Society for Asian ArtNewsletter for Members

September - October 2013 No. 5

The Society for Asian Art is a support organization for the

A Viewer’s TreasureThe Society for Asian Art offers programs and events providing insight and information on Asian art and

exhibitions at the Asian. Here are three outstanding Asian Art Museum shows.

IN THE MOMENT: Japanese Art from the Larry Ellison CollectionJune 28 – September 22, 2013

A beautifully mounted show featuring 66 selections, this was called “on the level of the museum's finest exhibition projects” by Kenneth Baker of the San Francisco Chronicle. Come back on August 20 for another look following a rotation of some of the objects.

IN GRAND STYLE: Celebrations in Korean Art during the Joseon DynastyOctober 25, 2013 – January 12, 2014

The new show opening in late October includes national treasures seen for the first time in the U.S. These beautiful pieces reflect the elaborate celebrations of personal milestones as prescribed in the traditions of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

THE CYRUS CYLINDER AND ANCIENT PERSIA: A New Beginning

August 9 – September 22, 2013

One of the world’s most important artifacts – the clay cylinder inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform – visits the U.S. for the first time. It is accompanied by other 6th century BC relics that reveal much about religion and culture in the Achaemenid Empire (539-331 BC) founded by Cyrus the Great.

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Society for Asia ArtSeptember - October No. 5

Members’ NewsletterEdited by Jeanne Dorward, Jim Frank

and Judy Fraschellapublished bimonthly by:

Society for Asian Art200 Larkin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102www.societyforasianart.org

Copyright © 2013 Society for Asian Art

Board of Directors 2013-2014

President Phyllis Kempner Vice President Linda Lei Vice President Anne Adams Kahn Vice President Maureen Hetzel Secretary Jeanne Dorward Treasurer Edward Baer Asst. Treasurer Mel Hetzel

Richard Beleson Eileen Bitten Deborah Clearwaters* Sheila Dowell Vince Fausone Judy Fraschella Elizabeth (BJ) Johnson Sheryln Leong Forrest McGill* David Menke Donald Meyer Julie Kim Nemeth Greg Potts Merrill Randol Coral Reiff Teri Sandison Nazneen Spliedt Lucy Sun Alice Trinkl Kalim Winata Barbara Wirth *ex officio

IN THIS ISSUE

UPCOMING EVENTS (subject to change)

Fridays, August 23 – December 6Arts of Asia Lecture Series Fall 2013

Thursday, September 5First Thursday Lecture: The Significance of Color Symbolism in Himalayan Sacred Arts with Tamara W. Hill

Sunday, September 8Lecture: New Light on the Cyrus Cylinder with David Stronach

Saturday, September 21Study Group: Down to the Bone: Duality, Mortality and Impermanence in Tibetan Buddhist Arts and Ritual with Tamara W. Hill

September 22 – October 27 Literature and Culture of Asia: Haiku and Haiga with John Wallace

Saturday, September 28Lecture: Chinese Painting from Tang to Qing with Robert Mowry

Sunday, September 29Curated Tour: Beauty Revealed: Images of Women in Qing Dynasty China with Julia M. White

Friday, October 4 (different day and time)First Thursday Lecture: The Many Faces of Indonesia: Traditional Masks of the World’s Largest Archipelago with Judy Slattum and Made Surya

Saturday, October 19Studio Visit with Artist Recheng Tsang

Friday, October 25Lecture: Proximities, A Show in 3 Parts with Glen Helfand

Saturday, November 23Curated Tour: Yang Fudong: Estranged Paradise with Philippe Pirotte

Wednesday, December 11SAA Annual Holiday Party

Society Book Sale 2014Donations for our Annual Book Sale are now accepted throughout the year. If you have any Asian related books on art, culture, travel, cooking or novels, please call the SAA office. If you have a couple of boxes, we will pick them up from your home in the Bay Area!

Cover images: Tigers in a Landscape (detail), Edo period (1615 –1868), 1779, by Maruyama Ōkyo (1733–1795). Japan. One of a pair of hanging scrolls; ink and colors on paper. Courtesy of the Larry Ellison Collection. Gold plaque showing a priest (Oxus treasure), 500–330 BCE. Found in Tajikistan, Achaemenid period (550–330 BCE). Gold. © Trustees of the British Museum. Armlet (Oxus treasure), 500–330 BCE. Found in Tajikistan, Achaemenid period (550–330 BCE). Gold. © Trustees of the British Museum. Sun, moon, and five peaks, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Korea. Ink and colors on silk. National Palace Museum of Korea.

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August 23Overview of Korean ArtHyonjeong Kim Han, Asian Art Museum

August 30Buddhist Art of Three Kingdoms’ KoreaMinku Kim, University of Minnesota

September 6Imaging a Buddha Land: Monuments and Sculptures of Unified SillaSunKyung Kim, USC

September 13Goryeo Celadon Ceramics in ContextCharlotte Horlyck, SOAS, University of London     

September 20Goryeo Metal Crafts: From Luxury Goods to Sacred OfferingsYoun-mi Kim, Yale University

September 27Red, White and Blue: Korean Ceramics of the Joseon Dynasty (1398-1910)Robert Mowry, Harvard University

October 4The Impact of Confucianism on Joseon Visual ArtKumja Paik Kim, Asian Art Museum

October 11Unfolding Beauty and Beyond: Korean Screen Paintings of The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)Hyunsoo Woo, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Schedule subject to change.

October 18Structure, colors, and Symbolism of Korean Bridal Robes: Hwal-ot and WonsamMinjee Kim, Independent Scholar

October 2518th Century Court ArtJaebinYoo, Harvard University

November 1Contemporary Korean ArtJoan Kee, University of Michigan

November 8Overview of Japanese ArtLaura Allen, Asian Art Museum

November 15Early Japanese Buddhist Sculpture: Conservative and Innovative Trends in the Seventh Century JapanDonald McCallum, UCLA

November 22Buddhist Sculpture and the State: The Great Temples of NaraSamuel Morse, Amherst College

November 29No Class, Thanksgiving break

December 6Heian Buddhist Sculpture: Assimilating Foreign Trends and Indigenous BeliefsYui Suzuki, University of Maryland  

The Culture and Arts of Korea and Early Japan

When: Fridays, August 23 – December 6Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pmPlace: Samsung HallFee: $150 Society members, $175 non-members (for the series after Museum admission); $20 drop-in fee (if space is available)

Register now for the Fall semester of the Arts of Asia lecture series: The Culture and Arts of Korea and Early Japan. This popular series will coincide with the third and final year of the training program for museum docents and is expected to sell out quickly. The first eleven lectures will cover the history of Korean culture and art chronologically, ending with an analysis of Korea’s exciting contemporary art scene. The last four lectures will examine early Japanese culture and art (with the remaining history of Japanese art to be covered in the Spring 2014 semester).

As always, the Arts of Asia lectures will feature a distinguished roster of prominent scholars and curators who will draw on the Museum’s impressive collection of Asian art to illustrate their lectures.

ARTS OF ASIA LECTURE SERIES

Ewer with lid. Goryeo dynasty, approx. 1050-1125. Stoneware with celadon glaze.

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MEMBER EVENTS

New Light on the Cyrus CylinderWith David Stronach

When: Sunday, September 8Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pmPlace: Samsung Hall Fee: Free public lecture (after Museum admission), co-sponsored with the

Education Department

New discoveries related to the Cyrus Cylinder continue to be made more than 130 years after its discovery in the ruins of Babylon in 1879, shedding fresh light on the character and concerns of Cyrus. Professor Stronach, who has worked on and studied this archaeological site, will offer new insights on the gardens and monuments of Cyrus, as well as talk about the Oxus treasure and the Gold Armlet in the exhibition. This will provide an opportunity to explore the rare quality of Achaemenid Persian jewelry from the 6th to 4th centuries BCE. We kindly request that you register for this free program to ensure your place, as the Museum will also be publicizing it on their website.

David Stronach is Professor Emeritus of Near East Studies at UC Berkeley. He is a renowned archaeologist, especially of the area of ancient Iran and Iraq, and a leading expert on Pasargadae, the capital city of Cyrus. Dr. Stronach led a tour of Iran for the Society in 2002.

Chinese Painting from Tang to QingWith Robert Mowry

When: Saturday, September 28Time: 10:30 am - 12:00 pmPlace: Samsung HallFee: $15 (after Museum admission)

This introductory lecture will present an overview of the development of Chinese painting from the Tang (618-907) through the Qing (1644-1912). Examining a few masterworks from collections around the world, the talk will discuss subjects, artists, and styles, and explore the reasons for change and evolution over the centuries. This lecture is presented as a ‘preview’ for the exhibition of Chinese paintings at the Victoria & Albert in London and is recommended for those going on the London trip in October.

Dr. Robert Mowry is Curator Emeritus of Chinese Art at the Sackler Museum at Harvard and a beloved speaker for our Arts of Asia series. His expertise on Chinese and Korean paintings, and especially ceramics, is well known to our audience.

Beauty Revealed: Images of Women in Qing Dynasty ChinaWith Julia M. White

When: Sunday, September 29Time: 1:00 pm - 1:45 pmPlace: Berkeley Art Museum, BerkeleyFee: $15 (includes admission)

This exhibition investigates a relatively unexamined area of Chinese art history: meiren (beautiful women) paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. It is the first to bring together a broad selection in this genre, and includes work from public and private collections in the United States and Europe as well as from the Museum’s own collection (Courtesy BAM/PFA). The 45 minute tour will be led by Julia M. White, Senior Curator of Asian Art.

Following the tour members will have the opportunity to attend a talk by Dr. James Cahill at the Berkeley Art Museum at 3:00 pm.

Organized by Julia White in collaboration with UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus James Cahill, one of the world’s leading authorities on Chinese paintings, this exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue.

Anonymous, Woman in a Brothel Being Presented to a Client, China, late 18th century, hanging scroll; collection of UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Cyrus Cylinder

Anonymous. Beauty About to Bathe, China, 18th century, hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, collection of Ferdinand M. Bertholet, Amsterdam.

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MEMBER EVENTS

Artist Studio Visit and LunchWith Recheng Tsang

Date: Saturday October 19Time: 11:00 am, followed by lunchPlace: Artist’s Studio in Berkeley (address TBA to participants)Cost: $25 (SAA members only), includes lunch

Using the traditional methods of Japanese pottery-making as her foundation, contemporary ceramic artist Recheng Tsang has sought her own path in producing small and large scale abstract ceramic installations, such as the one recently installed at the Michelin-starred restaurant Frances in the Mission, and numerous private commissions in the Bay area. We will visit the artist at her studio home in Berkeley and then proceed with the artist to the restaurant Ippuku in Berkeley for a Teuchi Soba lunch. Due to the size of her studio, this event is strictly limited to 10 members only.

Trained as a ceramic artist in Japan, Recheng Tsang studied Ohi pottery at Hokutoh Pottery Studio in Kanazawa City with Master Iida and his son Michihisa. Ohi is a form of pottery admired for its imperfect beauty and tactile qualities. She then moved on to Tokyo, apprenticing at I'Kan Studio under Master Shu, and later studied at the University of Washington with Akil Takamori and Jamie Walker.

Proximities, A Show in 3 PartsWith Glen Helfand

When: Friday, October 25Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pmPlace: Education StudiosFee: $15 (after Museum admission)

Guest Curator Glen Helfand will talk about Proximities, a three-part exhibition he has curated for the Asian. Featuring works that stimulate dialogue around individual ideas surrounding the notion of “Asia”, the show engages Bay area artists who have diverse, and sometimes unexpected, connections to Asia. The second installment, Knowing Me, Knowing You, will be on view during this time and Helfand will discuss this show and its relationship to the series.

Glen Helfand is an independent writer, curator, and educator who writes regularly for Artforum, San Francisco Bay Guardian and others. He is Senior Adjunct Professor at California College of the Arts, and also teaches in the graduate and undergraduate art programs at Mills College, and at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Down to the Bone: Duality, Mortality and Impermanence in Tibetan Buddhist Arts and RitualWith Tamara W. Hill

When: Saturday, September 21Time: 10:30 am - 3:30 pmPlace: Education StudiosFee: $45 Society members, $55 non-members (after Museum admission), includes lunch

This illustrated lecture is about the wrathful, ironic, and even amusing depictions of skeletons, bones, and skulls in Tibetan Tantric Buddhist arts and rituals. Images and artifacts that confront us with our own mortality and duality will be featured, based on the presenter’s travels and experiences in the Himalayas and will be illustrated with her original photographs. The focus will be on the transformative and positive impact of these fearsome images of death and the skeletal body – visual metaphors that point to inner, spiritual regeneration and illumined awareness.Comparisons to North Asian shamanism and healing traditions are also seen as links and parallels to the Buddhist iconography and practices.

Tamara Hill has a MA from the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU, and has done graduate studies at the Graduate Theological Union and University of California in Berkeley and at UCLA. In addition to her experiences as a photographer, writer and scholar, Tamara has lectured and taught art history for many years with a specialization in Himalayan Buddhist arts and symbolism.

STUDY GROUP

Silver amulet case from Tibet, displaying the Citipatti (Lords of the Cemetary) doing the dance of duality.

Trouble in Paradise #2 ( detail), 2013, by Andrew Witrak (American, b. 1977). Cocktail umbrellas, Styrofoam.

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FIRST THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES

The Significance of Color Symbolism in Himalayan Sacred Arts: As Seen through Costumes, Textiles and JewelryWith Tamara W. HillWhen: Thursday, September 5Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pmPlace: Education StudiosFee: $10 (after Museum admission)

This visual odyssey is a richly illustrated summary of the symbolic motifs of Tibetan Buddhism, revealed in both sacred and secular textiles and adornments worn by the Himalayan peoples. The presentation demonstrates how “five-colored” and rainbow-hued patterns are integral to Buddhist traditions and how the colors are auspicious metaphors for luck, hope and impermanence.  The lecture will trace how these decorative examples are also based on the multi-layered structure of the mandala and other symbolic forms. The focus will be on the significance of jewelry, gemstones, amulets, and accessories.

Tamara W. Hill is a multi-faceted artist, photographer, writer, art history teacher, designer and independent scholar. Her photographs have been displayed in gallery exhibitions and museums, published in books and magazines, and her fine jewelry designs are sold in selected galleries and museum shops.

The Many Faces of Indonesia: Traditional Masks of the World’s Largest ArchipelagoWith Judy Slattum and Made Surya

When: Friday, October 4Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pmPlace: Samsung HallFee: $10 (after Museum admission)

Please note day, time and venue changes for this special presentation.

The early religions of Indonesia produced cultures of such vivid creativity their effect is still being felt today. Whether still evolving, vital, and healthy as they are in Bali, slowly disappearing as in some parts of Java, or as endangered species in the jungles of Borneo, they merit our attention. The “outer islands” will be explored in art, myth, and ceremony in this very lively and fascinating presentation by mask scholars Made Surya and Judy Slattum.

Judy Slattum is the author of “Balinese Masks”, the only bestselling book on this topic. She is a frequent lecturer on the subject of traditional masks in world cultures. Made Surya is a traditional mask carver and dancer from Bali, Indonesia who has performed at theatres, colleges and universities in Bali and the United States. He made presentations on Balinese masks at the Asian Art Museum during the Balinese exhibition in 2011.

Haiku and Haiga: The Writings and Paintings of Edo Period Japanese MastersWith John WallaceWhen: 6 Sundays, September 22 - October 27Time: 10:15 am - 12:15 pmPlace: Education StudiosFee: $100 Society members, $125 non-members (after Museum admission), with

additional charge for printed materialsMatsuo Basho was considered the greatest haiku master who also painted. Yosa Buson is considered as the second greatest haiku master but Buson is also widely regarded as one of the greatest haiga masters. Haiga is a casual style of painting that includes a related haiku next to the image. We will read and discuss Basho’s haiku, read his prose work Narrow Road to the Deep North that references Chinese poetry and literature, Japanese Noh drama, and The Tale of Heike. We will consider Buson in terms of the “Basho Revival” movement, his style of haiku, his haiga and skill as a painter. Readings will include haiku by Basho and Buson, Narrow Road, as well as a handful of poems and plays associated with it.

John Wallace is a lecturer in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, UC Berkeley. He received his PhD from Stanford University and has taught at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Stanford University. He has taught several literature courses for the SAA previously.

LITERATURE AND CULTURE OF ASIA

Detail from Oku no hosomichi emaki by Yosa, Buson, 1716-1784.

Iban Tribe of Kalimantan wood- Collection of Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets Masa Ubud, Bali

Pilgrim and baby son, Potala Palace, Lhasa, 1982:  photography by/ copyright, Tamara Hill, San Francisco

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TRAVEL

TRAVEL UPDATES

Asian Art in Chicago, September 9 - 13, 2013There are two spots that just opened up. Call the office soon if you would like to attend.

Chinese Painting, Ceramics and Bronzes in London, October 29 - November 7, 2013This trip is waiting list only.

Japan’s Arts, Crafts and Architecture, May 20 - June 1, 2014, including Kyoto, Miho Museum, Naoshima and Teshima Islands, and Kanazawa. See the brochure in this issue for details.

THE SAA IS NOW A VENDOR OF CSA TRAVEL PROTECTOR INSURANCE

It is now quite easy to buy any travel protection insurance by using the CSA policies which are detailed in a brochure that Jim has in the SAA office. Each time you use CSA, the SAA earns a commission which goes into our general fund. Also you can sign up on-line at www.csatravelpro.com. Or you can call an agent at 1-800-834-8853. Please use our “Producer Code” of 20100719 so that we get credit. There is a wide range of coverage available, from emergency medical insurance to complete trip cancellation policies.

ContactInformationSociety for Asian ArtAsian Art Museum200 Larkin StreetSan Francisco, CA 94102

Phone: 415-581-3701Fax: 415-861-2358Email: saa@societyforasianart.orgWeb: www.societyforasianart.org

IN GRAND STYLE

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Save the DateSymposium

Paid Programs Fee Quantity Sub-Total

REGISTRATION FORM

August 16: Cyrus the Great in Western Imagination with Forrest McGill$15 Members$20 Non-Members

August 23-December 6: Fall 2013 Arts of Asia Lecture Series$150 Members$175 Non-Members

September 5: Color Symbolism in Himalayan Sacred Arts with Tamara W. Hill $10

September 8: New Light on the Cyrus Cylinder with David Stronach Complimentary

September 21: Down to the Bone with Tamara W. Hill$45 Members$55 Non-Members

September 28: Chinese Painting from Tang to Qing with Robert Mowry $15 Members

September 22 – October 27: Haiku and Haiga with John Wallace$100 Members$125 Non-Members

September 29: Beauty Revealed with Julia White $15

October 4: The Many Faces of Indonesia with Judy Slattum and Made Surya $10

October 19: Studio Visit with Artist Recheng Tsang$25 SAA Members only

October 25: Proximities, A Show in 3 Parts with Glen Helfand $15

Name____________________________ E-Mail ________________________ Total ________________

Address __________________________________________________ Zip Code ___________________

Visa MC Discover _______-_________-________-________ _____\_____ ___-___-___ Card Number Expiration Date CCV# (3-digit # on back)

________________________________________________________ Signature

How to RegisterTo Register you may:

1. Go to our website, sign up and pay on-line: www.societyforasianart.org

OR

2. Print this registration form and send it with a check to: SAA, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

OR

3. Print this registration form and fax it with your credit card information to: 415-861-2358

Registration is required for all programs unless otherwise noted. If a program becomes fully enrolled, your payment will be returned. Refunds are granted for cancellations up to one business week before the event and take one or two weeks to process. SAA does not issue tickets or confirmations. You will be contacted ONLY if your registration cannot be completed.