New Acquisitions: Art of Asia Acquired by North American Museums, 2012–2013

This section is devoted to works of Asian art recently acquired by public collections in the United States and Canada. These works are reproduced to illustrate general trends of acquisition, as well as to present selected objects of outstanding interest. The dating, provenance, and descriptions are supplied by the owners. Arranged alphabetically by name of museum, this list includes the names of senior curators or staff members responsible for Asian collections.

Asia Society

New York, New York

Dr. Adriana Proser, John H. Foster Senior Curator for Traditional Asian Art

Michelle Yun, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

1.

Dhumavati Shri Devi, Tibet, early 15th century. Relief, gilt copper alloy with inlays of semiprecious stone, 45.7 × 48.3 × 17.8 cm. Asia Society, 2012.4. Asia Society Museum Collection, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert H. Kinney in honor of Vishakha Desai.

2.

Wang Jin (China, b. 1962), To Marry a Mule, 1995. Photograph, C-print, 256.5 × 170.2 cm, Edition 2 of 3. Asia Society, 2013.6. Asia Society Museum Collection, Gift from the Friedman Benda Gallery.

Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

San Francisco, California

Qamar Adamjee, Associate Curator of South Asian Art

Jeffrey Durham, Assistant Curator of Himalayan Art

Michael Knight, Senior Curator of ChineseArt

Forrest McGill, Chief Curator and Wattis Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art

Melissa Rinne, Associate Curator of Japanese Art

3.

Krishna and Pradyumna rescue Arjuna, India, ca. 1820. Painting, opaque watercolors and gold on paper, 14 1/2 × 18 5/8 in. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2013.1. Acquisition made possible by the George Hopper Fitch Bequest.

4.

Pair of hanging votive Buddhist plaques (keman) with lotus pond design, Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), 1640. Metal arts, gilded copper with brass hangers, (2013.16.1) 13 3/4 × 14 3/4 × 1 1/8 in, (2013.16.2) 13 1/2 × 14 3/4 × 1 1/8 in. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2013.16.1–.2. Gift of Geoffrey Dunn, in memory of his mother, docent Sammie Dunn.

5.

The Buddhist Lama Tashipe, Tibet, 1210–1273. Painting, colors on cotton, image 11 × 8 1/4 in, overall 23 1/4 × 14 1/8 in. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2013.19. Gift of Marsha Vargas Handley and the Connoisseurs’ Council.

6.

Xu Bing, The Character of Characters, 2012. Multimedia, animated five-channel video installation, 15 minutes. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2013.20. Acquisition made possible by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.

7.

Double page from a manuscript with illustrations of tales of the last ten lives of the Buddha-to-be; left: A scene from the story of Mahosadha; right: A scene from the story of Bhuridatta, Thailand, ca. 1725–1780. Books and manuscripts, pigments and gold on paper, 15 5/8 × 31 3/8 in. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2013.46. Gift of Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin and Merrill Randol Sherwin.

Brooklyn Museum of Art

Brooklyn, New York

Susan L. Beningson, Assistant Curator of Asian Art

Joan Cummins, Lisa and Bernard Selz Curator of Asian Art

8.

Pair of Earrings, Korea, Three Kingdoms period, Silla dynasty, 57 bc–ad 935, 6th century. Gold, length each: 9 cm. Brooklyn Museum of Art, 2013.3a-b. Gift of Theodora Wilbour and Jane Van Vleck, by exchange and Designated Purchase Fund.

9.

Head of a Buddha in the Style of Wat Mahathat, Thailand, Ayutthaya period (1351–1767), late 14th century. Sandstone, 81.3 × 55.9 × 50.8 cm. Brooklyn Museum of Art, 2013.27. Gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, NYC...