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.

This is a post from: the blog of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Visit us at www.asianart.org.

In the galleries: a few additions

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.

This is a post from: the blog of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Visit us at www.asianart.org.

In with the new

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.

This is a post from: the blog of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Visit us at www.asianart.org.

Hindu temple on YouTube–why the swastikas?

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.

This is a post from: the blog of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Visit us at www.asianart.org.

Welcome to the blog of the Asian Art Museum