 from the series "Ceramic Representations From Natural History", By Sugiura Yasuyoshi (Japanese, born 1949), Stoneware with white, dark brown, and gold glazes; cloth texturing and carving, Gift of Paul and Kathleen Bissinger, F2009.15

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Hindu temple on YouTube–why the swastikas?

Lorraine, our education resources coordinator, has been uploading some of our short documentaries on YouTube, and I noticed an interesting dialog in response to the Hindu Temple video.  One viewer commented:

whats up with the nazi logos : (

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Welcome to the blog of the Asian Art Museum

Dancing Ganesha, 900-1000, sandstone. India, Madhya Pradesh state. Asian Art Museum, the Avery Brundage Collection, B66S8.

Below Ganesha’s right foot is the rodent that serves as his animal mount. Ganesha once battled a powerful demon who had been terrorizing the gods. Using one of his tusks, which had broken during the struggle, he speared the demon, who was then transformed into a rodent and brought under Ganesha’s control. Because it can find a way through the most daunting of barriers, the rodent is an appropriate vehicle for Ganesha, who has the power to create and remove obstacles. Some of Ganesha’s hand gestures in this sculpture, in addition to his swaying posture and his entourage of musicians, indicate that he is dancing.

Welcome to the blog of the Asian Art Museum – Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. It’s always good to begin with Ganesha, lord of auspicious beginnings. May he favor this blog.