e-bulletin

31 August 2000


Welcome to the Chinese-art.com Traditional Art e-bulletin, distributed monthly to scholars, professionals, and afficionados of Chinese art. Please e-mail suggestions, news, and announcements to editor@chinese-art.com.
Exhibitions July 2000 Magazine Conferences & Symposia

contents

NEWS FROM CHINESE-ART.COM

 
ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS
NOTEWORTHY ESSAYS
  • Headlines from the People's Daily On-Line Edition
    • Ancient [Han] Tombs Discovered in Beijing
    • UNESCO Helps Protect Grottoes []in China
    • Dunhuang Collection First Put on Show in Beijing
    • National Treasures [Recently Obtained in Hong Kong Auctions] Draw Public Attention in Chengdu
    • Dunhuang Arts to Become Digital
    • Scholar Streses [sic] Better Protection of Cultural Relics
    • Hemudu Culture Forced on Move by Flood
    • NW City Protecting Cultural Relics
    • "Green Project" to Protect the Great Wall
    • Yunnan Invests Nearly 0.2 Billion Yuan in Protecting Ancient Town [Lijiang]
    • Ancient Grottoes [Maijishan] to Apply for World Heritage List

 

EXHIBITIONS & MUSEUM NEWS

Readers may wish to view a calendar listing all May 2000 to April 2001 exhibitions reported in this and previous e-bulletins.

[past and ongoing]

[upcoming]

[museum news]

AUCTION & MARKET NEWS

Older auction results are posted in previous e-bulletins:
19 May 2000
23 June 2000

[recent]

[upcoming]

CONFERENCES & SYMPOSIA

Readers may wish to view a calendar listing all May 2000 to April 2001 conferences and symposia reported in this and previous e-bulletins.
BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM CHINESE-ARTBOOKS.COM

NEWS FROM CHINESE-ART.COM

Traditional Chinese Art Magazine

A new issue of the Chinese-art.com Traditional Magazine went live this July and features color in Chinese art. Contributors include Niu Kecheng on colors in pre-modern painting, Li Xiaolu on color and ink painting, Jiang Caiping on pigments, and B. Cheng on the recently excavated Sui Dynasty sarcophagus of Yu Hong. In this issue, Chinese-art.com also begins providing theses on archaeology and art history in Chinese art history graduate programs, starting with the China Central Institute of Fine Arts in Beijing.

Contemporary Chinese Art Magazine

Don't forget to check out the latest issue (volume 3, issue 4) of the Chinese-art.com Contemporary Magazine, whose guest editor, Britta Erickson, focuses on "Recent Riffs on the Cultural Revolution in Chinese Art." Other contributors include Kathleen M. Ryor, "Transformations: Reflections on the Recent Past in Contemporary Chinese Art"; Francesca dal Lago, "Images, Words and Violence: Cultural Revolutionary Influences on Chinese Avant-Garde Art"; Bronwyn Mahoney, "Re-Staging the Tiger - - Feng Mengbo's Taking Mount Doom by Strategy"; Martina Koppel-Yang, "Remoulding a Hero; Remolding Icons"; and Zhu Qi, "Putting On and Taking Off: How the Mao Suit Became Art."

Print Copies of Chinese-art.com Publications

Too busy to browse? New Art Media Limited (HK) offers paper-bound, printed copies of Chinese-art.com web publications on a paid subscription basis.

Chinese-artbooks.com

Our on-line bookstore, Chinese-artbooks.com, offers a careful selection of English and Chinese publications on traditional and contemporary art. For a sampling of new books available on traditional Chinese art, please see our New Books section below.

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ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

Remains of Ganlu Temple Excavated at Zhenjiang, Jiangsu

The Zhenjiang Ancient City Archaeological Institute recently discovered the Tang Dynasty (618-907) remains of the Ganlu Temple on the rear peak of Northern Gu Mountain, inside Zhenjiang city proper. This discovery fills a gap in the knowledge of Tang temples in the south of China. Constructed of rammed earth, the hall foundation measures more than 30 meters wide and sits on a north-south axis. A layered brick wall encloses the rammed earth foundation. At the base of what would have been an eastern corridor, archaeologists found a drainage pipe made of brick and traces of a water conduit, also of brick, starting from the brick wall outside the eastern corridor extending south towards a well. The conduit contains square bricks with a marvelous engraved design of lotus flowers. Among the layers of the foundation were unearthed pottery sherds dating from the middle to late Tang, as well as a large number of discarded architectural components such as flat tiles, fired clay tubes, and roof ends. The roof end tiles also bore lotus decoration. Similar components dating from the Song (960-1279), indicating probable additions and repairs to the temple at that time. Most of the Song remains were discovered in Sectors 2 and 3 in the western part of the foundation in three layers, indicating three periods of activity.

Liu Jianguo, Zhongguo wenwu bao (23 July 2000).

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Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) Tomb Unearthed at Houma, Shanxi

In Houma, salvage excavations recently unearthed nine Jin tombs, all constructed with brick simulating wood. The tomb walls had couplets, poetry, and other writings in black ink over white ground. This method of decoration is rarely seen in tombs of around the same period. The many grave goods unearthed included mostly ceramics, with some bronze mirrors, and four stone epitaphs. This complex has provided significant material evidence in tracing the development of Jin dynasty tomb structure and burial practices.

Li Yangxing and Liang Jun, Zhongguo wenwu bao (23 July 2000).

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Tang Dynasty (618-907) Pictorial Brick Tomb in Zhangye, Gansu

In April 2000, a tomb with pictures impressed on its brick walls was discovered in Shandan County in Gansu. Oriented north-to-south, the rectangular tomb consists of its doors, a forecourt, a passageway, a front chamber, two side chambers, and a rear chamber, all lined with bricks. The front and rear chambers are 3.3 meters high from foor to ceiling and measure 3.6 and 3.7 meters long, respectively. Rectangular floor bricks bear impressed patterns of lotus flowers. In the upper walls, bricks simulate recessed arched wooden beams. Below, all four walls bear four registers of rectangular bricks impressed with continuous painting compositions. The top register contains twelve figures, three on each wall. On the east and west walls, a green dragon occupies the second register, with the Dark Warrior on the north wall and a red bird on the south wall. The third and bottom registers show a procession of mounted soldiers and foreign grooms leading camels. Mineral green, blue, red, and black pigments dominate the color scheme and lively composition, akin to popular folk art. According to a stone epitaph carved in regular script, the deceased was a Tang military figure surnamed Han who died the first year of the Xianheng reign (670). His wife, surnamed Yang, died in the first year of the Tianshou reign of the Wu Zetian Interregnum (690). This tomb offers important evidence towards the study of early Tang historical, economic, and cultural development in the Hexi area.

Shi Aimin and Wang Yanzhang, Zhongguo wenwu bao (26 July 2000).

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Song Dynasty (960-1279) Pictorial Stones Found in Rongcheng, Shandong

While building a canal in Xunshan Township in Rongcheng, farmers discovered two pictorial stones -- one engraved with a processional scene and the other with a banquet scene. Based on the drapery on the figures and other stylistic factors, the stones date from the Song to Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties. This is the first artifact from this period discovered in this region. Two sedan chairs and four figures comprise the processional scene. The figures wear headdresses and round-collared robes. The stones are trapezoidal, measuring 168 cm along the top, 178 cm along the bottom, 65 cm high, and 18 cm thick, and probably constituted one of four sides of a pyramidal stone pillar. The center of the banquet scene shows a "hanging lamp" chair alongside a square table laden with foodstuffs. Behind the table sit a child with hair arranged in two side buns and a female with a taller coiffure holding a fan. On the right side of the composition a man wearing a headdress and round-collared robe sits on a chair, holding what looks like a teacup. Behind him stands two identical boys. On the left side, another woman wearing a long skirt and the same hairstyle as the central figure holds her two sleeves while walking towards a chair beside the central table. Behind her trails another figure in a long skirt. Above the pictorial plane there a hanging scroll design is etched. This stone is also trapezoidal, measuring 250 cm along the top, 260 cm along the bottom, 92 cm high, and 19 cm thick. This type of stone pillar would have constituted six pieces total: four trapezoidal walls and two rectangular pieces for the base and top.

Sun Chengjin and Liu Xiaoyan, Zhongguo wenwu bao (26 July 2000).

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Results of the Third Xia Nai Archaeological Research Awards Announced

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, recipients of the third Xia Nai Archaeological Research Awards were announced. Jointly established by the renowned archaeologist Xia Nai and the Institute in 1985, the first two awards were given in 1986 and 1995. Its aim is to reward and promote ground-breaking contributions to the field of Chinese archaeology. Every three or four years, outstanding books on archaeology are picked out, in this way both broadcasting and offering recommendations of the best scholarship. For this year's award, books reviewed by the award committee must have been published between July 1994 and June 1998 to be eligible. The results are as follows:

First Place

  • None Awarded

Second Place (4)

  • Henan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, The Northern Song Imperial Tumuli
  • Nanjing Museum and Peking University Department of Archaeology Tangshan Archaeological Unit, The Nanjing Man Fossil Site
  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, The Moying Palace of the Han City of Chang'an, 2 vols.
  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, The Northern Wei Yongning Temple in Luoyang

    Third Place (3)

  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, Yinxu Discoveries and Research
  • Luo Xizhe (Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Enterprise and Management Bureau), The Huaqing Palace of the Tang Dynasty
  • Peking University Department of Archaeology Zhumadian Municipal Cultural Relics Preservation and Management Bureau, Traces of Culture on the Huai River and Its Environs at Zhumadian

    Honorable Mention (8)

  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, Aohan Zhaobaoguo: A Neolithic Village
  • Henan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, The Western Han Tumulus and Tomb of the Liang Ruler in Yongcheng
  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, Discoveries and Study of Early Liaodong Culture
  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, Excavation Report of the Lingwu Kiln in Ningxia
  • Bian Fengshi, Archaeology and Research of the Haidai Region
  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Institute, The Bai Family Village at Lintong
  • Li Jinghua, Research on Ancient Chinese Metallurgical Technology
  • Liu Fengjun, Introduction to the Study of Art and Archaeology

Li Zheng, Zhongguo wenwu bao (2 August 2000).

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Excavation of a Western Zhou Noble's Tomb in Yiyuan, Shandong

On 9 June 2000, villagers of Nanma Township in Yiyuan County discovered a tomb, where the Cultural Relics Bureau later conducted salvage excavation. This site dates from the Neolithic Yue Culture (before 2000 BC)to the Warring States Period (476-221 BC). The tomb measures 5.3 meters from north to south and 5.5 meters from east to west. The burial chamber contained one sarcophagus and three coffins, the latter decorated with painted lacquer. Each coffin contained a dog buried alive with the deceased. On top of and on both sides lay three persons buried alive and wooden boxes containing other grave goods -- 72 bronze vessels, including 13 ritual objects. According to archaeologists, the deceased held high status. During the Warring States period, Yiyuan belonged to the state of Lu. The bronze ritual vessels and the live burials offer valuable evidence towards the study of Lu customs and history.

Zhang Guangming and Wu Baoliang, Zhongguo wenwu bao (30 July 2000).

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NOTEWORTHY ESSAYS

Headlines from the People's Daily On-Line Edition

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EXHIBITIONS & MUSEUM NEWS

[past and ongoing]

Readers may wish to view a calendar listing all June 2000 to May 2001 exhibitions reported in this and previous e-bulletins.

Exhibition of Paintings in Illustration of the History of the Qing Dynasty
Palace Museum, Beijing
25 August - end of November 2000

This exhibition is devoted to illustrations of Qing dynasty (1644-1911) court activities, such as inspection tours, state rituals, hunting parties, touring maps, and intimate garden gatherings. Most of the labels do not list the court artist(s) responsible for the work, with notable exceptions: The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour by Wang Hui (1632-1717); The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour by Xu Yang (18th c.); several works by the Jesuit Lang Shining (Giuseppe Castiglione, 17th-18th c.); Mountain Retreat for Escaping the Heat (Bishu shanzhuang) by Leng Mei (18th c.); and Twenty-Eight Views of Jingyi Garden by Dong Bangda (1699-1769). Although several of the works have previously been published, their beauty lies in the minute details of fine brushwork and chiaroscuro technique.

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Exhibit on Ancient Chinese Culture to Open in Japan

Principal sponsors The Japan Broadcast Society (Hoso Kyokai) and the Cultural Relics Bureau of China, along with co-organizers China Cultural Relics Exchange Center and the Yokohama Art Museum presented one of four exhibitions on the four great civilizations. The China component commenced August 2000 at the Yokohama Art Museum. The artifacts are on loan from 13 Chinese provinces and 35 museums and archaeological work units. These objects date from 7000 BC to AD 1000, from the Neolithic period to the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Cultural Relics Bureau Press Release, Zhongguo wenwu bao (16 August 2000).

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Visions of Hell
The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, England
Until 20 August 2000
http://www.east-asian-art.co.uk/

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National Palace Museum
Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.npm.gov.tw

Figure Paintings of the Middle Ming Dynasty
Until 25 September 2000
A special exhibition of works by Tu Chin (Du Jin), Chou Ch'en (Zhou Chen, active ca.1472-1535), Tang Yin (1470-1523), and Chiu Ying (Qiu Ying, early 16th c.), some of the finest professional painters of the period who were active in the Jiangnan region.

Rubbings of Engraved Stelae and Modelbook Calligraphy
Until 25 September 2000
An exhibition presenting some of the finest examples of stelae and model bookrubbings in the museum's collection offering another perspective on the history and beauty of Chinese calligraphy.

The Paintings of Tai Chin
Until 25 September 2000
An exhibition of a selection the nearly 20 works by Tai Chin (Dai Jin, 1388-1462) which survive in the museum's collection.

A Special Exhibition in Commemoration of the Sung Scholar-Official Artist Su Shih
Until 30 September 2000
An exhibition featuring some of Su Dongpo's (1036-1101) finest literary compilations, related works of calligraphy and painting as well as writings by his teachers, friends and family.

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Encounter with Hong Kong's Past: History through the Museum's Collection
Hong Kong Museum of History
Until 26 November 2000

An exhibition to enhance the public's understanding of and interest in the history of Hong Kong. It features the museum's four major archaeological collections including prehistoric finds unearthed on Lamma Island and the 58 funerary objects of the Eastern Han dynasty recovered from the Lei Cheng Uk Han tomb.

From Orientations.

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Yixing Teaware from the 19th to the 20th Century
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, Hong Kong
Until 16 January 2001
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/english/exhibitions/exhibition1.htm

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The Literati Exchange: Wu School Painting and Calligraphy from the Xubaizhai Collections
Hong Kong Museum of Art
14 August 2000 - mid-September 2001
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/english/exhibitions/exhibition1.htm

The Wu School of painting played a significant role of passing on the already prevalent literati style of painting through a closely-knit network of mentoring of family members and students. Their close relationship, common artistic aspiration and social activities provided a pretext for much of their works. As a result, a large number of their works are visual record of gardens, travelogues, farewell scenes, etc. Through the works of the Wu School selected from the Xubaizhai Collection, this thematic exhibition gives us some impressions of the life styles and close associations within the Suzhou literati circle.

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[upcoming]

Readers may wish to view a calendar listing all June 2000 to May 2001 exhibitions reported in this and previous e-bulletins.

Miniatures in the Arts of Asia
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut
5 September - 10 December 2000

From Orientations.

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Royer's Chinese Cabinet
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
9 September 2000 - 11 March 2001
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/

The lawyer Jean Theodore Royer (1737-1807) of The Hague assembled a large collection of popular and unfamiliar Chinese artefacts: porcelain, lacquerware, everyday objects, clothing, gouaches and books. His widow bequeathed the collection to William I, who gave it a place in the Royal Cabinet of Rare Objects, a precursor of the Rijksmuseum. In 2000 selected items from the Royer collection will be on display, presenting a fascinating picture of this many-sided amateur scholar.

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Liaoning Provincial Museum

On 5 September 2000, the Liaoning Provincial Museum will display a special painting exhibition to coincide with the Shenyang Calligraphy and Painting Festival. Especially featured are works from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, along with masterpieces from earlier periods. Important paintings exhibited include Waiting to Cross the Mountain Stream in Summer by Dong Yuan (d. 962); Cold Duck, originally attributed to Li Cheng (919-967); Auspicious Cranes by the Northern Song emperor Huizong (r. 1101-1125); and Mount Taibai by Wang Meng (ca. 1308-1385). Another special exhibition at the Shenyang Neiyi Hotel will focus on modern painting. Both shows will last only one week.

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Masterpieces from the Kurokawa Institute of Ancient Cultures
Kurokawa Institute of Ancient Cultures, Nishinomiya, Japan
15 September - 15 October 2000

For the first time approximately 400 Japanese and Chinese arts and crafts from the Kurokawa collection will be on display together.

From Orientations.

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Colour: A Chinese Perspective
The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, England
26 September - 3 December 2000
http://www.east-asian-art.co.uk/

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Chine: la gloire des empereurs (The China of Kingdoms and Empires: 25 years of Archaeology)
Petit Palais, Musee des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris
2 November 2000 - 28 January 2001

An exhibition of recent archaeological finds dating from the Shang to the Liao period, many of them being seen for the first time in the West. In addition a recent 7-meter work by Paris-based Chinese artist Zao Wou-ki will be on view.

From Orientations.

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Views of Fabulous China
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
8 November 2000 - 6 May 2001

An exhibition of Chinese watercolors.

From Orientations.

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Asian Art Treasures of the John Ritbalt Gallery
The British Library, London
9 November 2000 - 30 April 2001

From Orientations.

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Sunken Treasures: Ming Dynasty Ceramics from a Chinese Shipwreck
Denver Art Museum
18 November 2000 - 18 November 2001
http://www.denverartmuseum.org/

This exhibition will include 53 ceramics from the cargo of the San Isidro junk, a Chinese ship that sank off the Philippine coast in the 16th century. The ship's inventory included large dishes, bowls, cups, saucers, and stoneware jars that were made around 1550-1600 in South China, probably at a kiln in Fujian province. Most of the ceramics are simple utilitarian porcelains with flower and bird designs painted in underglaze cobalt blue. They provide information about a commercial network that existed between China and the Philippines that eventually extended to Europe and the New World.

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Family Ties in Asian Textiles: Children's and Adult's Costumes from China and Japan
Honolulu Academy of Arts
21 December 2000 - 18 February 2001
http://www.honoluluacademy.org/

A selection of nearly 100 festive children's costumes from China and Japan Selected from the collections of the Christensen Fund and Honolulu Academy of Arts, these delightful garments and accessories reflect the unique worlds of children fostered in two very different cultures of East Asia. These examples boast sophisticated designs and superb craftsmanship sometimes surpassing their adult counterparts. The protective and efficacious motifs decorating children's garments invite us to look into their special ritual functions.

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Buddhist Sculptures from Shandong
Hong Kong Museum of Art
19 January - 15 April 2001

From Orientations.

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China Meets the American Southeast: Pottery Designs and Traditions
Denver Art Museum Denver
24 March 2001 - 17 March 2002
http://www.denverartmuseum.org/

A fascinating look at traditions in pottery from opposite sides of the globe--Native American pieces from the Museum's outstanding collection paired with ancient Chinese examples on loan from the Sze Hong Collection. Did one culture influence the other in determining design elements such as shape or pattern? What similarities or differences are immediately noticeable at first sight?

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Treasures from a Lost Civilization: Ancient Chinese Art from Sichuan
Seattle Asian Art Museum
10 May - 12 August 2001
http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/Exhibitions/general/Upcoming/Upcoming.htm

This exhibition will feature 127 major works of art made of bronze, jade and clay, the three dominant media for artistic expression in ancient China. Included will be fantastic bronze images of supernatural beings, lively human figures, exquisitely cast bronze ritual vessels, finely honed knives and daggers of bronze and jade, and a monumental bronze prancing horse. Dating from the 13th-century BC to the 3rd-century AD, they are among the most unusual and spectacular works of art produced anywhere in the ancient world, and most of these will be shown for the first time in the United States.

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[museum news]

Jade, The Ultimate Treasure of Ancient China Art
Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia
Delayed
http://www.aggv.bc.ca/

As of 8 August 2000, this exhibition of 120 archaeological objects dating from the Neolithic period up to Qing has been delayed. The details of a complex China-Canada international agreement have yet to be finalized,and the Jade exhibition, which was originally scheduled to open at the National Gallery last May, is still part of the AGGV's exhibition schedule.

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AUCTION & MARKET NEWS

[recent]

Beijing Hanhai Auction Company
Classical Chinese Painting
2 July 2000

No. 755, a 440 cm-long ink-and-wash handscroll by an anonymous Song artist drew quite a bit of interest during the previews. Nine poems by renowned Tang and Song poets alternate with portraits of the poets in abbreviated landscape settings. Recorded in the first printing of the Qing imperial catalogue, Shiqu baoji, the painting surface also contains nine poems by the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736-1795) and thirty of his seals. Also mounted on the scroll are inscriptions by nine figures from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), including Hu Yan, Yang Rong, and Yang Shiqi. The painting captured the highest hammer price in the auction: CNY8,800,000. Objects obtaining the highest bids are as follows:

Item No. Artist Title Estimate (CNY) Hammer Price (CNY)
755 Anonymous (Song, 906-1279)
Meihua siyi tu (Plum Blossoms and Poems) 		6,000,000 8,800,000
795 Hongren (1610-1663)
Shanshui (Landscape) 		2-3,000,000 3,190,000
803 Wen Zhengming (1410-1559)
Ke ju caotang tu (Chrysanthemum in Grass Hut), d. 1548		 7-800,000 825,000
873 Anonymous (Song, 906-1279) Fuhuage tie diliujuan (Sixth Scroll of the Fuhua Pavilion Calligraphic Model) 750-900,000 770,000
546 Wang Jian (1598-1677)
Fang Yunlin ya Yishan tu (After Ni Zan's Elegant Mount Yi), d. 1661		 600-800,000 605,000

Five of the top ten sellers in the modern Chinese painting sales were works by Qi Baishi 1863-1957). The top five bids overall were:

Item No. Artist Title Estimate (CNY) Hammer Price (CNY)
443 Qi Baishi (1863-1957) Song ying (Pine and Eagle) 350-500,000 913,000
409 Fan [Z]eng (1938-)
Hua long dian qing (Add an Eye to a Dragon), d. 1990		 900-1,200,000 825,000
389 Qi Baishi (1863-1957)
Daimiao tu (The Daimiao Temple), d. 1949		 550-850,000 770,000
126 Xu Beihong (1895-1953)
Shuangji tu (Two Roosters), d. 1943		 250-350,000 759,000
391 Fu Baoshi (1904-1967) Yuanming shang ju tu (Enjoying the Chrysanthemum by Tao Yuanming), d. 1944 480-600,000 715,000

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[upcoming]

Olympics Exhibition of Asian Art
Raymond & Victoria Tregaskis
120 Hargrave Street, Paddington, Sydney, Australia
9-30 September 2000

Highlights from the gallery's collection of archaic Chinese bronzes, ceramics from the Zhou to Ming period will be on view.

From Orientations.

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Chinese Furniture: Autumn Exhibition
M. D. Flacks Ltd
38 East 57th Street, New York
Opening 16 September 2000

A limited preview of new acquisitions.

From Orientations.

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In the Eye of the Beholder
Kaikodo, 164 East 64th Street, New York
16 September - 21 October 2000

An exhibition "designed to explore the range of aesthetic qualities that attract and captivate some of us, but challenge or even rebuff the attentions of other viewers and collectors." The Chinese, Japanese and Korean paintings and works of art vary in date from 3000 BCE to current works. "They were chosen in the hope of challenging viewers to examine their own taste and eye, to define for themselves what is 'In the eye of the Beholder,'" adds gallery head Howard Rogers.

From Orientations.

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Chinese Sculpture & Ceramics
Walter Randel
49 East 78 Street, Suite 1b, New York
17-30 September 2000

Randel will show 6th- and 7th-century Chinese stone sculpture and a group of Yingqing, Jun and Guan ware.

From Orientations.

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Approaching China -- Discoveries of Furniture and Objects from Scholar's World
Chambers Fine Art
210 11 Avenue, New York
17 September - 31 October 2000

An exhibition of furniture, including several huanghuali pieces, brush pots, scholar's rocks, inkstones, wrist rests and ruyi sceptres to celebrate the inauguration of this new gallery in New York -- a joint venture between Jerry Chen of Art of Chen, a gallery specializing in Chinese furniture in Taipei, and Christophe W. Mao.

From Orientations.

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"Chaises Eclatees" Chinese Secrets in Furniture
Galerie Luohan
21 quai Malaquais, Paris, France
17 September - 10 November 2000

An exhibition comprising 15 examples to illustrate various forms, woods, techniques and social functions in Chinese furniture dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. Some chairs are completely taken apart to show the ingenuity of Chinese furniture making.

From Orientations.

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An Intimate World
China 2000 Fine Art
5 East 57th Street, New York
18 September - 7 October 2000

An exhibition including sixteen fan paintings and four pieces of calligraphy dating from the 17th to the early 20th century, as well as ten scholar's objects. The earliest painting is an attractive landscape by Yang Wencong in ink on gold paper, entitled Spring in Chang'an formerly in the collection of Zhang Daqian. Owners Karen and Leon Wender have what they believe to be one of the most important brush pots on the market. The 17th century example, made from a single piece of zitan, bears the signature and seal of the scholar-painter Shen Bai, known for his calligraphy and landscape painting.

From Orientations.

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Searching for Immortality
Weisbrod Chinese Art Ltd
36 East 57th Street, 3rd Floor, New York
19 September - 6 October 2000

The works in the exhibition reflect the enduring theme -- the quest for immortality -- which has influenced the art of every dynastic period in China. In his introduction to the catalogue, Professor Robert Poor compares a pair of early Western Zhou (ca.1100-771 BC) zun with a Han (206 BC-AD 220) boshanlu, both of which would have been used in ancestral ceremonies: the zun probably in the Confucian tradition of sacrifices honouring ancestors of the clan or state, whereas the boshanlu is likely to have been intended for a more personal and private ceremony associated with Daoism.

From Orientations.

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Oriental Ceramics and Works of Art
Bonhams, Chelsea, London
27 September 2000

From Orientations.

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La Symbolique du Decor dans les Realisations Artistiques Chinoises et Japonaises
Valerie Levesque
3 rue des Saints Peres, Paris, France
27 September - 25 November 2000

Some 30 objects on display include a large 17th century Chinese bronze vase with gold-splash decoration, embellished with four feline and dragon heads among clouds and an apocryphal Xuande date on its base.

From Orientations.

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Coursiers de Legende
Jacques Barrere
36 rue Mazarine, Paris, France
27 September - 25 November 2000

An exhibition focusing on wood sculptures from Wuwei. The ten models of horses on view retrace a stylistic evolution from the semi-cubical forms of the Han period (206 BC-AD 220) to the superbly modelled Tang (618-907) examples.

From Orientations.

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Des Han aux Ming, Poteries et Mobilier Chinois
Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes
39 Avenue de Friedland, Paris, France
28 September - 25 November 2000

An exhibition celebrating the 65th anniversary of the gallery. Paying tribute to its founder, Robert Rousset, a wide selection of early ceramics and 17th- to 19th-century furniture is presented. Highlights include a pair of Eastern Han (25-220) amber and green-glazed wrestling dogs and a Coromandel screen decorated with an autumn landscape with deer and dated to 1684.

From Orientations.

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Quinze Tabatieres Chinoises Exceptionnelles
Bertrand de Lavergne
Le Louvres des Antiquaires, 2 Place du Palais Royal, Paris, France
29 September - 10 November 2000

Among the fifteen exceptional snuff bottles on view, is one in ivory decorated with a scene of rice harvest. The earliest example dating to the 18th century is in porcelain and in the form of a reclining woman with one foot forming the stopper.

From Orientations.

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Twentieth Anniversary
Christian Deydier, Paris, France
29 September - 25 November 2000

To celebrate his twentieth year as a Chinese art dealer, Deydier will be showing a selection of archaic bronzes, ceramics and gold and silver artifacts. Highlights include a Tang sancai dog in a cobalt-blue glaze with ingeniously splashed white and brown spots on its snout, ears and body. Three gold daggers with hilts are superbly embellished with taotie masks.

From Orientations.

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Cultura 2000
Messe Platz, Basel, Switzerland
14-22 October 2000

Asian art dealers participating include Antikwest, Art & Antiques - Bachmann/Eckstein, Ben Janssens Oriental Art, Christian Boehm Oriental Art, Van Gelder, Galerie Peter Hardt, Eberhart Herrmann Tiafit, St James' Gallery, Rossi & Rossi, Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art.

From Orientations.

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Treasures from the Imperial Wardrobe
Linda Wrigglesworth
International Asian Art Show, Paris, France
19-23 October 2000

An exhibition of Chinese and Tibetan religious costume and devotional textiles. A highlight is a stunning Tibetan chuba of imperial yellow silk damask woven with a repeat cloud design, worn by an adolescent incarnate, believed to be the reincarnation of an important religious leader or human embodiment of a Buddhist deity. Chinese imperial patronage of Buddhist temples is further illustrated by a rare, embroidered yellow silk altar-front decorated with magnificent golden dragons which bear the seals of the Fanxiang monastery.

From Orientations.

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Asian Works of Art
Sloan's Auctioneers & Appraisers, Washington, DC
23 October 2000

From Orientations.

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Art of the Scholar: The Ming Dynasty and Contemporary
Chambers Fine Art at Rhona Hoffman, Chicago
Opening 28 October 2000

To illustrate aspects of Ming culture, the installation of this exhibition will resemble a scholar's home with appropriate furniture and accoutrements. Also featured are works by three Chinese contemporary artists, Hong Hao, Chen Guanwu and Zhan Wang reflect the influence of Chinese literati culture and tradition.

From Orientations.

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Ming Furniture - Selections from Hong Kong and London Galleries

Grace Wu Bruce
701 Universal Trade Centre, 3 Arbuthnot Road, Hong Kong
28 October - 15 December 2000

Grace Wu Bruce
12A Balfour Mews, London
9 November - 15 December 2000

From Orientations.

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Sotheby's

Chinese and Japanese Ceramics and Works of Art
Amsterdam
31 October 2000

Fine Chinese Ceramics and Chinese Export Porcelain
London
14 November 2000

From Orientations.

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Ellis Memorial Antiques Show
Boston, Massachusetts
2-5 November 2000

Asian art dealers exhibiting include Ralph M. Chait Galleries.

From Orientations.

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Asian Art in London
London
9-17 November 2000

In its third year, this event celebrates London's position as an international centre for Asian art, from ancient to contemporary, with an unrivalled programme of specialist shows in dealers' galleries, important auctions, museum exhibitions, lectures, receptions and galas. Several lectures by leading specialists have been scheduled:

Date

 Lecture Venue
11 November

"Arts of the Book in Asia": a study day featuring illustrated lectures by curators of the British Library's Asian collections

 The British Library
11 November Gary Dickinson, "Sacred Silks - Religious and Devotional Textiles from China and Tibet"

 Linda Wrigglesworth Gallery
12 November Christian Jorg, "An Extraordinary Well-Documented Auction of Chinese and Japanese Ceramics Held in Amsterdam in 1778"

 Christie's and The Oriental Ceramic Society at Christie's
15 November Ulrich Pietsch, "The Chinese and Japanese Prototypes for Meissen Porcelain in the Eighteenth C