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.

You’d be forgiven for imagining the cover of Tantra Song a study on Ellsworth Kelly’s Stele I, pictured here in SFMoMA’s rooftop garden.

Or perhaps that the above painting recalls Kazimir Malevich or El Lissitzky, two great Suprematist artists of the early 20th century Soviet avant-garde.

Happening upon the paintings in 1970s Paris, the French poet Franck André Jamme was moved to discover their origin.  So inspired was he by the fact that these paintings contained the freshness and composition of 20th century work, he traveled to Rajasthan to study their origin (with disastrous results).

Art history is littered with such stories of accident and chance, of artists from disparate cultures finding reference and inspiration.  Tantra Song does what my favorite kinds of books do, drawing together two distinct traditions, affirming that the walls between worlds are far more permeable than we imagine them.
It’s the “two great tastes that taste great together” school, and lest you think this is scholarly stuff, the publisher, Siglio, points out that the book possesses some rather serious popular appeal.

You can read more over at Maria Popova’s addictive culture blog, Brain Pickings, or drop by the museum store to take a look at the book and talk French poetry–and yes, I do have the best job in the world.

We wanted to share this clip of Sanjay discussing India and identity with some of our Asian Art Museum Art Speak interns. His appearance in conversation with Maharaja curator Qamar Adamjee on November 12 promises to be an insightful and entertaining discussion.

Our YouTube channel has more of the students’ interview with Sanjay. The talk on Saturday, November 12 is free with museum admission.

Whew! Over the past month, museum exhibition staff have concentrated all their effort on getting the exhibition Maharaja installed and ready for your admiring eyes. And I have to tell you, this exhibition is full of fabulous objects with incredible stories. Be prepared for the promised bling, and for some unexpected surprises.

We kicked off the install by opening the museum up to the outside world, literally. The Maharaja object list includes a silver carriage and an enormous painting that are too large to navigate the many turns between the museum’s loading dock and the exhibition galleries. Our solution: bring them through a window instead. Check out this cool time-lapse video of the carriage crate entering the building and its subsequent unpacking.

Among the most time-consuming objects to install were the many dazzling costumes worn by maharajas and maharanis. Above, textile conservators dress a manikin in an elegant 1930s sari made for Princess Niloufer Khanum of Hyderabad.

While we often think of traditional Indian paintings as exquisite but small, Maharaja includes a number of larger format paintings. Here, an oil painting of Madhu Rao II Narayan is unpacked and prepared for hanging.

Now that we’ve finished unpacking, condition checking, and installing the artworks we can begin applying the finishing touches. Our team will work on perfecting labels and signage, lighting cases to maximize their impact, and otherwise preparing for a dazzling opening.

Learn more about the exhibition Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts, on view October 21, 2011 – April 8, 2012

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

The events depicted on this bowl are well known in ancient Persian sculptures. Perhaps most notably, compare this bowl against the famous relief and inscription of Darius I located at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bisitun.

Inscription and relief of Darius I at Behistun

Also newly on view in the South Asian galleries is a metal plate displaying an elaborate floral decoration. This is an example of the “bidri ware” produced in south-central India using a complex casting, engraving, inlay, and chemical process.

Plate, approx. 1700. India; perhaps Andhra Pradesh state. Zinc alloy with silver and brass inlay. Gift of Martha Davidson in memory of J. LeRoy Davidson, AAM# B86M12

Finally, In the Chinese galleries we just installed a ritual food vessel (gui) dating to the Western Zhou dynasty (1050-771 BCE). This particular vessel has a curious connection to Shanghai. According to curator Michael Knight:

“The inscription on this vessel tells us it was cast for someone named Zhui. A vessel of similar shape and also cast for Zhui appears in the 1892 hand scroll Illustrations of the Antique Collection of Kezhai, on display in the Shanghai special exhibition galleries on the first floor. There are at least four other vessels of the same shape with the same inscription, making it impossible to determine if the piece illustrated in the scroll and this one are the same.”

Ritual food vessel, approx. 900-850 BCE. China. Bronze. The Avery Brundage Collection, AAM# B60B1056

We’ve got lots more objects lined up! Keep an eye on this blog for news of additional gallery changes over the coming months.

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

Ceramic artist Sugiura Yasuyoshi crafts larger-than-life botanical specimens in clay. This sculpture of a wild Japanese rose pairs the weight of clay with the great delicacy of its subject.

Yogini, 2007, by Arpana Caur (Indian, born 1954), oil on canvas, Gift of Arpana Caur, F2008.40

We’ve exhibited a number of works by Arpana Caur, but until now have not had a representative work in our own collection. A study in stillness, Yogini is inspired by a figure depicted in the “Arjuna’s Penance” bas-reliefs of Southern India.

Autumn frost, 2008, By Pan Gongkai (Chinese, born 1948), ink on paper, Gift of Pan Gongkai, 2009.2

The prolific ink painter Pan Gongkai composes lyrical works featuring abstract natural elements. A set of four lotus paintings by the artist was a big hit in our last Chinese painting rotation, so I’m glad that we have another work to add to the mix.

Heart of Grass, 2006 by Kim Sun Wuk (Korean, born 1929), Hanging scroll, ink and colors on paper, Gift of Kim Sun Wuk, F2008.59.3

In this contemporary calligraphy, Kim Sun Wuk mixes calligraphy and print-making techniques to elongate the title characters into near abstraction. Heart of Grass, along with three other recently works by the artist, will feature in this summer’s Korean gallery rotation.

Look for these acquisitions, and more wonderful new works, in future rotations.

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 : (

Other viewers responded to explain that the swastika is actually an ancient Indian auspicious symbol.

There is an interesting and quite long wikipedia article about this symbol.

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.