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Museum Links under Service >> Links & Recources >> Americas
Victoria, British Columbia
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
- Religious Arts of Asia
December 5, 2008 to March 22, 2009
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, with millions of
different peoples. They follow a wide variety of different religions. Asia was the birthplace of
most of the world's mainstream religions including: Shamanism, Shintoism, Confucianism, Daoism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as many other
beliefs.
Historical backgrounds and development of the religious art will be surveyed briefly in the
exhibition to provide context for the exhibition's central focus, which compares the art and basic
beliefs of the various religions. The exhibition features sacred objects and art from most of the
religions. However, due to the nature of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s Asian art collection,
most of the artefacts on display will be Buddhist as this is one of the strengths of the
collection..
(from the website of the museum)
Chicago
THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
- "Barbarian Kingdoms": Ancient Treasures of South and Southwest China
April 3–July 5, 2010
As the first comprehensive exhibition ever held in North America of the ancient art and culture
of Southwest China, “Barbarian Kingdoms”: Ancient Treasures of South and Southwest China
will feature more than 150 splendid works of art from the Bronze Age Kingdom of Dian, near modern
Kunming in the Yunnan Province, part of the highest plateau on Earth which joins Tibet in the
Northwest and extends eastward to south China. The Kingdom of Dian emerged there as a major power
during the 4th century B.C. and flourished for nearly 500 years. This exhibition will showcase
objects made of bronze, gold, lacquer, and jade that reveal the superb artistry of the Dian. No
other culture anywhere in Southeast Asia provides us with such a detailed picture of their customs,
rituals, and beliefs. Through these objects, the exhibition will explore ancient Yunnan’s material
culture as well as its spiritual world, and aims to make the complex and intriguing art of ancient
China accessible to a broad American audience, and to heighten awareness of the role that Yunnan has
played in the cultural history of Asia. In addition to art works from Dian, “Barbarian Kingdoms”
will also feature objects from neighboring regions in China and Southeast Asia that show Yunnan’s
position in a large network of cultural interaction. Bordering Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar and
located toward the southwest of central China, the Yunnan region is an important cultural crossroads
with a complex history and geography. “Barbarian Kingdoms” promises to break new art
historical ground by giving a comprehensive survey of this dynamic region.
(from the website of the museum)
Denver
DENVER ART MUSEUM, ASIAN ART DEPARTMENT
- Heaven and Home:
Chinese Art of the Han Dynasty from the Sze Hong Collection
permanent exhibition
During the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the Chinese placed objects in
tombs to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. This practice prepared for the soul’s journey
from one world to another. Jars with mountain-shaped lids conjured images of Penglai, a celestial
realm inhabited by spirits and mythical creatures. The Chinese also viewed the afterlife as a
continuation of earthly existence. Tomb furnishings reproduced familiar household buildings,
livestock, and daily provisions. Models of granaries and wellheads symbolically provided food and
water. Sculptures of watchdogs and domestic fowl assured animal companionship, and vessels and
containers held food and other commodities.
(from the website of the museum)
Houston
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Ancient Arts of Viet Nam
June 14, 2009 to September 7, 2009
This exhibition of 150 objects recognizes the importance of Vietnam in the cultural development of Southeast Asia, from the prehistoric period in the first millennium BCE through the 19th-century. Objects presented include early burial goods and large bronze ritual drums; gold jewelry with precious stones; Hindu and Buddhist sculptures; and beautifully decorated ceramics.
Santa Ana, CA
THE BOWERS MUSEUM
- "ANCIENT ARTS OF CHINA: A 5000 Year Legacy"
September 4, 2007 (permanent exhibition)
Washington, D.C.
FREER GALLERY OF ART / ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE
- Ancient Chinese Pottery and Bronze
Continuing indefinitely
Clay, jade, and bronze are the dominant materials used in the art of ancient China from around
4000 B.C.E. to the early centuries C.E. Of these, clay and bronze appear to have been closely linked
in their developments. Both materials were used to make pots and containers in a variety of shapes,
the best of which were buried with their owners as status symbols or signs of wealth. Both required
an intimate knowledge of the materials and expert handling to create the finished product.
The selection of ceramic and bronze vessels on view begins at the important juncture between the end
of the Neolithic pottery tradition and the emergence of the metalworking tradition (around 2000
B.C.E.), and stops at the end of the Bronze Age and the rise of glazed stoneware (around 200 C.E.).
The exhibition shows the complex, changing relationship between two of China's oldest artistic
traditions.
(from the website of the museum)
Last modified: 10.01.2009