society for asian art
TRANSCRIPT
Society for Asian Art Newsletter for Members
The Society for Asian Art is a support organization for the
The next issue of Lotus Leaves is almost here! Here’s a sneak peak of the cover.
May - June 2019 No. 3
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Society for Asian ArtMay - June 2019, No. 3
Members’ Newsletter Edited by John Nelson
and Susan Lai
Published bimonthly by Society for Asian Art
200 Larkin Street San Francisco, CA 94102
www.societyforasianart.org (415) 581-3701
Copyright © 2019 Society for Asian Art
Board of Directors 2018-2019
President Trista Berkovitz Past President Anne Adams Kahn Vice President Margaret Edwards Vice President Ehler Spliedt Secretary Greg Potts Treasurer Ed Baer
Margaret Booker Deborah Clearwaters*
Sheila Dowell Nancy Jacobs
Phyllis Kempner Etsuko Kobata
Myoung-ja Lee Kwon Forrest McGill* Lawrence Mock
Howard Moreland John Nelson
Merrill Randol Pamela Royse
Marsha Vargas Handley Diane Weber Kalim Winata Sylvia Wong Kasey Yang
*ex officio
IN THIS ISSUE
Saturday, May 11 Study Group - Reading Chinese Landscape Paintings with Melissa Abbe
Thursday, May 30 Member Event - Tattoos in Japanese Prints with Sarah E. Thompson
Thursday, June 6 Member Event - An Intimate Encounter with Ukiyo-e with Lynne Kimura
Friday, June 14 Member Event - For Adults Only: Tales Naughty and Nice with Asian Art Museum Storytellers
Fridays, August 23 – December 6 Fall 2019 Arts of Asia Lecture Series Seeking the Divine: The Lesser-Known Religious Traditions of Asia
Sundays, September 22, September 29, October 27, November 10 and November 24 Fall 2019 Literature and Culture Course Two Japanese Masterpiece Novels by Nobel Laureate Kenzaburo Oe with John Wallace
Donations for Book Sale
Thank you to everyone who attended the annual Book Sale on April 5. You made it another successful fundraising event for the museum’s library!
We now accept books throughout the year for our annual Book Sale. So if you move, downsize or are tired of all the books collecting dust in your home, please donate them to our Book Sale. We are accepting books with Asian subjects only, be it art, culture, novels, history, travel, cooking, exhibition catalogues or others.
Due to construction at the museum, we are unable to accept book donations at the SAA office. You can drop off books at the Friday morning Arts of Asia lectures at UC Hastings. If you have a lot of books, we are happy to pick them up from your home within the Bay Area. Please contact the SAA office at 415-581-3701 or [email protected] for details.
ANNUAL MEETING AND RECEPTION
When: Thursday, May 16 Time: 5:30 p.m. Place: Samsung Hall, Asian Art Museum
The Annual Meeting starts at 5:30 p.m., and features a talk by Deborah Clearwaters, the Director of Education and Interpretation at the Asian Art Museum.
Invitations were mailed to all Society for Asian Art members in good standing as of April 1. We hope you will be able to attend.
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ARTS OF ASIA FALL 2019 LECTURE SERIES
Seeking the Divine: The Lesser-Known Religious Traditions of Asia
When: Fridays, August 23 – December 6 Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Place: September 6 and December 6 at the State Building, Milton Marks Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Avenue. All other lectures at UC Hastings College of the Law, Snodgrass Hall, 198 McAllister Street. Fee: $175 Society members, $200 non-members for the series. $20 per lecture drop-in, subject to availability.
For over 25 years, the Arts of Asia Lecture Series has explored the many facets of Asian art, culture, and history. Now for the first time, we will delve into the finer points of religious beliefs in Asia – not the major religions with which our audience is already familiar, but the facets of Asian religious beliefs that are less known in the West yet continue to inform cultural traditions today. The lectures in this series will explore Zoroastrianism in the Iranian world, Manichaeism in Central and East Asia, Bon in Tibet, Mongolian Tengriism, Muism of Korea and folk religions in Asia. We will also explore Daoism in China, Shintoism in Japan, and Jainism in India, and examine more recent traditions such as Sufism in Asia, and Sikhism. Please join us for this informative and fascinating journey.
Our Instructor of Record is Sanjyot Mehendale of UC Berkeley.
August 23 Other Paths – A Panorama of Asia’s Lesser Known Divine Traditions Sanjyot Mehendale, UC Berkeley
August 30 Zoroastrians in Time and Space: Iran, India, and the Silk Road Jenny Rose, Claremont Graduate University
September 6 Peaceful Warriors: The Origins and Continuing Vitality of Jainism Jeffery D. Long, Elizabethtown College
September 13 The Great Unnamed Religions of East Asia: Divine Presence, Numinous Power and Magical Efficacy James Robson, Harvard University
September 20 Daoism and the Arts of China Stephen Little, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
September 27 Shinto for the Masses: Packaging Myth and Nationalism for Japanese Society John Nelson, University of San Francisco
October 4 Sky and Earth: Exploring the Non-Buddhist Religious Traditions of Mongolia Uranchimeg (Orna) Tsultem, University of Iceland
October 11 How is Mansin Like a Painting? The Work of Shamans in Korea Laurel Kendall, Columbia University
October 25 The Pearl and the Dragon: Silk Road Christianity From Syria to Xi’an Scott Johnson, University of Oklahoma
November 1 Manichaeism: The Religion that (Almost) Disappeared Zsuzsanna Gulacsi, Northern Arizona University
November 8 Sikh Religion in the Language of Colors Nikky Gurinder Kaur Singh, Colby College
November 15 Seeking the Divine through Art and Architecture, a Baha’i Architect’s Perspective Hussein Amanat, AIA
November 22 The Tibetan Bon Religion and the “Nameless Religion” of Tibet Brandon Dotson, Georgetown University
December 6 Sufism, Beauty, Love: Ecstasy and Rapture of Islam in Asia Carol Bier, Graduate Theological Union
Zoroastrian deity Fushimi Shrine, Japan
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LITERATURE AND CULTURE FALL 2019 COURSE
Reading Chinese Landscape Paintings With Melissa Abbe
When: Saturday, May 11 Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Place: Koret Education Center, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco Fee: $30 Society members; $40 non-members (after museum admission)
Museum goers know how satisfying it is to revisit a work of art and see more than we had previously. Possibly because of what we have read and seen in the interim, and certainly because we have now spent more time, we deepen our appreciation of the artist’s skill and understanding of the context and elevate our experience. Chinese paintings reward careful looking and informed analysis - close reading. In fact, the verb in Mandarin (du 读) is the same as in English (read). In this study group, we will read landscape paintings in the Asian Art Museum’s collection from a variety of angles including the identities of artist and patron, historical and art historical contexts, and materials and formats. We will also spend time in the second floor galleries.
Melissa Abbe is an independent art historian who has served as an Instructor of Record for Arts of Asia, Docent Instructor, SAA Advisor, and SAA Board Member. She has contributed to catalogues for permanent and visiting exhibitions, Later Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to Twentieth Century in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and Between the Thunder and the Rain: Chinese Paintings from the Opium War to the Cultural Revolution 1840 - 1979.
STUDY GROUP
Two Japanese Masterpiece Novels by Nobel Laureate Kenzaburo Oe With John Wallace
When: Sundays, September 22, September 29, October 27, November 10, and November 24 Time: 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Place: Koret Education Center, Asian Art Museum Fee: $115 Society members; $140 non-members (after museum admission)
We will read and discuss the two highest-acclaimed novels of Kenzaburo Oe, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994. The first, A Personal Matter, was written shortly after his handicapped child Hikari was born. It deals with how a young man in his twenties can or cannot find the courage and personal power to take on the challenge of loving and caring for his new, mentally disabled son. The second, The Silent Cry, results from Oe’s deep reading of William Faulkner. This somewhat long, very rich novel takes as its themes the love between brothers, a wife finding her independence, the balance between truth-seeking thought and political activism, and how difficult it can be to “understand” one’s family. Oe was deeply influenced by French humanism as well as a wide range of writers from the American deep south, Europe, and Asia. Some of these poets, novelists, and philosophers will be discussed along the way.
John Wallace is Senior Lecturer in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at UC Berkeley, where he teaches premodern Japanese language and literature, modern Japanese literature and East Asian traditions. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University. He is also an SAA Advisor and has taught several Literature and Culture courses in the past.
Landscape After Rain, 1597-1658, by Xiang Shengmo (Chinese, 1597-1658). Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Ink on paper. The Avery Brundage Collection, B72D37. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San
Magnolia and quince, from the flowers of the twelve months: March, approx. 1670–1710, by Yun Bing (Chinese, 1670–1710). Ink and colors on silk. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection, B65D49.d. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
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MEMBER EVENTS
Tattoos in Japanese Prints With Sarah E. Thompson
When: Thursday, May 30 Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Place: Koret Education Center, Asian Art Museum Fee: $15 Society members; $20 non-members (after museum admission)
Sarah E. Thompson will share with us the fascinating story of how, in the early 19th Century, the color woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e first inspired tattoo artists, as the pictorial tradition of tattooing in Japan was just beginning. She will explore the Japanese tattoo’s evolving meanings, from symbol of devotion to punishment and even to crime, and will reveal some of the tales behind specific motifs.
Sarah E. Thompson is the Curator of Japanese Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She curated the Asian Art Museum’s exhibition, Tattoos in Japanese Prints, which opens May 31, 2019, and wrote the accompanying exhibition catalogue.
An Intimate Encounter with Ukiyo-e With Lynne Kimura
When: Thursday, June 6 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Place: Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), 2155 Center Street, Berkeley Fee: $15 Society members MEMBERS ONLY - LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE
Join us at the BAMPFA Helzel Works on Paper Study Center for a look at highlights from the museum’s ukiyo-e collection, notably a selection of beautiful surimono, specially commissioned and gorgeously carved and printed New Year’s prints. Some surimono are by famous artists, such as Hokusai and Kunisada, while some of the most unusual and sumptuous are by lesser-known , but highly refined specialists in this genre: Hokkei, Gakutei, and Chiharu, among others. We will also take a historical look at key works by such masters as Hiroshige (nearly a quarter of the museum’s 1300 woodblock prints are by this lyrical artist), Kuniyoshi, Utamaro, and Yoshitoshi.
Our guide will be Lynne Kimura, BAMPFA Academic Liaison, who did her honor’s thesis at UC Berkeley on mitate-e, woodblock prints that parody literature, legend, and political events (discreetly). Lynne has an MA in Japanese cultural studies from Yale University and has worked with the BAMPFA Asian collections for nearly 25 years.
For Adults Only: Tales Naughty and Nice With Asian Art Museum Storytellers
When: Friday, June 14 Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Place: Koret Education Center, Asian Art Museum Fee: $15 Society members; $20 non-members (after museum admission)
Enter the magical world of Asian myths and folklore as the museum’s superb storytellers tell tales never meant for children, full of passion and intrigue. They will regale us with stories that bring selected art objects to life, some from our collection, others from our special summer exhibitions, The Bold Brush of Au Ho-Nien and Tattoos in Japanese Prints. Not only will storytellers share fascinating lore with us, they’ll also give us a bit of background on the art of storytelling. You might discover that you have a hidden yen to tell tales yourself!
Untitled, 1820s, by Totoya Hokkei,. Full color woodblock print (surimono), gold for mist, branch of plum, and bands on inro, silver ring on coral netsuke. Gift of William Dallam Armes. BAMPFA 1919.707
Shi Jin, the Nine Dragoned, from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Water Margin, 1853, by Totoya Hokkei (Japanese, 1780–1850). Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 11.39658. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Lovers parting during a rainy night, symbolizing a musical mode (Lalita Ragini), approx. 1700. India, Rajasthan state, former kingdom of Mewar. Opaque watercolors on paper. Asian Art Museum. Gift of Narinder S. and Satinder Kapany, 2004.76. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
TRAVEL
Twenty SAA members enjoyed cultural immersion in Honolulu and environs from March 11-16 during the Heavenly Hawaii trip. Particular highlights were a guided tour of Doris Duke's fabulous Islamic Art collection at Shangri La, an eye-opening introduction to the history of the annexation of Hawaii to the U.S. at the Iolani Palace, and the extraordinary Polynesian collections at the Bishop Museum. The group was also given a fascinating tour of Asian puppets and how they are used at the East-West Center, and spent a day in the country at Kualoa Ranch enjoying the dramatic rugged landscape used in many films, including Jurassic Park. SAA members Bob Oaks and Fred Sheng hosted the group at their lovely home in Waikiki, and introduced the SAA travelers to Hawaii historian Tom Coffman, Hawaiian Biennial co-founder Katherine Tuider, and local artist Kaili Chun.
Sculpture by artist Kaili Chun at Prince Waikiki. Photo by Megs Booker.
Shangri La. Photo by Megs Booker.
Iolani Palace. Photo by Megs Booker.
SAA members at Kualoa Ranch. Photo by Megs Booker.
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q May 11 Study Group - Reading Chinese Landscape Paintings with Melissa Abbe$30 Members $40 Non-Members
q May 30 Member Event - Tattoos in Japanese Prints with Sarah E. Thompson$15 Members $20 Non-Members
q June 6 Member Event - An Intimate Encounter with Ukiyo-e with Lynne Kimora at BAMPFA$15 Members MEMBERS ONLY
q June 14 Member Event - For Adults Only: Tales Naughty and Nice with AAM Storytellers$15 Members $20 Non-Members
q August 23 - December 6 Fall 2019 Arts of Asia Lecture Series: Seeking the Divine: The Lesser Known Religious Traditions of Asia
$175 Members $200 Non-Members
q September 22 - November 24 Fall 2019 Literature & Culture Course: Two Japanese Masterpiece Novels by Nobel Laureate Kenzaburo Oe with John Wallace
$115 Members $140 Non-Members
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