Society for Asian Art Newsletter for Members

The Society for Asian Art is a support organization for the

Tomb Treasures: New Discoveries from China’s Han Dynasty

See the extravagance, artistry, and elegance of China’s Han dynasty, one of the most powerful civilizations in the ancient world. The Asian Art Museum will be the only venue for this one-of-a-kind exhibition, which includes rare items recently discovered from royal

tombs.

February 17 – May 28, 2017

In the meantime, take a look at some of the wonderful Han objects in the AAM's collection, pictured here.

March - April 2017 No. 2

Scissors and tweezers. China, Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Bronze. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60B672. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

Pendant in the shape of a dragon. China, Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Nephrite. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J704. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.  

House model. China; Sichuan province, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220). Low-fired ceramic. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P1802. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

Coin. China, reign of Wang Man (9-25), Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Bronze. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B71B6. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

Dog with harness. China; Shaanxi province, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220). Reddish low-fired ceramic with molded and incised decoration and green lead glaze. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Abraham Rosenberg, B81P51. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

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Society for Asian ArtMarch - April 2017, No. 2

Members’ Newsletter Edited by Trista Berkovitz,

Margaret Edwards, and Jean Karnow

published bimonthly by:

Society for Asian Art 200 Larkin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102 www.societyforasianart.org

Copyright © 2017 Society for Asian Art

Board of Directors 2016-2017

President Anne Adams Kahn Past President Linda Lei Vice President Maureen Hetzel Vice President Peter Sinton Secretary Trista Berkovitz Treasurer Vince Fausone

Melissa Abbe Deborah Clearwaters*

Sheila Dowell       Margaret Edwards

Elizabeth (BJ) Johnson Jennifer Kao  Kristl W. Lee

Sherlyn Leong Forrest McGill*

Julie Kim Nemeth Greg Potts

Merrill Randol Nazneen Spliedt

Ehler Spliedt Pamela Royse

Lucy Sun            Alice Trinkl

Kalim Winata Barbara Wirth

Kasey Yang Carolyn Young Sylvia Wong *ex officio

IN THIS ISSUE

UPCOMING EVENTS (subject to change)

Fridays, January 20 - April 28 Arts of Asia Spring Lecture Series

Tuesday, February 21 SAA's Annual Spring Dinner at Lai Hong Lounge

Sundays, February 26, March 12, 26, and April 9 Literature and Culture: Boundless Love: Ghosts and Vixens in Chinese and Korean Literature with Stephen Roddy

Saturday, March 19 Visit to Filoli House and Garden with Emily Newell

Friday, April 7 SAA Annual Book Sale

Saturday, April 8 Study Group: Connoisseurship of Chinese Painting with Fr. Richard FabianTuesday, April 11 Visit to Matisse/Diebenkorn Exhibition at SFMOMA with Janet Bishop

Saturday, April 22 Visit to the Crocker Museum’s Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection with Amelia Chau

SAA San Antonio and Houston Trip Flyer

Thursday, May 11 SAA Annual Meeting and Reception

Saturday, May 20 Demonstration and Talk: Chabana - The Art of Japanese Tea and Flowers

SAA Board Nominations

The Nominating Committee is looking for candidates to serve on the SAA Board of Directors for 2017-2018.

If you would like to be considered or wish to recommend a potential candidate, please contact Nazneen Spliedt,

Chair of the Nominating Committee, at nazehler@aol.com

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ARTS OF ASIA SPRING 2017 LECTURE SERIES

Women, Real and Imagined, in Asian Art

When: Fridays, January 20 - April 28 Time: 10:30 am -12:30 pm Place: Samsung Hall Fee: $175 Society members, $200 non-members for the series (after Museum admission) $20 per lecture drop-in (after Museum admission), subject to availability

Explore the important, richly varied roles women have played in Asian art through the Society for Asian Art’s Spring 2017 Arts of Asia lecture series. The programs will examine how women have been perceived and portrayed as powerful deities, virtuous wives, respected mothers, and sensual lovers. As these roles are highlighted, so will the myriad ways women have thrust off familiar roles and acted in their own rights as leaders, patrons, and artists.

Leading scholars and curators will highlight the impact of fearsome Hindu goddesses such as Durga and Kali – Indian deity rock stars – and Tara and Prajnaparamita, revered goddesses in the Buddhist pantheon of the Himalayas and beyond. Also explored is the dramatic history of China’s Empress Wu Zetian, who rose from imperial concubine and nun to become the only female sovereign of a unified Chinese empire in more than four millennia, earning herself the title “Emperor of China.” Both the subjects and creators of art will be examined: Japanese female artists, patronesses, courtesans, and ghosts from the Heian era to modern day. Southeast Asian textiles – the ultimate statements of fashion, faith and status – will illuminate women’s creative leadership. The evolving, deepening roles of women in modern and contemporary Asian art will also be discussed, with particular attention to contributions in architecture, painting and film-making.

March 17 Twilight World of Screens? Really? Women Art and Agency in Late Heian Japan Mimi Hall Yiengpruksawan, Yale University

March 24 Mother of All Buddhas: Prajna-paramita (“the Perfection of Wisdom”) and Tara (“the Star”) in Asian Art Traditions Jeff Durham, AAM

March 31 What Becomes a Woman Most: Japanese Art and the Feminine Ideal Laura Allen, AAM

April 7 Zaha Hadid and Female Architects of Asian Descent Jordan Kauffman, Brandeis University

April 14 Lady Dai of Mawangdui, Fu Hao, and other Women of Pre-Han China Katheryn Linduff, University of Pittsburgh

April 21 Daughter of the Dragon: Anna Mae Wong and Asian Women in Film Karin Oen, AAM

April 28 Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: The Story of Lady Cai Wenji Pat Berger, UC Berkeley

The Hindu deity Durga, 1977, by Sita Devi (Indian, 1914–2005). Ink and colors on paper. Asian Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1999.39.5. © Estate of Sita Devi. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

January 20 Mahadevi: The Great Goddess and Her Manifestations in Indian Art Mary-Ann Milford-Lutzker, Mills College

January 27 Empress Wu Zetian: Humble Benefactrix, Divine Beneficiary Amy McNair, University of Kansas

February 3 The Ritual Origins of Mithila Art Carolyn Brown Heinz, California State University Chico

February 10 The Way of Water – Female Agency and Art Making in China Hui-shu Lee, UCLA

February 17 Princess Patronesses in Ilkhanid, Timurid, and Safavid Worlds Keelan Overton, UCLA

February 24 Angry Female Ghosts and Vengeful Women in Japanese Art, Literature, and Culture John Wallace, UC Berkeley

March 3 Interwoven Lives: Women and Textiles in Southeast Asia Natasha Reichle, AAM

March 10 Queen Seondeok of Silla: Korea’s First Queen Kumja P. Kim, AAM

MEMBER EVENTS

SAA's Annual Spring Dinner Lai Hong Lounge

When: Tuesday, February 21 Time: 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm Place: Lai Hong Lounge, 1416 Powell Street, San Francisco Fee: $55 Society members, $60 non-members Attire: Festive

To celebrate the Year of the Rooster and the approach of Spring, we will once again partake in a Chinese banquet and dine on various delicious and auspicious foods, while socializing with other members and friends of SAA. Join us for this traditional annual event with an opportunity to get to know other SAA members, in an informal setting.

Visit to Filoli House and Garden With Emily Newell

When: Saturday, March 18 Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Place: Filoli House and Garden, 86 Canada Road, Woodside Fee: $27 Society members, $32 non-members (includes admission & tour)

Come celebrate Spring among the tulips, as we tour the magnificent Filoli House and Garden, a 654-acre estate which is a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the heart of the Peninsula. We will take a docent-led tour of the House and Garden, with our very own member Emily Newell, who will focus on the Asian influences. After the tour, we can continue enjoying the gardens or break for lunch in the garden Cafe.

Visit to Matisse/Diebenkorn Exhibition at SFMOMA With Janet Bishop

When: Tuesday, April 11 Time: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Place: SFMOMA, 151 3rd Street, San Francisco Fee: $10 for SFMOMA members, $30 for SFMOMA non-members (includes SFMOMA admission)

Please register by March 10 and tell us if you are an SFMOMA member, since group tickets must be purchased in advance of the visit.

Join us for an exciting viewing of the Matisse/Diebenkorn exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Janet Bishop, who co-curated this exhibition, is the Thomas Weisel Family Curator of Painting and Sculpture and will guide us through the exhibition. This is the first major exhibition to explore the profound inspiration California artist Richard Diebenkorn found in the work of the French modernist Henri Matisse. If you have not visited the museum recently, this is a good opportunity to explore the new SFMOMA.

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Cup with rooster and hibiscus, 1723–1735. China; Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Reign of the Yongzheng emperor (1723–1735). Porcelain with overglaze polychrome decoration. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2330. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Filoli House, Photo by Ehler Spliedt

SFMOMA

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MEMBER EVENTS

Visit to the Crocker Museum’s Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection With Amelia Chau

When: Saturday, April 22 Time: 11:00 am Place: Crocker Art Museum, 216 O Street, Sacramento Fee: $25 Society members, $30 non-members, including museum admission and lunch

This exhibition highlights the diversity, creativity, and technical virtuosity of 20th and 21st century ceramic artists working in Japan. The show features artists whose work is inspired by traditional themes, as well as influenced by the avant-garde. Forty artists, including many of Japan's greatest living ceramicists, are represented in the 75 works, which include tea vessels, biomorphic shapes, geometric designs, and sculptural forms. Amelia Chau, the curator of the exhibition, will lead the tour. After the tour, we will have lunch in the Museum Café.

Attendees are expected to arrange for their own travel to and from Sacramento.

LITERATURE AND CULTURE OF ASIA

Boundless Love: Ghosts and Vixens in Chinese and Korean Literature With Stephen Roddy

When: Sundays, February 26, March 12, March 26, and April 9 Time: 10:15 am - 12:15 pm Place: Education Studios, Opera Plaza 3/26 Fee: $80 Society members, $95 non-members (after Museum admission)

Writers in both traditional China and Korea imagined amorous encounters between humans and fox spirits, ghosts, and fairies. This shared legacy began in fiction of the Tang and Song Dynasties (607 – 1276) and was transmitted to Korea during the Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910), where it helped to inspire or influence indigenous works with distinctive renderings of the themes. By reading examples of writing from both cultures, we will see how love in East Asia could transcend the boundaries between human and supernatural beings. We will also discuss paintings and illustrated woodblock prints on these themes from the two countries.

Primary reading materials will include Tang and Song Chinese tales (Youxianku, ca. 700), early Joseon Korean tales (Kum’o shinhwa, ca. 1500), and later Chinese and Korean tales (Liaozhao zhiyi, Ku’un mong, ca. 1740). Materials will be available online or a printed copy can be purchased for an additional charge.

Stephen Roddy is currently Professor of Modern Languages at the University of San Francisco where he teaches courses in the literature and culture in China and Japan. His recent research has covered topics on the Chinese civil examinations, literati tea (bunjincha) in Japan, Ming and Qing Dynasty fiction, essays, and poetry, and 19th century Chinese and Japanese writings about the West. He returns to SAA after teaching our Spring 2016 course on the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Nine cloud dream (gu’unmong), approx. 1800–1900. Korea. Ink and colors on paper. Asian Art Museum, Acquisition made possible in part by the Korean Art and Culture Committee, 1997.21. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

Sakiyama Takayuki, Listening to Waves (Choto), 2013, sand-glazed stoneware, Collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz. Photography by Randy Batista.

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Connoisseurship of Chinese PaintingWith Fr. Richard FabianWhen: Saturday, April 8 Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Place: TBA to registrants Fee: $25 Society members, $40 non-members (after Museum admission), Refreshments will be served How does a connoisseur evaluate a Chinese painting? How does he or she assess brushwork, composition, subject matter, subtleties of technique, and subtleties of meaning? What are the roles of gut instinct versus intellect? Join SAA at the home of Fr. Richard Fabian to study how to look, how to “see", how to contextualize, and how to cultivate an attentive mind, so the painting reaches us with maximum impact aesthetically, emotionally, and intellectually. We will have a mid-afternoon break for tea.Richard Fabian has been collecting and studying Chinese calligraphy and painting for 40 years.  His collection formed the basis of the blockbuster exhibition “Between the Thunder and the Rain”, shown at both the Asian Art Museum and the Honolulu Academy of Art.

BOOK SALE

SAA Annual Book Sale

When: Friday, April 7, 2017 Time: 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm Place: Loggia Fee: Free after Museum admission

Thousands of books, including collector's items, will be available at bargain prices to benefit the museum's C. Laan Chun Library. Selections span the gamut of topics, including Asian Art, history, literature, religion, culture, cooking, travel, textiles, jewelry and more.

Some of this year's rarities include: • The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art by John C. Huntington • Extraordinary Persons: Works by Eccentric, Non-Conformist Japanese Artists of the Early Modern Era (1580-1868) in the collection of Kimiko & John Powers by John M. Rosenfield (three-volume set) • Parting the Shore: Chinese Painting of the Early and Middle Ming Dynasty by James Cahill (first edition)

Over the past decade, the sale of donated books has raised more than $80,000 for the Museum's library, one of the most extensive art libraries in the country. The funds are used to acquire publications and periodicals, and upgrade the catalog system.

STUDY GROUP

Landscape, Wang Yuanqi, 1713

Photo by Peter Sinton

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Horse. China; Central Plains, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE). Low-fired ceramic. Asian Art Museum, Transfer from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Gift of the M.H. de Young Endowment Fund, B81P75. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

TRAVEL

Watch Out Texas–Here We Come!

The time has come to sign up for the SAA's next great domestic trip, Asian Art Texas Style Part II, where we will travel to historic San Antonio and modern Houston. In addition to museum tours and private collection visits, the trip highlight is the opportunity to meet with Dr. Emily Sano, former Director of the Asian Art Museum, and let her guide us through the exhibit she curated for the San Antonio Museum of Art.

The trip flyer with registration form is included in this newsletter. It is also found at the end of the online version of the newsletter, or you may click on the following link to access the flyer directly: https://www.societyforasianart.org/programs/tripstravel/asian-art-texas-style-part-ii. Registration is by mail only and must include your check for the full amount and your registration form. Members will be accepted for the trip based on the postmark date.

Save the Date!

Vietnam and Laos – January 25 - February 10, 2018

Although it seems that 2017 just arrived, now is the time to mark your 2018 calendars for the exciting SAA Vietnam and Laos trip, January 25 through February 10, 2018. In Vietnam, we will journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City with stops in Danang, Hue, and Hoi An. Trip highlights will include exposure to the Vietnamese traditional arts as well as an opportunity to experience the contemporary arts scene. In Laos, we will explore the many fascinating markets and Wats of Vientiane and then stay three nights in the very special UNESCO village of Luang Prabang.

Trip details and the registration form will be included in the next newsletter.

q Fridays, January 20 - April 28: Arts of Asia Lecture Series $175 Members $200 Non-Members

q February 21: SAA’s Annual Spring Dinner at Lai Hong Lounge$55 Members $60 Non-Members

q Sundays, February 26, March 12, 26, and April 9: Boundless Love: Ghosts and Vixens in Chinese and Korean Literature

$80 Members $95 Non-Members

q March 18 : Visit to Filoli House and Garden$27 Members $32 Non-Members

q April 8: Connoisseurship of Chinese Painting$25 Members $40 Non-Members

q April 11: Visit to Matisse/Diebenkorn Exhibition at SFMOMA Please register by March 10 and tell us if you are an SFMOMA member. Group tickets will be purchased in advance of the visit.

$10 SFMOMA Members $30 Non SFMOMA Members

q April 22: Visit to the Crocker Museum’s Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection

$25 Members $30 Non-Members

REGISTRATION FORM

E-Mail ________________________ Total ________________

Address __________________________________________________ Zip Code ___________________

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

____________________________________________________________ Signature

Paid Programs Fee Quantity Sub-Total

How to Register To Register you may:

1. Go to our website, sign up and pay online: www.societyforasianart.org

OR

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

We cannot accept fax registrations at this time. Please use mail, our website, or call the office.

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.

Asian Art Texas Style Part IIJuly 17 - 22, 2017

Asian Art in San Antonio and Houston, Texas

Photos by Mary Hunt

Come with the Society for Asian Art when we return to Texas to explorethe vibrant art scene in the state's two largest cities: the historic SanAntonio and the modern Houston. A definite high point will be seeing theSan Antonio Museum of Art's just opened exhibit Heaven and Hell:Salvation and Retribution in Pure Land Buddhism led by Dr. Emily Sano,the former Director of the Asian Art Museum, who curated the exhibit.

Trip highlights include:· A welcome cocktail party at a contemporary Japanese ceramicscollector's San Antonio home· Enjoy a private collection of Asian Art in San Antonio· Tour Houston’s Fine Arts Museum, Bayou Bend (including Ima Hogghouse), and Asia Society Museum with curator-arranged tours.· Visit the Rothko Chapel and the Menil Collection· A true Texas farewell dinner

The Details

$1300 (double occupancy, based on minimum group size of 20), Single Room Supplement $650The tour cost includes:

· 2 nights at the Hotel Contessa, San Antonio, 3 nights at the Hotel Zaza, Houston· Group Welcome Party· Daily breakfasts· Travel to all planned sightseeing events· Museum entrance fees· Group Farewell Dinner

Not included are:· Airfare from the Bay Area to San Antonio and return from Houston· Drinks other than water with meals· Laundry, gratuities, and communication charges (phone, fax, wifi, internet)· Personal insurance for health, baggage, and trip cancellation· Any meals or items not listed on the final itinerary

For more information, please call Society for Asian Art: 415-581-3701 or Jeanne M. O’Dea at Fugazi Travel: 925-451-6224.

Difficulty Level: Medium to HighThis trip will spend considerable time in museums and will require being able to be on your feet for extended periods. Wewill be walking to many of the trip sites which will take 10 to 20 minutes.

RESERVATION FORMI would like to reserve ________ space(s) for the Society for Asian Art Texas tour.Enclosed is the full payment in the total amount of $________. Please make checks payable to the Societyfor Asian Art and mail to Society for Asian Art (SAA), 200 Larkin Street, SF CA 94102.

Applications will be accepted by mail only and inclusion will be based on postmark date.

Your payment is refundable up to 60 days prior to departure less a $250.00 per person cancellation fee.Do NOT make any airline reservations until your trip participation is confirmed.

Personal Information:Last Name: __________________________ First Name: __________________________________ Last Name: __________________________ First Name: __________________________________ Address: ___________________________ City, State, Zip: _________________________________ Daytime Phone: __________________ Email Address: ____________________________________ Cell Phone: _____________________Room Arrangements___Single supplement___Double Occupancy, I will be sharing a room with: __________________________________________I would prefer a roommate, but will pay the single supplement if one is not available.Travel Arrangements___I/we would like Fugazi Travel (Jeanne O’Dea) to assist with flight to and from Texas.___I/we will make my/our own travel arrangement to and from Texas.___I/we would like additional nights to be booked at the hotel. Please specify hotel(s) and date(s) _______