Thursday, November 08, 2001
The fourth annual celebration of Asian Art in London takes place from 8-16 November 2001. During this week and beyond, Asian art and culture will in the spotlight in a packed programme of exhibitions, lectures, auctions and other events.
To pay tribute to such a diverse continent is a challenging task, but again AAL has attracted a wide range of participants whose interests range across many media and geographical areas. Here we isolate just a few events, dividing dealers' galleries by their London location.
Mayfair
The Textile Gallery will aim to fill gaps in a few museum collections during 'Chinese Textile Art III' at 12 Queen Street from 8-17 November 2001. A selection of Chinese textiles dating from 400 BC to AD 1600 will be on display, some dating back to the Warring States period (475 to 221 BC), which means that they number among the earliest patterned silk weavings to have survived. Jin silk brocades from the time of the Han (206 BC to 220 AD) are also represented, including this fluidly patterned and richly coloured fragment (silk embroidery on silk plain weave).
John Eskenazi will be showing 'Recent Acquisitions - 2001' from 5-23 November at 15 Old Bond Street. Indian stone sculpture, Tibetan paintings and bronzes will be on display including an impossibly happy looking 11th century sandstone dancing Ganesha from southern Rajasthan and this 15th century Milarepa Shrine from Tibet made from wood and papier-maché.
'Indian and South East Asian Works of Art' will be the theme of Theresa McCullough's exhibition at 35 Dover Street (1st Floor) from 8-16 November 2001, where onjects will include this ceremonial scarf or lawon. The simplicity of design and rich colour are reminiscent of a Rothko painting, although the addition of decoration may have been intended at a later date.
Again on Dover Street is Jacqueline Simcox's exhibition of Chinese and Central Asian Textiles, which will be running from 6-17 November 2001 at The Air Gallery. Rare silk and wool textiles ranging in date from the 2nd until the 19th century will be shown.Textiles with veiled meanings will be the focus of Linda Wrigglesworth's show 'Five and Nine - Numerical Symbolism in Chinese and Tibetan Textile Art' at her gallery on 34 Brook Street. On display will be this rare pair of 19th century mandarin insignia badges depicting the Goose of the fourth civil rank. The ground is woven in silver thread, which is unusual - gold is more frequently used in Chinese textiles.
Also in Mayfair and worthy of a visit is John Siudmak Asian Art on 15 Mount Street - he will be displaying 'Selected Items', including ancient ear ornaments and stone sculpture, open from 8-16 November 2001. Sam Fogg should also be included in any itinerary - he will be displaying an impressive array of 'Tibetan Manuscripts' and 'Indian Court Painting' on 15d Clifford Street.
Evening receptions for dealers in this area will be held on Monday 12 November from 5-9 pm.
St James's
This remarkable 14th century embroidered hanging (from Eastern Iran or Afghanistan) has been causing a wave of excitement and will be displayed in Francesca Galloway's textile exhibition at 91b Jermyn Street (9-16 November). In conjunction with this she will be exhibiting 'Indian Miniatures from Private Collections'.
At 91c Jermyn Street Rossi & Rossi will be showing 'Tibetan Thangkas - Buddhist Paintings from the 13th to the 18th Century' from 9-14 November. Look out for this enigmatic Ushnishavijaya Mandala (ca. 1500) painted in distemper on cloth. Also at 91c Samina gallery will feature 'Recent Acquisitions- Mughal Jewellery' (including Mughal and Deccan textiles, costumes and silver) from 9-30 November.
Spink Indian & Islamic Works of Art will be showing 'Treasures from the Islamic and Mughal Courts' open until 30 November 2001 on 21 King Street. The show includes this fine 15th century Mamluk tile (from Egypt or Syria). The unusual aubergine coloured border is rarely seen in Mamluk tilework.
Just round the corner at 37 Bury Street, Jonathan Tucker, Antonia Tozer Asian Art will show this exquisite Chinese silk brocade cloth made in the early 15th century in 'Splendours of Buddhist Art', 8-16 November. It is thought that the silk was woven in China and sent to Tibet as a tribute cloth.
Nearby at 3 Georgian House, 10 Bury Street, Michael and Henrietta Spink will be showing 'Islamic Art of Design' from 8-16 November. This 17th century Mughal painting depicts an intimate scene of women seated on 17th century Mughal carpets, relaxing, eating and playing musical instruments within the women's quarters or zenana.
Evening receptions will be held at galleries in St James's on Sunday 11 November from 5-9 pm.
Chelsea, Belgravia and Fulham
Ancient and contemporary textiles from the Indian subcontinent will be the flavour of 'The Shimmering Cloth' at Joss Graham Oriental Textiles on 10 Eccleston Street from 8-24 November 2001. This glittering and opulent Zardozi embroidered cloth from Gujurat, India (circa 1900) will be included.
Stop at Soo San's exhibition '18th and 19th century Chinese furniture and works of art' on 598a Kings Road - 5-10 November. Close by on New Kings Road is Indigo's exhibition 'Japanese and Chinese Furniture from the 19th century' open from 10-16 November.
Soo San and Joss Graham will be holding an evening reception on Saturday 10 November from 5-9 pm.
Hampstead
Finally, a visit to James Singer Asian Art at 9 Heath Drive NW3 promises to be rewarding. His exhibition of diverse objects from across Asia will be open from 6-20 November, with an evening reception on Saturday 10 November from 5-9 pm.
Copyright: Centaur Communications Limited.
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