Asian magazine, Spring 2016

SPRING 2016 The Asian Art Museum Members’ Magazine

Docents bring the museum’s collection to life for visitors. Here, a docent describes a statue of Rama, hero of the Indian epic poem the Ramayana. Photograph Š Asian Art Museum.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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SPRING 2016 /// VOL. VI, ISSUE l The Asian Art Museum Members’ Magazine MAGAZINE STAFF Tim Hallman, Editor-in-Chief Kate Johnson, Director of Membership Kate Ritchey, Creative Director Amy Browne, Art Director / Graphic Designer Sheng Moua, Graphic Designer Beth Tagawa, Writer / Editor Meghan Lee, Membership Associate

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Published by the Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art & Culture 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 415.581.3500 · www.asianart.org · magazine@asianart.org Copyright © 2016 Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

MUSEUM HOURS: Tue–Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 AM–5 PM Thurs (Mar 17 – Sep 29). . . . 10 AM–9 PM Mon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Closed Visit www.asianart.org for additional closings and special hours.

Cover: Table screen depicting the Taoist deity Doumu and her entourage, approx. 1500–1700. China. Gilded bronze. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Frances Campbell and the Society for Asian Art, 1991.83. Photograph © Asian Art Museum. Below: Jay Xu. Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

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50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 1

FROM THE DIRECTOR JAY XU — When we opened in 1966, San Francisco was a counter-culture hotspot, actor Ronald Reagan was running for governor, and “apple” was just the name of a fruit. Fifty years can bring a world of change to a city.

It can also be a drop in the bucket in the context of ancient art. What difference does five decades make to our beloved bronze rhino at the ripe old age of 3,000?

Its round belly, sturdy legs and wide-eyed face remain as captivating as ever.

At the Asian Art Museum, we embody and embrace both extremes: We are timeless while constantly evolving. In this issue, we reflect on our past (page 4) and share glimpses of exciting things in store: our compelling spring exhibitions (page 14), new presentations for our masterpieces (page 28) and an installation by a noted Chinese contemporary artist (page 29). We also recognize some of the members and donors (pages 36 and 44) who have made it possible to reach this milestone.

What do the next 50 years hold? We promise to keep sparking connections between cultures and across time. We are a hub for art, education, culture and community that builds off of the enduring beauty of our superb collection. The future is ours to create. SEE YOU AT THE MUSEUM!

ART BITES

NEWS FROM THE ASIAN ART MUSEUM, THE BAY AREA AND AROUND THE WORLD

THE MONKEY IS HAVING A MOMENT This year, everyone’s favorite primate, the monkey, is ready for prime time. Feb. 8 marks the beginning of the Year of the Monkey (according to the Chinese zodiac). And this fall, a famous primate will be front and center in our galleries.

Meet Hanuman, one of the heroes of the Ramayana, an ancient Indian epic poem hailed as one of the world’s greatest works of literature. In the tale, Prince Rama struggles to defeat a powerful demon king and rescue his abducted wife. Hanuman is the prince’s devoted monkey lieutenant, a shape-shifting warrior who leads mighty simian armies to aid his friend’s quest.

“Hanuman is one of the most beloved figures in South and Southeast Asian culture,” says Natasha Reichle, associate curator of Southeast Asian art. “He is not only the epitome of selfless loyalty and devotion to Rama, but a god in his own right, worshipped in countless temples.”

Immensely popular across southern Asia, the Rama epic has inspired art and literature for

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Hanuman leaps across the ocean, folio from the small Guler Ramayana series, approx. 1720. India; Pahari region, Himachal Radesh. Pigments and gold on paper. Museum Rietberg Zurich, RVI 840. Photograph © Rainer Wolfsberger.

over 1,500 years. Come October, we’ll showcase Ramayana-related art in The Rama Epic: Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe, which explores the complicated personalities and enduring legacies of the tale’s four main characters. Stay tuned to learn more about this divine monkey. n

ART BITES

MAKING ART SPEAK TO TEENS You can find them here on Family Fun Days, helping families make art of their own to take home. They’re a dedicated team of museum enthusiasts — and they’re still in high school.

Art Speak is a paid internship program that gives teens a chance to discover the museum’s inner workings. “We introduce them to all the parts that come together to run a museum — from education to exhibition design to conservation,” says Triana Patel, associate educator for youth and family programs.

Through visits to artists’ studios and experiments with different mediums, the

Current interns (clockwise from left): Justin Yee, Ahab Chopra, Vanessa Lara, Antonia Giles and Darrah Robinson. Photograph by Nina Gray. The Asian Art Museum’s Art Speak Program is generously supported by The Hearst Foundations, Inc. and The Sato Foundation.

program also aims to deepen the teens’ pas-

memories of visiting museums as a child.

but now I understand all the different roles,

sion for the arts in general. “We want to get

“It’s super cool that we get to make the mu-

and I feel like I can do anything,” he says.

them excited about art, museums and Asian

seum a fun place for kids,” he says.

Know someone who’d make a great

Chopra has also enjoyed learning about

Art Speak intern? Applications for the next

the stresses and complications that go on

10-month program, starting August 2016,

Intern Ahab Chopra, 16, was drawn

behind the scenes. “Before, I just thought

will be available on the museum’s website

to the program in part because of his fond

about curators as the only job at a museum,

on Mar. 1. Applications are due on Apr. 1. n

culture, and light up an interest that will stay with them in the future,” Patel says.

HE’D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY… It’s the last place Asian Art Museum Director Jay Xu thought he’d end up. In October, Xu joined the ranks of the illustrious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a society that has counted among its members such luminaries as George Washington, Alexander Graham Bell and Martin Luther King, Jr. Founded in 1870, the Academy elects “thinkers and doers” who have demonstrated not only excellence in their fields of academia, 50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 3

business, public affairs and the arts, but also a commitment to serving society through their accomplishments. Members of the 2015 class include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Wolf Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, the National Humanities Medal and the National Book Award.

In remarks Xu was invited to give on the eve of the induction ceremony, he emphasized the importance of museums as centers of learning and activity. “If I may use one word that I’d like us to think about museums, it is ‘life,’” he said. “It’s a lively space. There are great stories to be told, great questions to be asked, human creativity and innovation to be harvested.” n

Jay Xu signing the official membership ledger at the Academy.

Photograph courtesy of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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5OTH ANNIVERSARY

5OTH ANNIVERSARY

Y E A R S

1 9 6 6 – 2 0 1 6

THE ASIAN ART MUSEUM AT 50

It all began with Avery Brundage: prominent Chicago businessman, International Olympic Committee chair and, beginning in the 1930s, avid collector of Asian art. He believed the unparalleled collection he amassed during his decades of traveling could serve as a “bridge to understanding” between the U.S. and Asia — a way to educate and inspire good will.

But in private hands his treasures wouldn’t hold that kind of power. So, to realize his vision, Brundage decided to give away his priceless collection of nearly 8,000 artworks. A passionate group of art lovers formed the Society for Asian Art to persuade Brundage to donate them to the city of San Francisco — and successfully established what is now the Asian Art Museum.

Fifty years later, the museum is still inspired by Brundage’s ideal of a "bridge to understanding" and the dedication of the volunteers who helped build that bridge. In addition to being recognized as a premier San Francisco arts institution with one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of Asian art in the world, the museum is also a vibrant hub of cultural exchange, spotlighting the contemporary relevance and cross-cultural connections of Asian art and culture.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 5 Opposite: The museum’s first director Yvon d’Argencé (left) and Avery Brundage examine a Southeast Asian sculpture. Above left: Museum exterior in Golden Gate Park circa 1980s. Above right: The museum’s beloved bronze rhino delights a visitor to the Chinese galleries, circa late 1960s. Photographs © Asian Art Museum.

5OTH ANNIVERSARY

WOOING BRUNDAGE Born into poverty in Detroit, Brundage lived the classic tale of rags to riches, becoming an Olympic athlete, magnate of a Chicago construction company and head of the International Olympic Committee.

Along the way, he also became a prolific collector of Asian art, going as far as to remark, “It’s not a hobby, it’s a disease.” His Santa Barbara home was reportedly jam-packed with art — visitors described precious antiquities spilling out of cabinets, piled in bathtubs and jutting out from under beds.

In 1957, a determined group of San Franciscans formed the Society for Asian Art to lobby Brundage to donate his collection to the city, launching a strategic campaign and equally important charm offensive

When Brundage donated part of his collection to the city in 1959, his main condition was that an appropriate space be built to display it. Voters heeded the call in 1960, approving a $2.75 million bond to construct a new wing of the de Young Museum for the artwork. Nearly 13,000 visitors flocked to the grand opening day of the Avery Brundage Collection in 1966.

In the decades that followed, the museum gained reknown for hosting groundbreaking exhibitions. The first major presentation of Chinese art to travel outside the country since the end of World War II (The Exhibition of Archaeological Finds of the People’s Republic of China) — made possible after President Richard Nixon’s landmark visit to China and “pingpong diplomacy” paved the way for normalized relations — premiered at the museum in 1975, drawing nearly 800,000 visitors in two months. In 1979, the museum co-organized one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of Korean art to be shown in the West at the time — and 10 years later hired the first full-time curator of Korean art outside of Asia.

The museum also received acclaim for sharing lesser-known artistic traditions with Western audiences. In 1991, the Dalai Lama and Richard Gere were on hand to officially open an exhibition of Tibetan Buddhist treasures, many never before seen in the West. And curators spent five years organizing the first survey of Mongolian art in the U.S., presented in 1995, which exposed audiences to the culture of a remote country that had been largely shrouded in mystery.

To the Heart of the City

Attention turned to the museum for an unfortunate reason in 1989, when the Loma Prieta

that lasted over a decade. Tactics

earthquake damaged a number of objects in the museum’s collection, some irreparably. “It’s

included pointed dance-floor tête-

so tragic, so devastating,” Rand Castile, director at the time, told the San Francisco Chronicle,

à-têtes between Brundage and

adding that a sixth-century Buddhist triad had “quite literally jumped across the room” and

Marjorie Bissinger and a persua-

broken into seven pieces. But considering the collection’s size, losses were relatively limited.

sive series of limericks composed

The quake further confirmed what was already abundantly clear to many: With the mu-

by Jane Pettit. Mayors George

seum’s growing collection of priceless objects, a more stable facility was urgently required.

Christopher, John Shelley and Jo-

As mayor, Dianne Feinstein had suggested a potential new space: the Main Library building,

seph Alioto also devoted significant

which would soon be vacant.

time and resources.

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Sharing — and Making — History

In 1994, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved a $42 million bond measure to

These efforts paid off. Brundage

transform the library into a new home for the museum. Of the decision to move, Art Agnos,

donated part of his collection in 1959,

then mayor, said, “The museum’s priceless collections are one of San Francisco’s crown jew-

part in 1969, and, upon his death in

els. It is only fitting that they be displayed in a worthy setting in the heart of the city’s cultural

1975, he left the rest of his vast treasure

and public center.”

trove to the city of San Francisco. In

The four-year construction process included installing massive glass panels and im-

total, 7,700 works from the museum’s

porting a traditional Japanese teahouse built by Kyoto craftsmen. When the museum re-

collection come from Brundage. n

opened in March 2003, it occupied 163,000 square feet, more than double its former size. At the time, Chronicle art critic Kenneth Baker wrote, “There may be no better place in North America to reach for an overview of the arts of the East.”

Opposite (clockwise from left): His Holiness the Dalai Lama greets former Mayor Dianne Feinstein at the opening of Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Arts of Tibet in 1991.

Exhibition poster circa 1975. Clarence Shangraw, former deputy director and senior curator, and Ryoko Takaki, exhibition designer, circa 1970s. Photographs © Asian Art Museum.

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50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 7

5OTH ANNIVERSARY

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Museum Directors, Past & Present René-Yvon d’Argencé, collection advisor to Avery Brundage, guided the Brundage Collection and wing through its opening in 1966 and was installed as the museum’s first director when it became an independent entity in 1969. He was tasked with conceptualizing the collection’s original presentation. In keeping with trends at the time, d’Argencé conceived of the museum as a realm for scholars.

Rand Castile brought a new attitude and approach when he joined in 1986. He believed that the collection should be a resource for general audiences rather than being geared toward academics.

Castile also emphasized the importance of looking at and studying art in person rather than viewing it in photographs.

Emily Sano, who led the museum from 1995 through 2007, helped it successfully weather its biggest upheaval: the construction of and move to its downtown home, including the new concept for the presentation of the collection. Sano also endeavored to increase the involvement of local Asian communities.

Jay Xu, an expert on Chinese archaeology (one of the collection’s major strengths), joined the museum as the country entered difficult economic times. Energetic and eager to innovate, Xu has nurtured an emphasis on programs that bring art to life for visitors by drawing out connections across cultures and through time.

From left: Artist Pop Zhao, commissioner and trustee Chong-Moon Lee, Asian Art Commissioner Judith Wilbur, museum director Emily Sano and then Mayor Willie Brown unwrap the Asian Art Museum, 2003. Opposite: The museum’s Loggia beautifully evokes the building’s historic past as a library. Photographs © Asian Art Museum.

5OTH ANNIVERSARY

BUILDING A DOWNTOWN HOME Bond measures passed by San Francisco residents in 1989 and 1994 provided a total of $52 million for seismic retrofitting of the former Main Library; a prerequisite for moving was creating a safe home for what many consider the city’s greatest cultural asset. Additional funding included a leadership gift of $15 million from entrepreneur Chong-Moon Lee and contributions of over $1 million

transformation of a Paris train station into

places to be during an earthquake: It’s

the Musée d’Orsay. Unveiling her design in

built to withstand the magnitude of the

1996, Aulenti told the press that her con-

devastating 1906 temblor and sustain less

cept was to “open everything up, to bring

than one percent damage to the collection.

in more light,” adding, “We’re preserving

Curators conferred with historians,

from 32 donors.

After a rigorous search, Italian architect Gae Aulenti was selected to helm the project, based in part on her celebrated

the building but giving it a new heart.”

religious studies scholars and anthropol-

But first it had to be made safe. Over

ogists on a groundbreaking gallery orga-

200 base isolators, each weighing more

nization. The museum is one of few arts

than 5,000 pounds, were installed to

institutions to organize its collection by

absorb the impact of an earthquake and

common themes, such as the develop-

allow the building to respond as a single

ment of Buddhism, providing context for

unit. These thorough construction mea-

similarities and differences among the art

sures make the museum one of the safest

of different Asian cultures. n

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 9

5OTH ANNIVERSARY

The Museum’s Unsung Heroes THREE GROUPS OF PEOPLE DONATE THEIR TIME TO HELP THE MUSEUM THRIVE

DOCENTS

The Asian Art Museum boasts the largest, most diverse group of volunteers of any Bay Area cultural institution. The efforts of this team of nearly 600 can’t be underestimated. As John Stucky, museum librarian, puts it, “This museum would simply not exist without our volunteers.”

Docent training began even before Brundage’s collection debuted at the de Young. In September 1965, 100 trainees were selected to enter a rigorous two-year program led by curators and professors. More than 550 docents have served the museum to date. Docents — and dedicated architecture guides, who joined the museum after the Civic Center reopening to share the building’s history — offer over 1,000 guided tours to the public each year.

“We put a personal face on the art that you don’t get from an audio tour, and I think we inspire people with our knowledge,” says Barbara Liddell, docent class of 1971 and retired sixth-grade teacher and principal. “We’re am-

STORYTELLERS

SERVICE VOLUNTEERS

Through myths and folktales, storytellers

Volunteers — like 16-year-old twin brothers

bring the museum’s collection, and Asian cul-

Jerry and Jimmy Xu — are, for many visitors,

ture, to life. Sharon Frederick is one of 55

the face of the museum. Two of the muse-

active participants in this program, which

um’s youngest volunteers, the Xu brothers

serves about half of the museum’s school

help out at the museum store, information

groups with performative stories tied to the

desk and coat check.

bassadors for the museum and the collection.”

nesha, it brings the object alive in a way that

artworks in the galleries.

A teacher inspired Jimmy’s passion for

“When kids come into a big building full

art history, and he hopes to work in a mu-

of objects that may look a little strange, they

seum someday; he volunteers to get a peek

feel more comfortable when you can explain

behind the scenes.

those objects in stories,” Frederick says. “If

“I like it because different people from

we’re telling the story about how Ganesha,

around the world come here,” he says. “I get

an Indian god, got his elephant head, and

to see new faces every day and that makes

we’re standing in front of a sculpture of Ga-

me happy.” n

straightforward facts don’t.”

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SHARE YOUR MUSEUM STORY

The Asian Art Museum Docent and Storyteller Program is generously supported by Charles D. and Frances K. Field Fund and Society for Asian Art. Above: Hal Christiansen entertains students. Photograph by Jay Jao.

Sure, we’ve got fantastic art in our galleries. But it wouldn’t mean much without the people who come see it — our loyal visitors and members.

We want to know what this milestone means to you.

Zero to 50+ Timeline: A great first date, eye-opening exhibition or the New Year’s Eve you rang our giant bronze bell? Whatever your best museum memory, tell us about it.

Visit timeline.asianart.org.

50 Faves: In honor of the big five-oh, we’re highlighting 50 fan favorites from our collection. Cast your vote at 50faves.asianart.org. n

5OTH ANNIVERSARY

Looking to the Future In the 13 years since its move downtown, the museum has remained at the forefront of trends by adopting an increasingly visitor-focused approach, expanding public programming and interpretive elements that encourage engagement.

“As our visitors’ expectations for art experiences change, we need to keep pace,” says Jay Xu, who was appointed as the museum’s fourth director in 2008. “It may seem counterintuitive, since our collection is so steeped in tradition, but we take innovation seriously. It’s essential to find ways to connect to people that are meaningful and inspirational to them.”

Xu has also placed a stronger emphasis on increasing the contemporary art holdings for example, of the 97 artworks added to the collection, more than half were contemporary.

“All art was once contemporary art,” Xu says. “We have a responsibility to share art history as it’s being made.”

With 60 percent of the world’s population living in Asia (and more than one-third of San Francisco’s population of Asian heritage), Xu sees the museum as a crucial touchpoint.

“Our children will inherit a world informed by Asia as much as the West,” Xu says.

“Through art, we offer a way to understand other cultures, and a new lens to view a rapidly changing global community.”

Much has changed in the past 50 years — for the museum, San Francisco and the world — but the museum’s role as a “bridge to understanding” is more relevant than ever. n

Top: Installation view of First Look: Collecting Contemporary at the Asian, 2015, Asian Art Museum.

Bottom: The museum’s home in downtown San Francisco. Photographs © Asian Art Museum.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 11

among the museum’s continually growing collection of more than 18,000 objects. In 2014,

EDUCATION & PUBLIC PROGRAMS

SHOWCASING STUDENT CREATIVITY SFUSD ARTS FESTIVAL | APR 28 – MAY 6

Visit the museum this spring and you’ll find twirling dancers, surreal crayon-drawn landscapes, roaring jazz music and excited giggles. From Apr. 28 through May 6, we’re hosting the 30th annual San Francisco Unified School District Arts Festival, a nine-day celebration of student creativity, and you’re invited.

Art made by San Francisco students from pre-K through 12th grade will be on display inside the museum for the public to view, and students will perform or show more than 80 works of dance, drama, music, film and more. In all, nearly 100 schools will be represented.

“We present programming that has broad value to our community,” says Jay Xu, museum director. “The SFUSD Arts Festival emphasizes access and equity. All students and teachers have a chance to participate.”

After years of being held at the de Young Museum, the SFUSD Arts Festival moved to the Asian Art Museum four years ago, reinforcing Civic Center’s growing status as a hub for the arts. It has certainly drawn a crowd: Last year, 10,000 visitors enjoyed the artistic works of talented local schoolchildren. The Festival is free, which museum and school district staff publicize through multilingual promotions to ensure all families get the word.

Hosting the Festival gives education staff a chance to build relationships with SFUSD teachers and develop strategies to work together year round.

“The goal of museum education is to go beyond a one-off field trip and make the mu-

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seum experience something that’s rooted in everyday education,” explains Caren Gutierrez,

EDUCATION & PUBLIC PROGRAMS

manager of school and teacher programs for the Asian Art Museum.

As part of their work, the museum’s education staff reaches out to local teachers to collaborate on how upcoming exhibitions can inspire classroom activities. For example, staff will hold several teacher training sessions to explore how the museum’s exhibition of rare 17th-century maps (see page 18) can be integrated into social studies and art curricula.

In some cases, this process comes full circle, with teachers leading art projects inspired by the museum and the resulting student creativity then featured at the museum during the Festival. In previous years, students have performed a play based on the Ramayana (an epic story often explored in South Asian art) and an original musical theater piece bringing China’s famed terracotta warriors to life.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 13

“The Arts Festival is a living portfolio that showcases the quality work students have been creating and allows the community to see and hear what happens in the arts classrooms of San Francisco,” says Susan Stauter, SFUSD’s artistic director.

In the end, what’s most important is that students come away inspired. “It’s special for them to see their work displayed in a museum, so closely integrated with the rest of our collection,” Gutierrez says. And since more than 40 percent of SFUSD students identify as Asian, the experience gives many of them a chance to explore their own cultures.

“There’s nothing that makes us feel better than seeing kids, teachers and parents get so excited about an educational opportunity,” Gutierrez says. “And they’ll always remember the Asian Art Museum as the place they had this amazing experience.” n

Photographs by Quincy Stamper.

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FEB 26 – MAY 8 OSHER GALLERY

At the heart of the cosmopolitan imperial courts of the Mughals in India, Safavids in Iran and Ottomans in Turkey shone individuals: artists, patrons and poets who created some of the most important works of Islamic art and literature known to us today.

PEARLS ON A STRING: ARTISTS, PATRONS, AND POETS AT THE GREAT ISLAMIC COURTS

The eloquent metaphor “pearls on a string” expresses connections between people (or words on a page, or images in a book) that, when experienced together, create a beautiful whole. Through a lens on specific people — the 16th-century writer Abu’l Fazl in Fatehpur Sikri, the 17th-century painter Muhammad Zaman in Isfahan and the 18th-century patron Sultan Mahmud I in Istanbul — Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts highlights both individual initiative and networks of relationships that resulted in the creation of masterful artworks.

The lives and careers of the exhibition’s three protagonists reveal their curiosity about a world that was quickly changing through the global movement of people, ideas and technologies. Using the written word, the painted image or the ingeniously engineered object, respectively, each individual sought to understand new ideas and perspectives. With imagination and collaboration, these three dramatically impacted the arts.

THE WRITER: ABU’L FAZL The writer and historian Abu’l Fazl ibn Mubarak (1551–1602) witnessed both intimate and momentous events at the court of Emperor Akbar (ruled 1556–1605) in Mughal India (present-day Pakistan and India).

Through his writings, Abu’l Fazl presented an enduring image of Akbar’s court as a multicultural community engaged with different religious, artistic and intellectual traditions.

Abu’l Fazl was among the most distinguished scholars of his day. He came from a family of learned men, and under his father’s guidance he studied religious sciences, Greek philosophy and mysticism by the time he was 15 years old. Abu’l Fazl was 23 when he came to Akbar’s court through an introduction by his brother, the poet Fayzi, who was employed there. Abu’l Fazl’s intellectual vigor, humanitarian values and liberal religious sentiments resonated with Akbar. The scholar remained in the emperor’s service — as advisor, chief secretary, ambassador, court historian, translator and trusted friend — until his death at the age of 51.

The companion book, which includes essays by leading scholars and 100 color illustrations, is available at the museum store and online at www.store.asianart.org $60 (member price $54) Published by the Walters Art Museum in association with University of Washington Press.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 15

Abu’l Fazl’s major achievement was writing a three-volume history of Akbar’s reign, the Akbarnama (History of Akbar), which includes an immense amount of information about the emperor’s achievements, events past and present, people who came and went, and much more.

The Akbarnama remains a key resource even today, achieving a court historian’s goal of remaining alive for posterity.

Opposite: Jeweled gun, with pen box, reed pen in penholder, and pen knife, from the gun set of Mahmud I (detail), approx. 1732. Turkey, Ottoman period (1300–1922). Steel, wood, gold, gilded silver, nephrite, diamonds, emeralds, rubies (or spinels), and reed tip. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Acquired by Henry Walters, 1903, 51.78, .84, .87; and 57.620. Photograph © The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. Above: Abu’l Fazl presenting the Akbarnama to Akbar, from the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar) (detail), approx. 1600–1603, attributed to Govardhan (Indian). Opaque watercolors, ink, and gold on paper. Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, In 03.176b. Photograph © The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, www.cbl.ie.

PEARLS ON A STRING: ARTISTS, PATRONS, AND POETS AT THE GREAT ISLAMIC COURTS

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THE PAINTER: MUHAMMAD ZAMAN The painter Muhammad Zaman ibn Haji Yusuf (active 1670–1700) dramatically changed the course of 17th-century Persian painting at the Safavid court of Shah Sulayman (ruled 1666–1694) in Isfahan, Iran. He is celebrated as the innovator of farangi-sazi, which blended Persian artistic traditions with European techniques such as linear and atmospheric perspective and contrasting light and shadow. With these new pictorial tools, Muhammad Zaman retold the greatest stories of Persian poetry in unprecedented ways that were exciting and meaningful to his contemporaries.

The style of painting Muhammad Zaman developed clearly reflects the society in which it was conceived. Isfahan’s diverse popula-

tion was composed largely of Persian and Central Asian Muslims, Georgians, Armenians, Circassians, Jews and Zoroastrians.

During the 17th century, the capital’s European population grew exponentially as Western artists, adventurers and merchants flowed in, adding to an atmosphere ripe for innovation.

Following court etiquette, Muhammad Zaman referred to himself as a “slave” of the royal household in his signatures. In doing so, he emphasized that he was part of the service elite, a collective bound to the shah that viewed service as a virtue. Along with nobles and courtiers, court painters like Muhammad Zaman were handsomely rewarded with money, titles and ceremonial robes of honor.

Left: The Return from the flight into Egypt (detail), 1689, by Muhammad Zaman (Iranian). Opaque watercolors, ink, and gold on paper. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, Mass., gift of John Goelet, 1966.6. Photograph courtesy of Imaging Department © President and Fellows of Harvard College. Right: Turktazi’s visit to the magical garden of Turktaz, Queen of the Fairies (detail), from the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, 1675–1676, by Muhammad Zaman (Iranian). Opaque watercolors, ink, and gold on paper. The British Library, London, Or. 2265, fol. 221v. Photograph © The British Library Board.

PEARLS ON A STRING: ARTISTS, PATRONS, AND POETS AT THE GREAT ISLAMIC COURTS

THE PATRON: SULTAN MAHMUD I Sultan Mahmud I (ruled 1730–1754) was celebrated in his day as a sponsor of the arts and as a ruler who brought peace to the Ottoman Empire. Mahmud collaborated with artisans and merchants to define a cosmopolitan court in the empire’s capital of Istanbul, in present-day Turkey, poised at the crossroads of Asia and Europe.

A stout, hunchbacked man who spent his early life under house arrest, Mahmud had challenges to overcome upon gaining the throne. As a boy, Mahmud witnessed his father’s humiliating removal from office by his uncle Ahmed III (ruled 1703–1730).

In 1730, a revolt broke out, and Mahmud was made ruler of a vast and unstable empire. Those who elevated him to the throne thought they could control him; Mahmud proved them wrong.

He calmed public unrest and initiated military reforms.

Mahmud used art and architectural patronage to stress his impressive royal lineage and to communicate his vision of a technologically advanced empire engaged with Europe. Those who knew Mahmud observed his personal involvement in artistic commissions and his taste for cleverly engineered objects made with rare materials. One such commission was a remarkable jeweled gun, on view in Pearls. This curious assemblage of jeweled objects includes a dagger, pen case with writing instruments and other accessories. In addition to referencing the noble pursuits of hunting and calligraphy, the gun also calls attention to Mahmud’s fascination with the precious and the innovative.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 17

Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts is organized by the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, in partnership with the Asian Art Museum.

This exhibition has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor; a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services; and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Presentation at the Asian Art Museum is made possible with the generous support of The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations, Anne and Timothy Kahn, and Judy Wilbur. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Art and the Humanities. Above: Jeweled gun, with pen box, spoon, flintlock cleaner, reed pen in penholder, pen knife, and dagger, from the gun set of Mahmud I, approx. 1732. Turkey, Ottoman period (1300–1922). Steel, wood, gold wire, gilded silver, silver, nephrite, diamonds, rubies (or spinels), emeralds (or beryls), and reed tip. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Acquired by Henry Walters, 1903, 51.76, .78, .84, .87-.89; and 57.620. Photograph © The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. Below: Portrait of Mahmud I (detail), from A Series of Portraits of the Emperors of Turkey, 1815, engraved by John Young (English, 1755–1825). Mezzotint. National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, D.C., gift of Mr. Ferdinand Lammot Belin, N7614.T9 Y6. Photograph courtesy National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, D.C.

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MAR 4 – MAY 8 LEE GALLERY

We think of maps as tools for getting from one place to another and as sources of information about the geography of the world. They are political objects, delineating borders and claiming territories. But they are also vehicles for the imagination. In a single glance, the world is laid flat, inviting us to explore.

Maps, above all, give us a glimpse of how people of a certain time and place envisioned their world.

By Natasha Reichle, Associate Curator of Southeast Asian Art

Visit the exhibition website for information on events presented by our partners at the University of San Francisco: www.asianart.org/exhibitions/china-at-the-center

CHINA AT THE CENTER: RARE RICCI & VERBIEST WORLD MAPS

In China at the Center, East meets West in a very literal way. In the late 16th century, Jesuit missionaries traveled to China, where they learned from Chinese scholars and shared their knowledge of European sciences. One of the results of this cross-cultural exchange are the two maps in this exhibition: Matteo Ricci’s 1602 A Complete Map of the Ten Thousand Countries of the World and Ferdinand Verbiest’s 1674 A Complete Map of the World. These massive woodblock-printed maps are physical representations of the collaboration between two very different cultures.

Through teaching the Chinese elite about European astronomy, mathematics and cartography, the Jesuits hoped to gain their hosts’ trust and eventually convert them to Christianity. Because of their linguistic abilities, Jesuit missionaries were able to collaborate with Chinese literati on many projects, including the creation of maps. The Chinese, while sophisticated mapmakers from a very early date, gen-

erally conceived of the world as flat, with China central and predominant. With the introduction of Western ideas of cartography, this worldview was challenged.

The cartography of these maps is drawn from European sources, but they differ from European maps by placing the Americas on the right and Eurasia and Africa on the left. In this manner, China and the Pacific Ocean are placed at the center. A Chinese tradition of densely annotating maps is evident — the surfaces are covered with text, in some places supplying place names, and in others providing a remarkable depth of information about the geography of the world and the customs of the people within it.

China at the Center explores how much of the world’s geography and ethnography was already known in the 17th century, including the longest river in Africa, the peninsula of Florida, the fish-skin clothing of the far north and the feathered garb of Amazonian peoples. These maps — with their fanciful descriptions of the world’s

peoples, flora and fauna, featuring giants, unicorns, mermaids and more — are also a testament to the power of imagination.

(See text and close-up images from the maps below and on the next page.)

These two extremely rare maps are being shown together for the first time.

The Ricci map is one of only six complete copies in the world and the only one in the U.S., on loan from the James Ford Bell Trust. The Library of Congress’s Verbiest map has never before been exhibited. The maps will be presented with two interactive digital displays that will allow visitors to explore their content more deeply, through close-up details and translations of the text.

With the advent of Google Earth and global positioning systems, people have become more aware than ever of their place in the world. These maps remind us that curiosity about one’s position on the globe has existed ever since the first explorers began traveling the world and discovering lands hitherto unknown to them.

LAND OF DWARVES “The men and women of this realm are only a little over 1 chi [about 12.6 inches] tall. At the age of 5 they have children, and at 8 are already old. Being constantly devoured by cranes, they lived in caves in order to stay safe. Here they wait until the three summer months, when they come out and destroy the eggs of their enemies. They travel by riding on goats.”

Images (pages 18-21): A Complete Map of the Ten Thousand Countries of the World (detail), 1602, by Matteo Ricci (Italian, 1552–1610), with Li Zhizao (Chinese, 1565–1630), printed by Zhang Wentao (Chinese, dates unknown). China; Beijing. Ink on paper. Owned by the James Ford Bell Trust, held at the James Ford Bell Library, University of Minnesota. A Complete Map of the World (detail), 1674, by Ferdinand Verbiest (Flemish, 1623–1688). China; Beijing. Ink on paper. Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress, Washington D.C., G3200 1674.V4.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 19

A land of dwarves is a common legend in Chinese, European and American traditions. While most European accounts describe the small people as being around 4 feet tall, Chinese legends tell of people between 1 and 15 inches high. Ricci may have been appealing to his Chinese audience by describing these denizens of the far north in the familiar manner. (From the Ricci map)

CHINA AT THE CENTER: RARE RICCI & VERBIEST WORLD MAPS

THE GIRAFFE “West Africa. In Ethiopia, there is a beast called the “giraffe.” With a head like a horse, front legs as long as those of a giant horse, and short hind legs, its neck measures from hoof to head more than 26 feet. Its fur is multicolored, and it grazes upon straw. When a person looks upon it, the giraffe will calmly turn around as if to show off its splendid nature.”

One can imagine how fabulous creatures like giraffes and chameleons would have seemed to those far from Africa. The Chinese first encountered the giraffe in 1414, when the naval commander Zheng He was given one as tribute while in Bengal, India, and brought it back to the Ming court.

The object of much amazement, it was thought to be the embodiment of a mythical creature called the qilin. Look for an early painting of this tribute giraffe in Emperors’ Treasures, the upcoming exhibition from the National Palace Museum, Taipei. (From the Verbiest map)

CALIFORNIA AS AN ISLAND

20 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

Even though Matteo Ricci had correctly depicted the contiguous California and Baja California coasts 72 years previously, Ferdinand Verbiest represents California as an island in his map of 1674. Verbiest’s misconception is thought to stem from a Spanish novel, published in the early 16th century, that mentioned a fictional island called “California” that was “very close to ... an Early Paradise.” It was said to be ruled by Amazon-like women who used gold tools and trained griffins to feed on superfluous males. The name from the novel was used for the region that is today California and Baja, which early explorers thought was an independent landmass.

Even after confirmation that California was not an island, this idea was perpetuated in maps until the eighteenth century. (From the Verbiest map)

China at the Center is accompanied by a catalogue that brings together scholarship and compelling images in a contemporary design. Experts introduce the intriguing men behind the maps and explain the impact of European cartography on the way the world was perceived in China. With pull-out maps and detailed images, this catalogue invites you to delve deeper into these historical marvels. Pick up a copy at the museum store or online at www.store.asianart.org $19.95 (member price $17.96) For more translations and commentary, visit the exhibition’s digital displays. Translations by A.C. Baecker and Qiong Zhang. Additional assistance provided by Ellen Yeung.

China at the Center: Rare Ricci and Verbiest World Maps​is organized by the Asian Art Museum in partnership with the University of San Francisco. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations, James Ford Bell Trust, Penelope L. Wong and S. Timothy Kochis, and Maura and Robert Morey.

CHINA AT THE CENTER: RARE RICCI & VERBIEST WORLD MAPS

A Fascinating “Fragment of Time”

DR. FORD BELL ON THE 1602 RICCI MAP

Photograph courtesy of the American Alliance of Museums.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 21

In 2009, when the James Ford Bell Trust was given the opportunity to purchase one of only six existing complete copies of the 1602 Ricci map, trustee Dr. Ford Bell jumped at the chance.

“It was such a unique opportunity to be able to acquire this fundamental map that represents a momentous first meeting of East and West,” Bell says.

Today, the map is housed at the James Ford Bell Library at the University of Minnesota. Established by Bell’s grandfather, the Library is renowned for its comprehensive collection of books, maps, manuscripts and other documents that shed light on international trade from 1400 to 1800.

The Ricci map, created in 1602 by Matteo Ricci, a founding figure of the Chinese Jesuit mission, depicts the known world in striking detail and combines knowledge and legends from European and Chinese sources.

The map provides, Bell says, intriguing context about international relations and captures a “fragment of time.”

“It’s fascinating to look at the map and to see how the world was viewed,” says Bell, who retired last year as the president of the American Alliance of Museums. “In a way, it was the National Geographic magazine of its time.”

And the person behind the map also adds to its allure. “The story of Matteo Ricci is partly what makes it so interesting,” Bell says. “That he made that trip, which was incomprehensible in its complexity, then made his way among the mandarins, engaging them in deep philosophical discussions in their own language, and then he produced this incredible map.”

Acquiring such rare maps was the dream of Bell’s grandfather, James Ford Bell, the founder of General Mills, who believed strongly in the educational value of studying the history of how international trade shaped the world’s cultures, societies, economies and even the arts.

Presenting the map at the Asian Art Museum is a natural fit, Bell says, because the ideas it conveys will give visitors insight into early relations between East and West, dovetailing nicely with the museum’s vision of sparking connections across cultures and through time.

“Today we get products from all over the world in a day or two, and we don’t even think about it,” Bell says. “But the development of trade in the early modern period was what led to the interconnectedness of the world, and that’s important for people to understand.”

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MAR 4 – MAY 8 HAMBRECHT GALLERY

Gold and 50th anniversaries go together like cake and Adzuki Almond Cookie ice cream. To mark the museum’s 50th, we have created the intriguing exhibition Hidden Gold: Mining Its Meaning in Asian Art. Other than celebrating our 50th, why an exhibition focused on gold? Most importantly, of course, because the Asian Art Museum conserves a wealth of great art worked in gold. Beyond this, gold has played a key role in California’s history in general and the Bay Area in particular, exerting an almost magnetic pull across North America and Asia. Historically speaking, you might say gold is a connecting link par excellence between Asia and California.

By Jeff Durham, Assistant Curator of Himalayan Art

HIDDEN GOLD: MINING ITS MEANING IN ASIAN ART

Hidden Gold features about 50 objects organized into three sections. The first two, Home and Family and Palace and Power, contain objects intended for secular contexts. They appear at either end of the gallery and bracket the central section, Precincts of the Sacred.

The unique qualities of gold, both material and symbolic, unite these three sections. Materially, gold is unique among metals in many ways. It is both ductile and malleable; with gold, it’s possible to create both minute wires and micro-thin leaves.

Gold’s most important physical quality, however, is that it resists tarnishing. Such resistance makes it the perfect symbol for that which resists decay and death. And it’s the relationship between these material and symbolic qualities that Hidden Gold explores in each featured object, whether sacred or secular.

HOME AND FAMILY This first section of the exhibition showcases a pan-Asian selection of gold-worked objects intended for weddings, that unification between two people that should ideally last for eternity, and which is therefore perfectly symbolized by gold’s resistance to tarnishing.

For example, a Korean wedding robe uses imagery worked in gold thread to express the twin themes of unity and eternity. It highlights the bride as the central figure in a drama of creation as old as the cosmos and as new as the marriage about to take place. For just as the red and blue elements of the robe symbolize the union of two people at a wedding, these same colors represent the union of two opposites that were responsible for the creation of the cosmos.

Under these conditions, every union becomes a recapitulation of the creation of the entire universe.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 23

Background image (pages 22–25): Birds, flowers, and landscapes (detail), approx. 1920–1930. China. Jade, gold, and wood. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J978. Photograph © Asian Art Museum. Above: Bridal robe, 2002, by Han Sang-soo (Korean, b. 1934). Silk embroidered with silk and gold thread. Asian Art Museum, Acquisition made possible by David and Margo Buchanan, 2005.65.a-.b. © Han Sang-soo. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

HIDDEN GOLD: MINING ITS MEANING IN ASIAN ART

PALACE AND POWER The second section of the exhibition, Palace and Power, focuses on goldworked objects intended for use in aristocratic contexts. The key theme in this section is the capability of gold to represent the luminous and thus the immortal, and how this symbolism underscores the sacred legitimacy of secular leaders.

24 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

For example, the mutual assimilation of royalty and divinity is explicit in a Mughal painting from India. It depicts Mughal emperor Aurangzeb with a gold nimbus around his head. This imagery reveals how the emperor’s true nature transcends mere wealth. He is like the ever-living sun, radiant and luminous by his very nature. He is all but divine.

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (ruled 1658–1707), approx. 1690–1700. Northern India. Opaque watercolors and gold on paper. Courtesy of Asian Art Museum, Gift of Elton L. Puffer, 2004.46.

Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

HIDDEN GOLD: MINING ITS MEANING IN ASIAN ART

PRECINCTS OF THE SACRED The third section of the exhibition, Precincts of the Sacred, focuses on gold-worked objects intended for religious contexts.

The key theme here is how gold work transforms an otherwise time-bound object into one that ideally creates eternal effects.

Why is gold so ubiquitous in such settings? As in the previous section, gold’s material qualities allow artists to apply it to objects symbolizing the luminous and the immortal.

For example, a foundation plaque from Cambodia uses goldworked imagery to articulate the virtual center of the cosmos.

Thus, at the center of the plaque is the lotus of creation, and at its periphery are 32 figures that symbolize the constellations.

Placed under a building, this imagery magically transforms ordinary space into a cosmic space that, like gold, is materially and symbolically capable of bridging space-time limitations.

A Trilogy by Ranu Mukherjee THROUGH AUG 14, 2016 GALLERY 18, 2ND FLOOR

Extracted, an exhibition by artist Ranu Mukherjee, blurs boundaries between history and mythology. In a collage-like film, rocks twist across the screen, eventually fitting together to form the image of a cave where Chinese miners prospected during the Gold Rush. In a painting just across the gallery, this same cave is inhabited by a shape-shifting alligator.

In another work, Mukherjee introduces California history into the world of the Queen Mother of the West — a mythological Chinese goddess with a leopard tail and tiger teeth. The artist gives the Queen Mother the face of Mary Tape, who won a landmark 1884 civil rights case against the San Francisco Unified School District to allow her daughter, who had been shut out for being Chinese, to attend school. In combining these two figures, powerful women from different realms, Mukherjee suggests new ways of considering both.

Mukherjee’s work appears alongside Chinese jades and bronze mirrors from the museum’s collection, from which she drew inspiration. The exhibition dovetails with Hidden Gold to explore alternative ideas about traditional artworks and the stories behind them.

In another unique twist, Extracted is evolving.

Mukherjee initiated her exhibition in November, added to it in late January and will again in May, inviting multiple visits and perspectives as the project transforms.

Extracted: A Trilogy by Ranu Mukherjee is organized by the Asian Art Museum.

Above: Still from Breach, 2015, by Ranu Mukherjee (American, b. 1966).

Single-channel video. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Wendi Norris, San Francisco. © Ranu Mukherjee.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 25

Hidden Gold: Mining Its Meaning in Asian Art is organized by the Asian Art Museum.

Presentation is made possible with the generous support of Bonhams, The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations, and Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation. Above: Dedicatory plaque, approx. 600–800. Probably Cambodia. Gold alloy. Gift of the Shorenstein Fund, 1988.12. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

EXTRACTED

IN THE GALLERIES

MOTHER-OF-PEARL LACQUERWARE FROM KOREA

26 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

APR 29 – OCT 23, 2016 TATEUCHI GALLERY

Mother-of-pearl glows from within sleek lacquer, illuminating intricate flowers, swirling leaves and birds poised to fly. While this eye-catching art form has been practiced in Korea for over a thousand years, it has not been extensively studied or displayed in other countries. Mother-of-Pearl Lacquerware from Korea is the first U.S. exhibition devoted to the subject, and more than half of the artworks will be on view for the first time.

Korea’s unique, complex mother-of-pearl lacquer techniques require tremendous amounts of time to execute. Honed over centuries, this form of artistic expression continues today. During the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), artisans perfected the traditional inlay technique. In the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), new methods and decorative motifs were explored. By the 17th century, these motifs had become painterly, with the inclusion of more suggestive negative space on the lacquer. Lacquer objects also began to be used as everyday goods. The designs on the surface of a lacquer work are highly symbolic, relating to the user, owner and function of the particular piece.

Lacquer objects were actively used in daily court life, and by members of the public who could afford them. But there are few historical records about their creation and uses.

Japanese and Chinese lacquerware, in contrast, have been relatively well researched.

(Exquisite examples of Chinese and Japanese lacquer are on view in our collection

This large box, likely used to store robes, is being shown for the first time in a decade. Its elaborate floral patterns would have required laborious, painstaking work — indicating that its owner was most certainly from the upper class.

Box, approx. 1700–1790. Korea. Lacquer and mother-of-pearl on wood. Acquisition made possible by the Koret Foundation with additional funding from Korean Art and Culture Committee and Ms. Yoshie Naumann, 2003.28.a-.b. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

IN THE GALLERIES

This box is notable for its inner silk lining, which has a distinctive dragon design. Several similar boxes exist worldwide, including one in the National Museum of Korea and another in Japan. They likely originated from the same mother-of-pearl lacquer workshop.

Above: Box, approx. 1500–1650. Korea. Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell, brass, gilded brass foil, and silk with gold threads. Gift of the Christensen Fund, BL77M46.a-.b. Below: Table, approx. 1800–1900.

Korea. Lacquered wood inlaid with brass wire, mother-of-pearl, and ray skin. Acquisition made possible by Korean Art and Culture Committee, 2009.17. Photographs © Asian Art Museum.

Swastika motifs (auspicious symbols of Buddhism) are carved into the base of this table. The table would have been used by a person dining on his or her own; at the time it was made, men and women typically sat at separate tables during meals.

Mother-of-Pearl Lacquerware from Korea is organized by the Asian Art Museum. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of Korea Foundation. The conservation of mother-of-pearl lacquerware in the Asian Art Museum collection is supported by the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 27

galleries, complementing this exhibition.)

Scholarly interest in Joseon mother-ofpearl lacquerware has grown only during the past decade. A special exhibition at the National Museum of Korea in 2006 marked an important turning point in bringing attention to this subject matter.

This exhibition includes 25 objects, most from our collection, with loans from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Four objects from the Asian Art Museum’s collection required conservation work prior to being put on view. To help understand the difficulties of working with these objects and the exacting particulars required during restoration, we filmed the restoration process. In the exhibition, visitors will be able to watch the video and examine samples of mother-of-pearl and lacquer, along with materials used in the conservation, to better appreciate these intricate artworks and the conservation process that preserves their integrity and beauty.

The Asian Art Museum claims a number of firsts related to Korean art. We were the first Western art museum to establish a Korean department with a dedicated fulltime curator. We also have a distinguished history of presenting groundbreaking Korean exhibitions. With Mother-of-Pearl Lacquerware from Korea, we continue our longtime commitment to growing the body of international scholarship on Korean art, offering insights and guidance to other institutions with similar lacquerware collections. We hope this exhibition will lead to this long-neglected artistic tradition being shared with even more people. n

IN THE GALLERIES

OUR MASTERPIECES GET A NEW LOOK

BY DANY CHAN, ASSISTANT CURATOR FOR EXHIBITION PROJECTS We love every one of the 18,000 works

“To isolate them visually, their cases

Another dramatic change in presenting

in our renowned collection, but certain

and pedestals were resurfaced with black

the museum’s masterpieces is found in

extraordinary artworks, those the museum

laminate,” Centin says. “Besides being

the West Asian Gallery. A small white jade

considers “masterpieces,” deserve extra

eye-catching, the use of black signifies the

cup with calligraphic inscriptions has been

attention.

quiet elegance and authority associated

reinstalled in a position of importance,

with the idea of a masterpiece.”

befitting its status. This beautiful and rare

For our 50th anniversary, the museum has highlighted eight masterpieces — des-

The most dramatic change involved moving

object bears the names of two rulers of the

ignated as such for their beauty, originality,

the museum’s acclaimed gilt bronze Buddha

Central Asian Timurid and Indian Mughal

historical importance and rarity, among

dated 338. This work now occupies a more

dynasties; no other known work has these

other criteria — to stand out visually and

prominent spot in the Chinese Buddhist Gal-

specific royal owners’ names. And it is one

through the offering of fuller contextual

lery where it can be viewed in the round, mak-

of only two known examples of Timurid

information.

ing the all-important dated inscription on the

white jade objects in the world.

In conceptualizing the redesign, Marco

back visible to visitors. The inscription reveals

On your next visit to the collection galleries,

Centin, the museum’s exhibition designer,

that this image of the Buddha is not only the

let these eight arresting objects stop you

aimed to unambiguously call attention to

earliest known Chinese example but also the

in your tracks. Enjoy lingering over their

the significance of these works.

earliest dated Buddha sculpture in the world.

artistry and their significance. n

28 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

MASTERPIECES BEING SPOTLIGHTED INCLUDE the Buddha triumphing over Mara (on view in Gallery 2); cup with calligraphic inscriptions (Gallery 7); the deities Shiva and Parvati (Gallery 9); the deity Simhavaktra (Gallery 12); ritual vessel in the shape of a rhinoceros (Gallery 14); Buddha dated 338 (Gallery 16); ewer with lotus-shaped lid (Gallery 22); and the deities Brahma and Indra (Gallery 26).

Buddha dated 33. China; Hebei province, Late Zhao period (319–351). Gilded bronze. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60B1034. Ritual vessel in the shape of a rhinoceros, probably 1100–1050 BCE. China, probably Henan province, Shang dynasty (approx. 1600–1050 BCE). Bronze. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60B1+. Cup with calligraphic inscriptions, approx. 1440–1460. Probably Uzbekistan; Samarqand, Timurid period (1370–1506). Nephrite. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J619. Photographs © Asian Art Museum.

IN THE GALLERIES

Stark white Chinese characters hang in space, mingling with letters of the English alphabet.

This spring, the Loggia will be filled with a silent symphony of symbols, open to interpretation and a new reading.

In celebration of the museum’s 50th anniversary, artist Liu Jianhua has been tasked with creating a site-specific installation for our Loggia that engages with the institution’s history. His creation embraces the museum’s commitment to sparking connections across time and place, and also relates directly to the history of our building, the former Main Library, which opened to the public in 1917. Though it underwent a radical transformation to become the museum’s new home (see page 6), the building retains distinct evidence of its original purpose, including solemn quotes about knowledge and morality inscribed along the upper lintels of the Loggia and card catalog room (now Samsung Hall).

“Handle a book as a bee does a flower; extract its sweets but do not injure it,” proffers one inscription. “Gold can be taken away but knowledge is thine forever,” suggests another.

For this new work, Liu has used fine white porcelain to cast letters that resemble those in the Loggia inscriptions. He mixes these building blocks of the English language with the building blocks of Chinese characters. These forms will be installed as a medley of shapes, separated from their function as readable components of words and suspended from the ceiling as if floating in midair.

Using traditional materials in a contemporary context comes naturally to Liu, who was born in Jiangxi province, raised during the Cultural Revolution and educated as a sculptor at the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in the 1980s.

The artwork was generously commissioned by the Society for Asian Art, the auxiliary group responsible for helping launch the museum 50 years ago. In the space that speaks the loudest to the building’s history as a library, this new work offers an elegant but exciting tribute to the museum’s past, to the rich history of Asian art, and to inspiring evocative new connections that deepen peoples’ appreciation of Asian art and culture. n

COLLECTED LETTERS

AN INSTALLATION BY LIU JIANHUA

OPENING SPRING 2016 | LOGGIA

... the Loggia will be filled with a silent symphony of symbols, open to interpretation ...

Gift of the Society for Asian Art in honor of the Asian Art Museum’s 50th anniversary. Below: Artist Liu Jianhua in his studio. Photograph courtesy of Liu Jianhua.

Note: This installation is scheduled to open Mar. 29, pending approval by San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 29

BEHIND THE SCENES

IN THE BEST LIGHT

THE COMPLEX TASK OF ILLUMINATING ART

You enter a dimly lit gallery. A faint illumination draws you to a silk velvet, highlighting its rich, soft texture and the subtle shine of its golden threads.

When done well, museum lighting is a kind of magic. Exquisite objects catch the eye, beckoning you to look closer. Too much light, however, can damage sensitive materials.

Works on paper, textiles, lacquers, leather — essentially, anything organic — fade or break down with excessive light exposure, necessitating low light levels in some galleries.

Lighting designers must strike a tricky balance between providing the best possible experience for visitors and ensuring that the art is safe from harm.

Meet our expert, Evan Kierstead.

“As a museum, our fundamental responsibility is to preserve and protect the art,” says Kierstead, who has been a preparator at the museum for 22 years and in charge of lighting for the past 15. “But we also want to make sure that the galleries are not so dark that visitors miss the full impact of the artwork.”

Light exposure is cumulative, meaning that from the moment an object is created, light begins to damage it — and the damage can’t be undone.

“If the sole aim were to preserve an artwork for as long as possible, you’d leave it stored safely in the pitch dark,” says Kathy Gillis, head of conservation. “But then the

Below: Evan Kierstead, in charge of the museum’s lighting, adjusts a lighting fixture. Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

Opposite: Installation view of First Look: Collection Contemporary at the Asian, 2015, Asian Art Museum.

Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

public and scholars would never see it.”

Conservation staff calculate how long each item can safely remain on view, and works in the collection galleries are rotated every six to eight months to allow them time to rest.

They’re generally not put on view again for at least five years.

Each type of object also has a standard designation for its appropriate lighting level, measured in foot-candles or lux. If, for example, a scroll can only take 5 foot-candles (a low level of illumination), Kierstead must make the surrounding walls and ambient lighting even dimmer so that the artwork draws the eye.

“I’m looking for drama in the galleries,” Kierstead says. “If everything had the same intensity of lighting, nothing would pop.”

Kierstead’s work is all about strategically considering numerous variables to achieve the ideal ambiance. Tracks on the ceiling dictate where fixtures can be installed. Sunshine streams in through windows. Visitors bending over to read labels can cast shadows. Harsh lighting on glass can create a glare.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is that Kierstead can’t finalize lighting for an exhibition

30 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

until all the art and labels are in place, often leaving him only a few days to complete this complicated job.

“Everything has to come together in a very intense, short period,” Kierstead says.

“We’re usually fine-tuning until the doors open to the public.”

But his work — though designed to escape notice — is hugely important. “Lighting is the final piece of the puzzle that makes an exhibition work. You want the first view of the gallery to make an impact, and you want the space to feel right. It’s kind of an intuition.”

Next time you visit, take a moment to consider the lighting that illuminates the galleries.

A master craftsman is at work, and this is his art. n

BEHIND THE SCENES

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 31

“I’m looking for drama in the galleries.” – EVAN KIERSTEAD, LIGHTING DESIGNER

UPCOMING

EMPERORS’ TREASURES C HIN ES E A RT FRO M TH E NATI O NA L PA LAC E M U SEUM, TAIPEI

32 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

JUN 17–SEP 18, 2016 Behold a treasure trove of the prized possessions of emperors — exquisite paintings, ceramics, jades and more from one of the world’s greatest collections of Chinese art. Passed from dynasty to dynasty and once sheltered in Beijing’s Forbidden City, these masterpieces of Chinese imperial art were spirited away to Taiwan amidst conflict and now reside in the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Discover more than 150 artworks from its celebrated collection, more than half of which will be on view in the U.S. for the first time.

Members-Only Raffle

Enter for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid vacation for two to Taiwan, including a guided tour of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Stay tuned for details!

Emperors’ Treasures: Chinese Art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei is co-organized by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, East West Bank, Robert and Vivian Tsao, Diane B. Wilsey, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, BizLink Technology, Inc., Jamie and Steven Chen, Lee Chen, Christie’s, C.M. Capital Corporation, Doug Tilden and Teresa Keller Tilden, United, The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Fund for Excellence in Exhibitions and Presentations, American Friends of the Shanghai Museum, Julia K. and Leo Cheng, Cheng & Tsui Company, Winnie and Michael Feng, Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation, and H. Christopher Luce and Tina Liu. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Art and the Humanities. Image: White Falcon (detail), by Lang Shining (Giuseppe Castiglione; Italian, 1688–1766). Colors on silk.

National Palace Museum, Taipei, Guhua 000958. Photograph © National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Presenting Sponsor

THURSDAY NIGHTS

THURSDAY NIGHTS AT THE MUSEUM

COME PLAY WITH ARTISTS

Performers splattered in sumi ink and wrapped in leaves. Artists printing slogans on tortillas. Visitors, recruited for a performance piece, dressed up as curry powder, a pineapple and a pizza slice.

If you’ve visited the museum on a Thursday night, you may have stumbled upon one of these scenarios — or something equally unique. But when the museum stays open until 9 PM (tell friends it’s only $5 after 5 PM), it’s for more than just a good time. Thursday night programming gives artists a canvas to explore their creativity.

“We’re providing new experiences focused on Asian American perspectives,” says Marc Mayer, senior educator of contemporary art, who guides these evenings. “The question I keep asking is: How can the Asian Art Museum open itself up to be a catalyst for new work?”

This year’s lineup of Thursday nights, which officially kicks off on Mar. 17 and runs through September, includes a special event on Mar. 3: Solid Gold, an epic dance party featuring local ensembles decked out in gold to celebrate the museum’s 50th anniversary (members get to join the fun for free).

The popular Artists Drawing Club, which invites artists to present new projects, continues at the end of the month. And, in a new initiative, the museum will invite local nonprofit partners to organize events, giving different communities access and introduction to the museum.

“This will build a sense of community, giving new and returning visitors the opportunity to mingle in the museum’s culture-rich setting,” says Indra Mungal, community engagement officer.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 33

In May, for example, the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, which supports HIV/AIDS education, will build a program around video testimonials from its clients.

In another new series, innovative minds (like filmmaker H.P. Mendoza and performance artist Kristina Wong) will curate events.

“We’ll bring in artists and creative thinkers who are changing our cultural landscape,” Mayer says. “That gives us a finger on the pulse of art and culture beyond visual art.”

The bottom line? Sure, come on Thursdays for the DJs, dancing and drinks — but stay for the surprising new takes on contemporary art and culture.

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter (www.asianart.org/about/newsletter) to get updates on Thursday night programs. n

The Asian Art Museum’s Artists Drawing Club series is made possible with generous support from Cathy and Howard Moreland. Photographs by Quincy Stamper.

NEW ACQUISITION

GROWING OUR COLLECTION

WITH HELP FROM ART LOVERS

It’s no secret that our collection is extraordinary — the San Francisco Chronicle has even called us the city’s “greatest cultural asset.” On one very special night, select members are invited to participate firsthand in building our collection. At the Connoisseurs’ Council Acquisition Dinner, Council members come together to purchase a work of art for the museum that will be shared with visitors for generations to come.

Last November, Council members gathered to consider two striking potential acquisitions: an ancient Iranian limestone panel, nominated by Qamar Adamjee, associate curator of South Asian and Islamic art; and a collection of Joseon-dynasty mother-of-pearl, lacquer and wood objects, proposed by Hyonjeong Kim Han, associate curator of Korean art.

Each curator made a pitch for her recommended acquisition, and the vote was put to the Council. The evening culminated with co-chairs Maureen Hetzel and Merrill Randol Sherwin announcing the winner: the Iranian panel, which voters said would fill an important niche at the museum.

“Without this opportunity, it is unlikely that we would be able to consider acquiring an object like this one,” says Adamjee. “We have nothing like it in our collection.”

Shaped like a pointed arch (mihrab) and inscribed in four different Arabic scripts, the panel was made in approximately 1350 during the Ilkhanid period and was likely installed in a shrine or mausoleum.

It joins the collection of artworks purchased over the past 30 years through the Council’s generosity, including several now-iconic permanent collection pieces.

Among these are an Eastern Han dynasty money tree, acquired in 1995, and a Himalyan thangka depicting the Buddhist lama

34 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

Tashipel, which won in 2013.

In addition to the opportunity to guide museum acquisitions, the Council also helps members enhance their own knowledge and connoisseurship. To learn more, contact Allison Oseth, associate director of individual giving, at 415.581.3792 or aoseth@asianart.org. n Panel in the form of a mihrab, approx. 1350. Iran; Ilkhanid period (1256–1353). Limestone. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

SOCIETY FOR ASIAN ART SPRING EVENTS

ASIAN ART BOOK SALE FRIDAY, APR 1, 12:30–4 PM | LOGGIA

Thousands of books — including rare collector’s items — will be available at bargain prices at the Society for Asian Art’s book sale in April. Selections span a wide range of topics, including Asian art, history, literature, religion, culture, cooking, travel, textiles, jewelry and more.

Over the past nine years, the sale of donated books has raised more than $70,000 for the Asian Art Museum’s C. Laan Chun Library, which has a collection of nearly 40,000 titles and is open to the public as a research resource by appointment. n

SPRING LECTURE SERIES

PATRONAGE IN ASIAN ART: MONARCHS, MERCHANTS AND DEVOTEES FRIDAYS THROUGH APR 29 10:30 AM–12:30 PM | SAMSUNG HALL

Three sheep (yang) bring peacefulness, 1772, by Emperor Qianlong (Hongli, 1711–1799). Ink and colors on paper. National Palace Museum, Taipei, Guhua 00762. Photograph © National Palace Museum, Taipei.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 35

The Society for Asian Art is setting the stage for the special exhibition Emperors’ Treasures: Chinese Art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, opening in June. This rare museum partnership will bring in more than 150 artworks from the renowned institution, many to be seen in this country for the first time. Since the exhibition will focus on Chinese emperors’ impact on the arts, the Society for Asian Art’s spring 2016 Arts of Asia lecture series will build on this theme by examining the many ways patronage has influenced Asian art.

Five of the 15 Friday lectures, led by prominent scholars and curators, will explore China’s imperial dynasties, looking at rulers such as Qianlong, a Qing emperor during the 1700s, who collected a wide variety of Western wares and was painted twice in European-style clothing. Then there’s Jayavarman VII, the legendary ruler of the Khmer kingdom, whose features some scholars believe were incorporated in giant faces of the Buddha on the walls of the Bayon Temple in Angkor. We’ll also learn about Mughal ruler Shah Jahan’s daughter Jahanara Begum, an early feminist who commissioned architectural wonders and wrote biographies of Sufi mystics during the 1600s.

For ticket information and a full list of lecturers and topics, visit the Society for Asian Art’s website: www.societyforasianart.org. n

MEMBERS FIRST

TRAILBLAZING MEMBERS LOOK BACK

Our members (we have more than 15,000) have helped make it possible to reach this milestone anniversary.

Meet some of the first to join.

FIRST FOUNDING MEMBER: JANE LURIE Jane Lurie, one of the museum’s founding members, says she knew little about Asian art when she signed up to be a docent. She eventually got her master’s degree in the history of Asian art at UC Berkeley, and, 50 years later, continues guiding tours, mostly for students.

Why does she value her role at the museum?

“I love making people really look at the art,” Lurie says. “The appreciation of art can bring so much pleasure. Just like we need wonderful parks and nature to enthrall us, we should have inspiring art to look at.”

The Asian Art Museum shared a membership program with the Fine Arts Museums (the de Young and the Legion of Honor) until 1995. Our founding members were the first to join the Asian Art Museum’s dedicated membership program. n Photograph © Asian Art Museum.

MEMBER FROM THE FIRST DOCENT CLASS: ALICE LOWE When Alice Lowe heard the new Brundage Collection was recruiting its first class of docents in 1965, she applied immediately, hoping to learn more about her own Chinese heritage.

More than 50 years later, Lowe is an expert in Asian art and cherishes memories of meeting notables — like the emperor of Japan and the Dalai Lama — at museum events.

36 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

Her decades as a docent, she says, have “broadened my thinking and acceptance of other people.”

Lowe’s dedication to the museum goes beyond her work as a docent — she also served as chair of the Asian Art Commission, one of the museum’s two governing boards. Having watched the museum evolve, Lowe is optimistic about its current direction. “There is the concept now that the museum belongs to the community, which is different from when it first opened,” Lowe says. “The thinking then was that the museum was more of a resource center for scholars. The museum has become more open to the public and covers each culture in considerable detail. It’s now truly representative of the community as a whole.” n Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

MEMBERS FIRST

FIRST GUMP SOCIETY MEMBER: DON BUHMAN Active in the San Francisco Symphony and Opera, longtime museum-fan Don Buhman felt the museum should establish a giving society like these institutions offered; he helped launch the Gump Society in 1996. Gump Society members, like Buhman, have included the museum in their estate plans.

An art collector, Buhman says participating in the Connoisseurs’ Council, a group that supports museum acquisitions (see page 34), has been a favorite experience. But, most of all, he treasures his friendships with fellow members, “remarkable individuals who share a common interest in Asian art.” n

Photograph courtesy of Helen Gan.

Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

FIRST RHINO CLUB MEMBERS: AYDEN AND TOLGA ERGIN (VIA GRANDMOTHER HELEN GAN) Ayden and Tolga (ages 9 and 6) live in New York City, but they visit their grandmother, Helen Gan, in San Francisco for a month every summer. Gan, who has volunteered at the museum for more than a decade, was one of the first to sign up for the Rhino Club, our special membership program for kids (created in 2014 and named after our beloved Chinese bronze rhinoceros).

Gan brings her grandsons to the museum to teach them about their heritage: Chinese and Turkish. “I’d like them to be exposed to Asian art, and the more exposure the better,” she says. n

FIRST CHARTER MEMBER: DR. KEWCHANG LEE Growing up in a small town on the East Coast, Dr. Kewchang Lee didn’t get much exposure to Asian art, he says. He moved to San Francisco in part for the strong Asian community and was “I particularly fell in love with the Korean ceramics collection and thought that was very much worth supporting,” he says. “I want to contribute to a legacy of inspiring interest in Asian art and culture.”

Charter members like Lee joined the museum during the first year in our Civic Center building, which opened in March 2003. n

BecomeCaption a member today! www.asianart.org/membership to Come Photograph courtesy of Kewchang Lee.

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 37

intrigued to find a museum devoted entirely to Asian art.

MEMBERSHIP

Lost your card?

Now is a good time to replace it!

To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we created a fresh new design in eye-catching gold.

To order a replacement, please contact us at 415.581.3740 or members@asianart.org or visit us at the member desk.

Prefer to be card-free?

Travel light by capturing your card information on your smartphone. We recommend downloading the free app Key Ring.

MEMBERSHIP IS GOING DIGITAL Want to manage your Asian Art Museum membership online?

Our new, easy-to-use website allows you to: •

View your membership status

•

Renew your membership easily each year

•

Sign up for a two-year or auto-renewing membership

•

Securely store your credit card on file

•

Make a one-time or monthly donation

To create your account, visit www.asianart.org/membership and click on “Manage Your Membership.” After logging in with your email address, click “I forgot my password/don’t have a password.” You will be sent a temporary password via email. If you need any assistance, please contact us at 415.581.3740

38 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

or members@asianart.org. We are happy to help you set up your account.

MEMBERSHIP

LIMITED-EDITION TOTE BAG To commemorate our 50th anniversary, Bay Area artist Julie Chang has designed a one-of-a-kind tote bag just for Asian Art Museum members!

Energetic and elegant, our signature tote features the Asian Art Museum’s 50th anniversary lotus, whose bursting petals intertwine with a chrysanthemum’s silvery blossoms.

This limited-edition bag, which comes in midnight black or merlot, is only available to members at the Member Premium level ($179) and above, to be picked up at the member desk.

A San Francisco-based contemporary artist, Julie Chang works primarily with painting and print making, rooted in an investigation of cultural identity.

Chang is represented by Hosfelt Gallery in San Francisco and New York. She received her MFA from Stanford University in 2007.

CELEBRATE THE MUSEUM’S 50TH BIRTHDAY WITH US The museum first opened its doors on Jun. 11, 1966, in Golden Gate Park.

Exactly 50 years later, we are throwing a big thank you party to celebrate our wonderful members, whose support has made this milestone possible.

All members — past and present — are invited to this daylong open house on Saturday, Jun. 11, featuring live music, special gallery tours, arts and crafts, a Rhino Club kids parade and more. Check our website in May 2016 for the full roster of exciting activities and performances!

Great news: Members now receive discounted parking at the UC Hastings garage at 376 Larkin Street. Members never pay more than $8. To redeem your discount, bring your parking ticket to the member desk for a stamp. When you return to the garage, simply give your parking ticket to the attendant.

MEMBER SHOPPING DAYS Friday, Mar 18 and Saturday, Mar 19 10 AM–5 PM Enjoy a 20% discount in the museum store and a 10% discount in Cafe Asia.

MEMBER MORNING Saturday, Mar 19 9–10 AM Visit an hour before we open to the public for bagels and coffee, private gallery time and special tours.

Save the date: BIG THANK YOU PARTY Saturday, Jun 11 10 AM–5 PM

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 39

DISCOUNTED PARKING FOR MEMBERS

Thank you for being a member of our museum family. Celebrate with us throughout the year!

RETAIL SELECTIONS

ARTISANAL JEWELRY THAT DAZZLES

Buying for the Asian Art Museum store requires a keen eye, a knack for discerning the irresistible, and, in some cases, agile reflexes.

When Indian artisan Dharmendra Soni briefly touched down in San Francisco with a unique selection of handcrafted jewelry, Raymond McKenzie, manager of retail operations, and Idit Agam, assistant buyer, reacted immediately to ensure the glittering jewels would be available to museum store visitors.

“We’re willing to take risks to acquire unique merchandise,” says McKenzie.

“It’s part of what makes our store different and exciting.”

Soni comes from a family of Kundan jewelry makers who ply their craft using traditional techniques. Diamonds are pressed into gold, and fragments of gemstones create intricate designs. Some of Soni’s pieces have an added bonus, in classic style: Their reverse sides feature detailed enamel work that’s hidden from view but just as exquisite as the face that’s meant to be shown off.

Both the jewelry and Soni’s story are impressive, says Agam, an aficionado of Rajasthani jewelry. “He is tremendously proud of his heritage and excited about sharing what he does,” she says. “While you can get costume jewelry of a similar style in the U.S., fine jewelry like this is tough to find outside of India.”

That’s why Agam and McKenzie jumped at the fleeting opportunity to stock up on his crafts, confident museum-goers would be just as dazzled as they were.

“The unique experience our store offers is the opportunity to take home handcrafted pieces of Asian art and culture,” McKenzie says. “We want your

Above: Earrings

2.25" long Ruby, Polki Diamond

40 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

$1,350 (member price $1,215)

NOT YOUR AVERAGE CANDY BAR

store visit to be an artistic extension of your experience in the museum.”

The store is carrying a selection of just a dozen pairs of earrings, eight necklaces/pendants and three rings — and the items cannot be reordered.

Visit the museum store or call 415.581.3600 to learn more. n

We search far and wide for unique merchandise — and sometimes we find it close to home.

We’ve partnered with a gourmet East Bay confectioner, the Xocolate Bar, to create custom chocolates in auspicious shapes, like these koi ($15 for a box of two). Locally made, organic and fair trade, these edible works of art are 70 percent cacao, satisfying milk and dark chocolate lovers alike. Keep an eye out for surprising new shapes to come. n

Shop online or get more information at www.store.asianart.org

CAFÉ SELECTIONS

What’s a birthday party without ice cream? To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we’ve partnered with another San Francisco icon, Humphry Slocombe, to create a unique flavor — Adzuki Almond Cookie — available now exclusively at the museum’s Cafe Asia.

THE INSIDE SCOOP ON OUR CUSTOM ICE CREAM ADZUKI ALMOND COOKIE

To make the limited-edition ice cream (by hand, one batch at a time), Humphry Slocombe chef and co-founder Jake Godby uses adzuki beans, which often fill Asian pastries, from Bob’s Red Mill, selected for their firm texture and nutty flavor. After soaking overnight, the beans are sweetened, pureed and blended with organic milk, cream, eggs and sugar to make the ice cream’s base. Godby then crumbles in his twist on the classic Chinese cookie. The final result: a distinctive sweet bean ice cream that delivers bits of almond in every bite. n

Sound enticing?

Head over to Cafe Asia and sample a scoop for yourself. Explore the rest of the menu online at www.asianart.org/visit/cafe-asia

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 41

Photograph courtesy of Humphry Slocombe.

SCENE AT THE ASIAN

Visitors craft a quilt square at the Filipino American History Month Celebration. Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

CELEBRATING ART AND CULTURE Last fall, our galleries buzzed with excitement during our popular Filipino American History Month and Korea Day festivities, and visitors and supporters enjoyed opportunities to mingle with contemporary artists. n

26 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

First Look artist Sopheap Pich talks with Nexus members about his work Receding Waves. Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

Asian Art Museum Council members meet artist Andrew Schoultz at the Mark Moore Gallery in Los Angeles.

#AsianArtMuseum @joan.ne

SCENE AT THE ASIAN

Musicians and dancers lead a procession kicking off the Filipino American History Month Celebration.

Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

At the Connoisseurs’ Council Acquisition Dinner, curators Qamar Adamjee (left) and Hyonjeong Kim Han (right) admire the museum’s newest acquisition, with Council co-chairs Merrill Randol Sherwin (second from left) and Maureen Hetzel (second from right). Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

Visitors Sophia and Evangeline try their hand at bojagi, a Korean wrapping tradition, on Korea Day. Photograph by Jay Jao.

FALL 2014 /// 27

Richard B. Gump Society members Margaret Handelman and Howard Moreland chat at the annual appreciation Performers the Knuckle Neckevent.

Tribe Photograph by Quincy Stamper.

Julie Lee of Oakland-based musical duo KABAM captivates the audience on Korea Day. Photograph by Jay Jao.

ASIAN ART MUSEUM

Annual Donor Report Fiscal Year 2015

Dear Members and Friends, In this special anniversary year, the Asian Art Museum is proud to celebrate the role that generous individuals and institutions have played throughout the museum’s history. From the original donation of the Avery

Fiscal Year 2015 Operating Budget $25.8 Million Unaudited, for the period of Jul. 1, 2014– Jun. 30, 2015. The Asian Art Museum’s audited financial statements are available online.

Brundage Collection in the mid-20th century to the Campaign for the New Asian at the turn of the 21st, extraordinary acts of philanthropy have created and sustained the institution that we treasure today. Equally

3%

12%

important, the museum’s broad base of annual supporters has fueled innovation and excellence in our work year after year, making the Asian Art Museum an inspiring destination for both local and global visitors.

With this broader history in mind, we are pleased to recognize the following

33%

14% 17%

21%

donors for their recent support. In the past fiscal year, membership and private contributions accounted for over 50% of operating revenue, helping the Asian Art Museum serve nearly 270,000 annual visitors — including 38,000 teachers and school children — while engaging another 2.4 million digital users online. Thanks to more than 14,000 donations from businesses, foundations, members and friends, the museum showcased a remarkable range of art and culture last year, from

Expenses 33% Art and Programs 21% Finance and Operations 17% Audience and Business Development 14% Security 12% Development 3% Human Resources

ancient treasures in Roads of Arabia to tradition-bending contemporary works in 28 Chinese.

5%

4%

We extend our deepest gratitude to those who have supported the Asian Art Museum throughout its history — and to all those who continue to invest in its future. We look forward to sharing an exciting year of programs and exhibitions with you, and we thank you for helping to make them possible.

9%

46%

32%

Jay Xu, Ph.D.

Director and CEO

Akiko Yamazaki Chair, Asian Art Commission

and Asian Art Museum Foundation

46% Contributed Income 32% City Allocation 9% Earned Income 5% Membership 4% Endowment Payout 4% Other Income

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 45

Revenues

Annual Giving Circles The Asian Art Museum houses a world-class collection in the heart of San Francisco, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and reaching millions more online. Annual gifts to our Membership, Jade Circle and Nexus programs support the full scope of the museum’s work, allowing us to thrive as a vibrant hub for discovery, education and inspiration. To learn more about the museum’s annual giving circles, please contact Allison Oseth, associate director of individual giving, at 415.581.3792 or aoseth@asianart.org.

NEXUS

Lucy Sun, Chair $50,000 and above Mr. and Mrs. William K. Bowes Jr. Doris Shoong Lee and Theodore Bo Lee Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation Rosina and Anthony Sun Robert and Vivian Tsao Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang

46 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

$25,000 to $49,999 Betty and Bruce Alberts Cori and Tony Bates Thomas and Ellen Bauch Richard and Kim Beleson Richard C. Blum and The Honorable Dianne Feinstein William Mathews Brooks Eliza and Dean Cash Jamie and Steve Chen Chen Family Trust Joan L. Danforth Rajnikant T. and Helen Crane Desai Judith and Robert L. Duffy Fred Eychaner Mr. and Mrs. William S. Fisher Virginia and Timothy Foo Robert and Michelle Friend Foundation Mimi Gardner Gates Marsha Vargas Handley Ron and Dianne Hoge Sung Jin and Frank Ingriselli Kristine Johnson and Timothy Dattels Anne and Timothy Kahn Stephen and Choongja Kahng Bill and Mary Kim

Penelope L. Wong and S. Timothy Kochis Barry Lam Mr. and Mrs. Chong-Moon Lee Alexandra and Dennis Lenehan Kumar and Vijaya Malavalli Stephanie and James Marver Constance C. Miller Maura and Robert Morey Nanci Nishimura and Joseph Cotchett Hiro Ogawa Masashi Oka Suno Kay Osterweis David Chun-Yee Pong, The Yiqingzhai Foundation Leslie T. Schilling and Alexander Schilling Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin and Mrs. Merrill Randol Sherwin Tania and Michael Stepanian Lucy Sun and Warren Felson Ann Tanenbaum Dr. Jane Tom Jack and Susy Wadsworth Judy Wilbur Ken and Ruth Wilcox Diane B. Wilsey

JADE CIRCLE

Susan McCabe, Chair $15,000 and above Patricia and Edwin L. Berkowitz Kathy and Paul Bissinger Daniel Carroll and Stasia Obremskey Julia K. and Leo Cheng Donovan K. Ching Mr. and Mrs. Charles N. Keating Jr. Linda and David Lei Susan and Kevin McCabe

$10,000 to $14,999 Frank S. Bayley, III Dr. David Buchanan Doris Fisher Glen S. and Sakie T. Fukushima Dr. Mary Hunt Alexander Lloyd Gorretti and Lawrence Lui Kevin and Monita Martin Rhoda and Richard Mesker Marianne H. Peterson Peter and Collette Rothschild Nicholas and Elizabeth Unkovic Ashok and Gita Vaish The Wollenberg Foundation Anonymous

$6,000 to $9,999

Midori and Paul Antebi Richard C. Barker Paul and Sandra C. Bessières Anne Ja Forbes The Stephen and Margaret Gill Foundation Robert Hermann Richard and Paola Kulp Consuelo H. McHugh Ursula and Richard Ralph Dr. Robert F. Oaks and Mr. Fred Sheng Peter and Beverly Sinton Michelle Wilcox and Robert F. Kuhling Jr.

$3,000 to $5,999

Richard W. Achuck and Warren W. Achuck Sophia Lei Aldrich and Theodore Aldrich Michele and Joseph Alioto Ellen and Ronald Arenson Yat-Pang and Helina Ying-Fan Au Cynthia and Gary Bengier

Bianca and Merlin Larson Nancy E. Lem The Lent Family Dr. Lai-Sung Eric Leung and Mrs. Kay-lee Leung Hok Pui and Sally Yu Leung Barbara Liddell Linda and Kevin Lynch Susan and Peter Lynn Melissa J. Ma John Maa, M.D. Ush Patel and Ranjini Malavalli Emily P. Marcus Thomas and Beverly Marlow John and Peggy Mathers Mary Michael Mauro Carolyn McCusker and Anthony McCusker Mac and Leslie McQuown Virginia and Donald Meyer Kyra L. Miller Michele A. Monson and Hon. Paul R. Haerle Cathy and Howard Moreland James and Rebecca Morgan Milton J. Mosk and Thomas E. Foutch Ruth and James Murad Oliver Nicholas Mr. and Mrs. John J. Nichols Diane Ososke Catherine and Hyun Park Bonnie A. Plummer, Ph.D. Dr. Hoe Tian Poh and Mary Frances Poh Gregory C. Potts Pamela W. Rafanelli Wei Zhang and Peter Rasmussen of the Don and Lore Rasmussen Fund of the Tides Foundation Elizabeth K. Raymond, The Raymond Family Foundation Judy and David Redo James P. Rhemer Barbara and Richard Rosenberg Louise A. Russell Caroline and Graham Scott Low Demi Seguritan John V. Sell Mona and Nihir Shah Kirsten and Christopher Shilakes Mary Lou Shott Cherra and Harmit Singh Paul and Mary Slawson Fan Tan Smith and Craig Smith Mr. and Mrs. Lee C. Smith Barbara and Paul Sonnenblick Grace C. Spence Susan Steer Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Stockholm

Marcie Vu and Michael J. Thiel Eleanor Thornton Joseph and Edith Tobin Ada S.Y. Tom Mr. John K. Uilkema and Dr. Gail G. Uilkema Moez and Vivienne Virani Susan and Bradford Wait Darci and Eric L. Wesenberg Patrice and Michael Wilbur Charles B. Wilson and Frances Petrocelli Salle Yoo and Jeffrey P. Gray Carolyn Young Lowell S. Young, M.D. Anonymous

MEMBERSHIP

Timothy F. Kahn, Chair Patron Members Mr. Marcus Aaron II Ravi and Amini Abraham Michael Adler Paul B. Althouse Dean Anderson Jacqueline and Clarence Avant Neaera and Edward Baer James Bancroft John Barry and May Pon Valerie Barth and Peter Wiley Christy Bartlett and Ken Tuomi Geraldine and David Berg Gary Bottone Peter and Margaret Boyer John and Barbara Boyle Marilyn Brennan Doris Todd Brown Don Buhman and Wray Humphrey Byers Family Terrie Campbell and James Henderson Charles Campbell Nina Carroll Gordon Chamberlain Malvina Gock-Chan and John Chan Donald and Eunice Chee May Chen and K.M. Tan Craig and Noelle Chinn Patricia and Howard Chiu William and Diane Clarke David Clayton and Gayle DeKellis Jay Clemens and Carolyn Seen Mark Cocalis Crawford and Jessie Cooley Josef Cooper and Tracy Kirkham Linda Cozzarelli Kathleen Cross

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 47

Chip and Juliet Bergh Trista Berkovitz and Stephen Pegors Stuart Berkowitz, Ph.D. Eileen K. Bitten Kay E. Black Dr. Phyllis B. Blair Dr. Jeffrey R. and Brenda Bohn Lucey Bowen and Richard Sites Dr. Lynne Lopez Brewer Eugene and Kittie Brodsky Todd E. Brody and Katherine Ching-Brody Sylvia Brown and Brian Wall Alexandra and Peter Caban Mr. and Mrs. Alexander D. Calhoun Frances Campra Frank Caufield David and Karin Chamberlain Yvonne and Ralph Cheng Linda Choy Druehl and Greg Druehl Penelope Clark Mrs. Elaine Connell Phoebe Cowles Jane DeBevoise Steve and Roberta Denning Janet L. Dobrovolny Delia F. Ehrlich Donald and Janice Elliott Lucinda B. Ely Jo Anne and Jesse D. Erickson Dr. Vincent Fausone Jr. Lisa Fei Ayame Flint Donald Frediani and Renata Gasperi Sameer Gandhi and Monica Lopez Dessa P. Goddard John and Marcia Goldman Pat and Marvin Gordon Graue Family Foundation Dorothy D. Gregor Linda and Jon Gruber Edward Gui, NanHai Art Charles E. and Anthia L. Halfmann Margaret B. Handelman Carole and John Harlow Gregory and Sally Hartman George and Marie Hecksher Kathleen G. Henschel and John W. Dewes Martha Sam Hertelendy Melvyn and Maureen Hetzel Mr. and Mrs. Austin E. Hills James and Florence Hitchcock Thomas J. Ihrig Arlene Inch Jennifer Ching-Yun Kao and R. Stanley Williams Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein William and Gretchen Kimball Fund

Patron Members Continued Edith B. and William Dagley Larry L. Darnell Carlotta Dathe Jane De Leon and Peter Horton Blair Dean and Robert Cooter Robert and Barbara DeMaria Jeanne Dinkelspiel and Ryan Johnson Carl and Meredith Ditmore Mrs. Marilyn T. Doe Anne Breckenridge Dorsey Jeanne Dorward Sheila and John Dowell Daniel Drake and Lee Steinback-Drake Jared Ede and Fernan de Zarate Nancy Ferguson George and Susan Fesus Jeanne and Frank Fischer M. Fisher Peter J. Flagg Moritz Fliedner Katharine Flynn Mary and Tom Foote Mrs. Dianne A. Fowler Helen Gan Michael Garland and Virginia Coe Ming C. Gee Harry Goldberg and Janka Dubakova Norman Goldfarb and Miriam Yelton Ann Goldsmith and Gill Cogan Sidney and Susan Goodwill

48 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

Tom Graim Sallie Griffith James and Mary Powell Grossman Linda Guerra Anne and Robert Gunderson J. Halvorson Frank Hand Doris Harris and Peter Lee Michael Alexander Harrison and Susan Graham Harrison Harvey Clars Auction Gallery Geoffrey Bruce Hayes Monica and Stephen Henderson James and Catherine Herlihy Robert Herr Ricky Ho and Emily Leung Margaret Ho and Monica Ehlers Richard Hoffman and Harry Todd Andrea L. Hong and James S. Parsons Michael and Ginger Hu Ashley Hu

*Deceased

Dorothy Hyde Melissa James and Robert Bodnar Susan and Matthew Janin Betty Jensen Katharine Hotchkis Johnson Margaret Jones William and Nancy Kales Teresa Kangas-Olsen Sally Ketchum Eugene Kim and Christine Kim Kumja Paik Kim Ryan Kimble and Nicole Graves Lois Kreuzberger Gladys and George Kwong Liisa Ann Larson and Steven Buehler Marsha and Michael Lasky Jude and Eileen Laspa Luther Lau Kewchang Lee, M.D. and Kevin Deyager Emily Lee Sherlyn and Russell Leong Barbara and Warren Levinson Marcia Linn Dr. Lawrence S. Lipkind Betty J. Louie Carrie and Ronald Ludwig Jane Rosen Lurie Lindsay and Jean MacDermid Siesel Maibach Susan and Philip Marineau Hermine and Summer Marshall Christine and Stan Mattison James and Beverly McCall John McCallister Mrs. David Jamison McDaniel Anne and Malcolm McHenry Elizabeth and Robert Meyer Buffington Clay Miller Guy Miller Vivienne E. Miller Lily and Riaz Moledina Rennie and Diane Moniz Margaret and William Moorhouse Pamela Morey Ruth Muschel and Gillies McKenna Malia Narruhn Donald and Ui Soon Natenstedt Rick and Evelyn Neely Judy and Kara Nicholas David Oakes and Sheila Botein Lynne T. Ogata Anne and Lester Packer

James and Jean Palmer Bai Park and Greg Oldham Carol Potter Peckham Margaret Peters Eugene Pon Elton L. Puffer* Earldean Robbins Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Mr. Paul Sack Elizabeth and Richard Sah Suzanne Scott Harlan See Nancy Sheppard and S. Peter Poullada Cynthia Shen and Shailey Rastogi Richard P. Shrieve and Yvonne Don Jon and Margaret Sigurdson John and Colleen Silcox Jack Silveira Anita Silvers Terry Smalley and Suzanne Portero Virginia Smith Kathleen Kelley Soper and Thomas Soper Earl Stokes Steven Stone Daniel Sullivan and Kathleen Wesner Tom Myers and Hartono Sutanto Loulie and John Sutro Charles Lawrence Swezey Barbara and Clay Timon Diane Tokugawa and Alan Gould Mahesh and Sheela Veerina Paul Violich Ms. Barbara M. Ward and The Hon. Roy L. Wonder John H. Ware and Margaret Cheng Ware Patricia and James Wells Wallace and Eve Wetsch Pat Wilde Faye Wilson Colin and Silvana Wong Dennis Wong and Endora Hsia Dr. Olga F. Woo Roy J. Wu Martha Wunsch and Kent Nakamoto Xin Xu Marcella and Kimberly Yano David and Elissa Yeske Stephen and Connie Zilles Anonymous (6) 

Individual Exhibition and Program Support Thanks to the generosity of individual donors, the Asian Art Museum presented more than a dozen special exhibitions and installations last year, showcasing global treasures, historic discoveries, striking collections and cutting-edge art. Private contributions also supported key programs and initiatives across the institution, from cultural heritage celebrations to free admission for college students to scholarly research and publications. To learn more about current and upcoming funding opportunities, please contact Amanda Riley, director of individual and major giving, at 415.581.3680 or ariley@asianart.org.

$100,000 and above Mr. and Mrs. William K. Bowes Jr. Rajnikant T. and Helen Crane Desai Barry Lam Robert and Vivian Tsao Diane B. Wilsey Anonymous (2)

$50,000 to $99,999 Lee Chen George Fan Hiro Ogawa Gorretti and Lawrence Lui Doug Tilden and Teresa Keller Tilden

$25,000 to $49,999 William Mathews Brooks Eliza and Dean Cash Winnie and Michael Feng Anne and Timothy Kahn Rhoda and Richard Mesker Lynne T. Ogata Lucy Sun and Warren Felson Judy Wilbur

$10,000 to $24,999

Midori and Paul Antebi Yat-Pang and Helina Ying-Fan Au Richard C. Barker Valerie Barth and Peter Wiley Frank S. Bayley, III Chip and Juliet Bergh Kathy and Paul Bissinger Alexandra and Peter Caban Martha Carter-Bhatti Carmen and Ralph Colet Alice Corning Mr. and Mrs. William H. Draper III Judith and Robert L. Duffy Dr. and Mrs. Douglas E. Goldman Ron and Barbara Kaufman Randall E. Laroche Hok Pui and Sally Yu Leung Kathryn Lucchese Ruth Gates McGlashan Kyra L. Miller Rosemarie and Tae Hea Nahm Suno Kay Osterweis Susan Prather Richard J. Schoofs Steven Stone Jack and Susy Wadsworth Patrice and Michael Wilbur John R. Williams King Won and Linda Won Anita Yu and Steven Westly Anonymous

15 SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS AND INSTALLATIONS PRESENTED IN 2014—2015 Gorgeous Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Seduction: Japan’s Floating World | The John C. Weber Collection The Printer’s Eye: Ukiyo-e from the Grabhorn Collection 28 Chinese Enter the Mandala: Cosmic Centers and Mental Maps of Himalayan Buddhism Tetsuya Ishida: Saving the World with a Brushstroke Woven Luxuries: Indian, Persian, and Turkish Velvets from the Indictor Collection From Two Arises Three: The Collaborative Works of Arnold Chang and Michael Cherney Exquisite Nature: 20 Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (14th­–18th c.)

Tradition on Fire: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Paul and Kathy Bissinger Collection Picturing Sound, Creating Mood Yoong Bae: Continuity and Pursuit Sanaz Mazinani: Threshold Dual Natures in Ceramics: Eight Contemporary Artists from Korea

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 49

Barbara and Gerson Bakar Richard and Kim Beleson Laurie Jue Ying and David Y. Ying Penelope L. Wong and S. Timothy Kochis Lois M. Kreuzberger Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation Cathy and Howard Moreland Maura and Robert Morey Leslie T. Schilling and Alexander Schilling

$1,000 to $9,999

Institutional Partnerships Each year, the Asian Art Museum proudly partners with foundations, corporations and government agencies to advance our mission, expand our audiences, and strengthen our connections across San Francisco and around the globe. From exhibition and event sponsorships to matching grants and in-kind support, the following partners made essential contributions to the museum during the past year. To learn more about our corporate membership program and other sponsorship opportunities, please contact Veronika Trufanova, director of institutional partnerships, at 415.581.3774 or vtrufanova@asianart.org.

MAJOR FUNDING IS PROVIDED EACH YEAR BY THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO $100,000 and above

$10,000 to $24,999

Corporate Matching Gifts

Bei Shan Tang Foundation Chevron Corporation The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation The Bernard Osher Foundation Saudi Aramco Society for Asian Art Target

ATEL Foundation Blakemore Foundation Bonhams China Guardian Auctions Nordstrom The Sato Foundation The Joseph and Mercedes McMicking Foundation Sotheby’s Toshiba International Foundation

AMGEN Foundation Apple Matching Gift Program Bank of America Charitable Foundation BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. Charles Schwab Foundation Chevron Matching Gift Program The Chubb Corporation Cisco Systems Foundation The Clorox Company Foundation Dolby Match Program Electronic Arts Outreach Program Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc. ExxonMobil Foundation Fannie Mae SERVE Program Genentech Employee Giving Program Google Gift Matching Program Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation IBM Corporation John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Juniper Networks’ Company Levi Strauss Foundation Macy’s Foundation Omidyar Network Verizon Foundation VMware Foundation The Walt Disney Company Yahoo! Inc.

$50,000 to $99,999 Chase Private Client China Art Foundation Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation United Airlines Wallis Foundation Anonymous

50 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

$25,000 to $49,999 ATEL Capital Group Bank of America The Elizabeth E. Bettelheim Family Foundation Christie’s ExxonMobil The Charles D. and Frances K. Field Fund Korea Foundation Robert Lehman Foundation Pacific Gas and Electric Company The Mary Tanenbaum Fund The Sumitomo Foundation Wells Fargo

$1,000 to $9,999 AARP Robert & Toni Bader Charitable Foundation Bloomberg Dodge & Cox Douglas Durkin Design Inc. Matson Navigation Company Prologis San Francisco - Manila Sister City Committee Willis Insurance Services of California

In-Kind Support 7x7 Magazine California Sunday Magazine Cooper, White & Cooper LLP KGO-TV/ABC7 KQED San Francisco Magazine San Francisco Media Company Squire Patton Boggs

Donors to the Collection Through gifts of art and funds for acquisitions, donors to the collection strengthen and shape the museum’s greatest resource — its priceless holdings of art, history and heritage. We are delighted to recognize the following individual contributors from the past year, as well as the collective generosity of the Connoisseurs’ Council, a dedicated group of patrons whose annual donations support the acquisition of new works for the collection. To inquire about donating works of art, please contact Kate McNulty, director of planned giving, at 415.581.3683 or kmcnulty@asianart.org.

ART ACQUISITIONS

Richard Beleson, Acquisitions Committee Chair

CONNOISSEURS’ COUNCIL

Richard Beleson, Co-chair Maureen Hetzel, Co-chair

Donors of Works of Art

Donors of Funds to Support Acquisitions Betty and Bruce Alberts Frank S. Bayley, III The Elizabeth E. Bettelheim Family Foundation Catherine Cheung Denise Fitch Therese Francia Martin San Francisco - Manila Sister City Committee Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin and Mrs. Merrill Randol Sherwin Lucy Sun and Warren Felson Ann Tanenbaum

Members Betty and Bruce Alberts Michele and Joseph Alioto Richard and Kim Beleson Trista Berkovitz and Stephen Pegors Kathy and Paul Bissinger Kay E. Black Dr. Phyllis B. Blair Dr. Jeffrey R. and Brenda Bohn Dr. and Mrs. David Buchanan Donovan K. Ching Anne Breckenridge Dorsey Jared C. Ede Dr. Vincent Fausone Jr. Ming C. Gee Dorothy D. Gregor Edward Gui, NanHai Art Margaret B. Handelman Marsha Vargas Handley Martha Sam Hertelendy Melvyn and Maureen Hetzel Mr. and Mrs. Austin E. Hills Anne and Timothy Kahn Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein William and Gretchen Kimball Fund Bianca and Merlin Larson Linda and David Lei Alexandra and Dennis Lenehan Hok Pui and Sally Yu Leung Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston Lindsay and Jean MacDermid Susan and Kevin McCabe Rhoda and Richard Mesker Virginia and Donald Meyer Cathy and Howard Moreland Ruth and James Murad Dr. Robert F. Oaks and Mr. Fred Sheng Gregory C. Potts Suzanne W. Scott

2014—2015 COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

97

Artworks Added to the Collection

372

Objects Newly Displayed

2,113

Objects Conserved

38

Artworks Loaned to Other Museums

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 51

Richard and Kim Lam Beleson in honor of Joan and M. Glenn Vinson Kathy and Paul Bissinger James Emanuel Bogle Helen and Raj Desai David T. Frank and Kazukuni Sugiyama Daniel L. and Merel P. Glaubiger Amanda Hughen Ellen Josefowitz Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein Robert Knopes Haeja Koo on behalf of Dr. Minjee Kim Naomi Lindstrom John K. Little Chen Man Menke Family in memory of Betty and John Menke Thomas Murray Frances Rollins Abraham and Marian Sofaer Jennifer Starkweather Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery Cissy Pao Watari Yeh Family Yiqingzhai Foundation Anonymous

Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin and Mrs. Merrill Randol Sherwin Peter and Beverly Sinton Fan Tan Smith and Craig Smith Robert L. Speer and John Wong Susan Steer Lucy Sun and Warren Felson Lowell S. Young, M.D.

Legacy, Memorial and Tribute Gifts For the Asian Art Museum’s most loyal supporters, making a gift through a will or trust creates an enduring personal legacy and helps sustain our work for generations to come. The Richard B. Gump Society celebrates these generous donors, whom we are pleased to recognize here. We also thank the many thoughtful supporters who made gifts in memory or honor of others during the past year. For more information, please contact Kate McNulty, director of planned giving, at 415.581.3683 or kmcnulty@asianart.org.

ESTATE AND TRUST GIFTS Estate of Dorothy J. Bakewell Estate of Thomas Frederic Humiston Estate of Harriet E. Lang Vera M. Long Trust Estate of Mrs. Ji Ing Soong Frederic S. Whitman Trust S. Grace Williams Trust

52 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

RICHARD B. GUMP SOCIETY Anthony Alfidi Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Arens Carole L. Becker Kathy and Paul Bissinger Kerrylynn Blau Don Buhman Frances Bushell Mr. and Mrs. Alexander D. Calhoun Dinny Winsor Chase Alan F. Chow Patty S. Chu and Colbert T. Dare Dr. Stephen R. Chun and Dr. Doris Sze Chun Joyce H. Clark Glenn and Dianne Colville Dr. and Mrs. Eric G. Comstock Dauna R. Currie Joan L. Danforth Martha Debs Amy Tamaki Doi Jared C. Ede Trudy Ehrenfeld Mrs. M. Jean Fisher Denise Fitch Peter J. Flagg Hanni Forester Donald Frediani and Renata Gasperi Nancy G. Freeman Walter Jared Frost Norman Givant Virginia O. Grillo* Charles and Ginger Guthrie *Deceased

Richard S. Hahn, M.D. Charles E. and Anthia L. Halfmann Renee R. Hall Frank L. Hand Margaret B. Handelman Marsha Vargas Handley Dr. Gloria M. Hing Gordon Holler Elizabeth H. Huchberger Marie and Harold Hyman Robert M. Johnson Mary Jope Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein Sally Ketchum Bill and Mary Kim Thomas and Mary Ellen Knapp Lois M. Kreuzberger Joan and William Larkin Benjamin Leong and Yun Mui Leong Barbara Liddell Alice G. Lowe Yin-Wah Ma and Rosser H. Brockman Marilyn E. MacGregor Josephine M. Markovich Dr. Sumner Marshall and Dr. Hermine Marshall Mr. and Mrs. James D. Marver Karyl M. Matsumoto Linda A. McBain and Robert H. Kozlowski John B. McCallister Ruth Gates McGlashan Anne and Malcolm McHenry Patrick E. McSweeney Bob Merjano Virginia and Donald Meyer J. Sanford Miller Russell R. Miller Cathy and Howard Moreland Marnay O’Neal Diane Ososke Michael J. Pascua Greg L. Pickrell and Evelyn Richards Marjo and Al Price Elton Puffer* Ruth Quigley

Ronald D. Rattner Mr. P. A. Reque Gerald B. Rosenstein and David Gellman James Ross Pamela H. Royse Louise A. Russell Jordan Sachs and Jeannie Sack Xenia Sanders Dr. Emily J. Sano Mary M. Schiffmann Midori H. Scott John J. Shaak Charles F. Simmons Leyla D. Somit Barbara and Paul Sonnenblick Robert L. Speer and John Wong Marilyn Spiegl Susan Steer Tomoye Takahashi Susan K. Tanner Bob Temple Michael E. Tully Mr. John K. Uilkema and Dr. Gail G. Uilkema Midori O. Wedemeyer Tim Whalen Judy Wilbur Michelle Wilcox and Robert F. Kuhling Jr. Prof. John Wood Norma Yaglijian Alexandra Zaugg Swafford Anonymous (2)

GIFTS TO THE DOCENT FUND

In Memory of John Dodge

In Memory of Nicholas Joseph Motto

In Memory of Frances Ashley

⋅ Renee R. Hall

⋅ Melvyn and Maureen Hetzel

In Memory of Naomi Lindstrom

In Memory of Mrs. Joan Oaks

⋅ Melvyn and Maureen Hetzel

⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Renee R. Hall

In Memory of Hatsuko Broman-Price ⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Johanna Goldschmid ⋅ Renee R. Hall ⋅ Sherlyn and Russell Leong ⋅ Barbara Liddell ⋅ Virginia Martinson ⋅ Michele A. Monson and Hon. Paul R. Haerle ⋅ Laurabeth Grieneeks Nelson

In Memory of Margo Buchanan ⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Dinny Winsor Chase ⋅ Renee R. Hall ⋅ Lois Kreuzberger ⋅ Barbara Liddell ⋅ Michele A. Monson and Hon. Paul R. Haerle ⋅ Laurabeth Grieneeks Nelson

In Memory of Jean Chaitin ⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Renee R. Hall ⋅ Lois Kreuzberger

In Honor of Dinny Winsor Chase ⋅ Lindsay and Jean MacDermid

In Memory of Bobby Chatterjee ⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Renee R. Hall ⋅ Sherlyn and Russell Leong ⋅ Michele A. Monson and Hon. Paul R. Haerle ⋅ Laurabeth Grieneeks Nelson

In Memory of Joan Cooney ⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Lois Kreuzberger

DCM in Honor of the Following Docents ⋅ Kalpana Desai ⋅ Lucinda Ely ⋅ Kirk Gibson ⋅ Meena Vashee ⋅ Nondas Voll ⋅ Susan Wait

In Memory of Therese Schoofs ⋅ James A. Elvekrog ⋅ Joseph J. Laponis

In Memory of Ben and A. Jess Shenson

In Memory of Dolores Lorenz

⋅ Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston

⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Dinny Winsor Chase ⋅ Sally L. Kirby

GIFTS IN HONOR

In Honor of Mabel Miyasaki ⋅ Frederic Kotas

In Honor of Elin Modjeska ⋅ Jane Stein

In Memory of Therese Schoofs ⋅ Richard J. Schoofs

In Memory of Dr. Norman M. Scott ⋅ Renee R. Hall

In Honor of Henny Tanudjaja’s father ⋅ Laurabeth Grieneeks Nelson

GIFTS IN MEMORY In Memory of Frances Ashley

In Honor of Lois Alpert ⋅ John Kobs

In Honor of Donna Burke ⋅ Alan Marcos

In Honor of Abraham and France Chang ⋅ Frances Aiello

In Honor of Julia Cheng

⋅ Flavia Caroselli ⋅ Carol Chiantelli ⋅ Denise M. Decker ⋅ Carla De Petris ⋅ Emanuela Gay ⋅ Eric Matcovich ⋅ Patricia N. Olsen ⋅ Karen M. Rose

⋅ Catherine Blumberg ⋅ Harriet A. Lake

In Honor of Marlena and David Gee

In Memory of Waqar H. Bhatti

In Honor of Allison Harding

⋅ Martha E. Carter-Bhatti

⋅ San Francisco Art Dealers Association

In Memory of Hatsuko Broman-Price

In Honor of Phyllis Kempner

⋅ Susan Chun ⋅ Brian Hashimoto ⋅ Ann Ocheltree ⋅ Christine Ohira ⋅ Gretchen Saeger

In Memory of Margo Buchanan ⋅ Piledrivers Investment Club ⋅ Greta Wells

In Memory of James Cahill ⋅ Society for Asian Art

In Memory of Mrs. Elsie R. Carr ⋅ Mike Marcley

In Memory of Jean Chaitin

⋅ Hermine and Summer Marshall

⋅ Society for Asian Art

In Honor of Fred M. Levin ⋅ Tim Whalen

In Honor of Christopher Lirely and Michael Samuel ⋅ Dr. Robert F. Oaks and Mr. Fred Sheng

In Honor of Edith Andrews Tobin ⋅ Juana Schurman

In Honor of Judith Wilbur ⋅ Sandy Shapero

In Honor of Jay Xu

⋅ San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

⋅ Society for Asian Art

⋅ Margaret Lee Blunt ⋅ Anita Yu

In Memory of Naomi Lindstrom

In Honor of Akiko Yamazaki

In Honor of the Docent Council

⋅ Steve and Roberta Denning

In Honor of Kalpana Desai

⋅ Dinny Winsor Chase

In Support of the Docent Fund ⋅ Elaine Gallaher ⋅ Virginia P. Ozer ⋅ Paul and Jacquelyn Ronan

⋅ Dr. Vincent Fausone Jr. ⋅ Melvyn and Maureen Hetzel ⋅ Gregory C. Potts ⋅ Society for Asian Art

In Memory of Howard Mitchell ⋅ Roberta Keirce

In Honor of Jennifer Yin ⋅ Sean Hurley

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 53

⋅ Asian Art Museum Docents ⋅ Margaret M. Dueringer ⋅ Renee R. Hall ⋅ Barbara Liddell ⋅ Laurabeth Grieneeks Nelson ⋅ Linda Rineck

Special Events From festive family gatherings to dazzling black-tie galas, the Asian Art Museum hosts an array of signature events each year that celebrate and support the museum’s work. We are grateful to the many individuals, families, companies and organizations that make these special events possible — as chairs, hosts, sponsors and guests. For information on upcoming events and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Susan Engel, director of museum events, at 415.581.3788 or sengel@asianart.org.

Roads of Arabia Opening Dinner October 27, 2014 Honoring His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud

Seduction Opening Dinner February 18, 2015 Once Upon a Time in Tokyo Family Event April 17, 2015 Caroline Low, Co-chair Linda Lynch, Co-chair

28 Chinese Gala June 3, 2015 Sung Jin and Frank Ingriselli, Co-chairs Lorna and Wade Randlett, Co-chairs John Chiang, Honorary Chair Gary Locke, Honorary Chair

SPECIAL EVENT DONORS $50,000 and above Cori and Tony Bates Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang

54 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

$25,000 to $49,999 Yat-Pang and Helina Ying-Fan Au Jamie and Steve Chen Custom Computer Specialists, Inc. Sung Jin and Frank Ingriselli Anne and Timothy Kahn Nanci Nishimura and Joseph Cotchett Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia

$10,000 to $24,999 Chip and Juliet Bergh Eliza and Dean Cash Chen Family Trust East West Bank Cynthia and John Gunn J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Stephen and Choongja Kahng Kieve Law Offices Penelope L. Wong and S. Timothy Kochis Louis Vuitton Gorretti and Lawrence Lui John Maa, M.D. Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Squire Patton Boggs Lucy Sun and Warren Felson Ken and Ruth Wilcox

$5,000 to $9,999 California Bank & Trust Steve and Roberta Denning Martha Sam Hertelendy Keiko and Gerald Horkan Michael Howard Doris Shoong Lee and Theodore Bo Lee Alexandra and Dennis Lenehan Linda and Kevin Lynch Kumar and Vijaya Malavalli Bai Park and Greg Oldham Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin and Mrs. Merrill Randol Sherwin

$1,000 to $4,999 Betty and Bruce Alberts Michele and Joseph Alioto Midori and Paul Antebi Robert Atkinson Jacqueline and Clarence Avant Lily and Thomas Beischer Patricia and Edwin L. Berkowitz Paul and Sandra C. Bessières Kathy and Paul Bissinger Todd E. Brody and Katherine Ching-Brody Alexandra and Peter Caban Albert J. Chang Julia K. and Leo Cheng Lori and Matt Collier Phoebe Cowles Denise and Michael Coyne Dixon and Carol Doll Family Foundation Lisa Fei Sotheby’s

Jeff Garelick Dessa P. Goddard Cindy and Evan Goldberg Beth and Brian Grossman Jane and Wyatt Gruber Gurley Family Fund Gwen Hinze and Ernie Chow Khristine and Gordan Holterman Mr. and Mrs. Justin Hughes Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis and Markos Kounalakis Pamela and Richard Kramlich Ranee Lan and Jeremy Liew Susie and Chris Leupold Nellie and Max Levchin Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston Jennifer Machado Ush Patel and Ranjini Malavalli James D. McCool Carolyn McCusker and Anthony McCusker Amy and Drew McKnight Meg and Stuart McLaughlin Rhoda and Richard Mesker Kyra L. Miller Lorna Ho Randlett Jenny and Gerald Risk Caroline and Graham Scott Low Demi Seguritan Mona and Nihir Shah Tania and Michael Stepanian Rosina and Anthony Sun Marcie Vu and Michael J. Thiel Sandra and John Thompson Cornelia and Erik Thomsen Doug Tilden and Teresa Keller Tilden Richard Tracy Amy and John Underwood Nicholas and Elizabeth Unkovic Bob and Elizabeth Van Dyk Jack and Susy Wadsworth Maria Watson Patrice and Michael Wilbur Caroline and Bary Wilkinson Charley and Bob Zeches

Museum Leadership As a proud part of the City and County of San Francisco, the Asian Art Museum is jointly governed by the Asian Art Commission and the Board of Trustees of the Asian Art Museum Foundation. These dedicated volunteers generously donate their time and expertise in support of our mission, ensuring that the museum is positioned for artistic, financial and strategic success — both today and into the future. We are also pleased to recognize the members of the AAM Council, the museum’s next generation of philanthropic leaders.

ASIAN ART MUSEUM FOUNDATION Chair Akiko Yamazaki

President Timothy F. Kahn

Vice Presidents Robert L. Duffy Fred M. Levin Lucy Sun

Secretary Gorretti Lo Lui

Treasurer

Linda Lei, Ex Officio Kumar Malavalli Kevin J. Martin Constance C. Miller Hiromitsu Ogawa Masashi Oka Suno Kay Osterweis Carl F. Pascarella David Chun-Yee Pong Leslie Tang Schilling Merrill Randol Sherwin Ann Tanenbaum Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Robert Tsao Nicholas Unkovic Judith F. Wilbur Kenneth P. Wilcox

Anthony Sun

ASIAN ART COMMISSION

Trustees

Chair Akiko Yamazaki

Vice Chairs Timothy F. Kahn Judith F. Wilbur

Secretary James D. Marver

Treasurer Anthony Sun

Commissioners Edwin L. Berkowitz Kathy Bissinger William Mathews Brooks Alexander D. Calhoun Julia K. Cheng Carmen Colet Joan Danforth Virginia M. Foo C. N. Keating Bill S. Kim S. Timothy Kochis

ASIAN ART MUSEUM COUNCIL Council Executive Committee Midori Antebi Alexandra Caban Kyra Miller Patrice Wilbur

Council Members Midori and Paul Antebi Yat-Pang and Helina Ying-Fan Au Chip and Juliet Bergh Matthew Bissinger Joy Boatwright Todd E. Brody and Katherine Ching-Brody Alexandra and Peter Caban Lisa Fei Marjory Graue and Martin Bloes Alexander Lloyd Caroline and Graham Scott Low Linda and Kevin Lynch Melissa J. Ma John Maa, M.D. Carolyn McCusker and Anthony McCusker Kyra L. Miller Catherine and Hyun Park Ush Patel and Ranjini Malavalli Mona and Nihir Shah Cherra and Harmit Singh Eleanor and Alistair Thornton Marcie Vu and Michael J. Thiel Patrice and Michael Wilbur Salle Yoo and Jeffrey P. Gray

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// 55

Betty N. Alberts Cori Bates Ellen Burstein Bauch Richard Beleson Richard C. Blum William K. Bowes, Jr. Eliza Cash Jamie Chen Pehong Chen Lloyd E. Cotsen Dixon R. Doll Fred Eychaner Mimi Gardner Gates Mary Powell Grossman, Ex Officio Sarah P. Hambrecht Martha Sam Hertelendy Robert Y. C. Ho Ronald N. Hoge Sung-Jin Ingriselli Stephen Kahng S. Timothy Kochis Barry Lam Chong-Moon Lee Ming Lee

Chong-Moon Lee David Y. Lei Alexandra Lenehan Fred M. Levin Gorretti Lo Lui Maura B. Morey Nanci E. Nishimura Lucy Sun Jane Chang Tom Brenda Wright

50 for 50

Make a birthday gift to the museum today — and one for the future!

HERE’S HOW: • Donate $50 today • Become one of 50 new members

of the museum’s legacy society

$50 FOR OUR 50TH BIRTHDAY Your membership and contributions provide the financial

Y E A R S

1 9 6 6 – 2 0 1 6

50 NEW LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBERS

fuel that powers all we do. A $50 birthday gift — a dollar for each of our 50 years — will help us continue to serve as a vital San Francisco touchstone for Asian art and culture. Please consider a $50 birthday gift today.

We need 1,000 members to each give $50 before Jun. 11 (the day we opened in Golden Gate Park in 1966) to reach our goal of $50,000. Your fully tax-deductible gift will ensure that new generations experience all the Asian Art Museum has to offer.

Three ways to give a special birthday gift: 56 /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

1. Visit www.asianart.org/donate 2. Call 415.581.3740

3. Mail a check made payable to “Asian Art Museum Foundation” TO: Asian Art Museum

Attn: Museum Fund

200 Larkin St.

San Francisco, CA 94102

Become a member of our Richard B. Gump Society by making a gift through your will or trust, or by naming the Asian Art Museum Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement account.

We’ve set a goal to add 50 new Society members by the end of 2016.

To join the Gump Society, please contact Kate McNulty, director of planned giving, at 415.581.3683 or kmcnulty@asianart.org.

Visit www.plannedgiving.asianart.org for more information.

CALENDAR

FEATURED MEMBER EVENTS

Member Morning

Hidden Gold, Pearls on a String, China at the Center

Saturday, Mar 19 9–10 AM Join us for bagels, coffee and tours before we open to the public.

Open to all members

Member Opening Reception and Curator Talk Wednesday, Mar 2 7:30–9:30 PM Open to Friends ($500) and Patrons ($1,000)

Member for a Day

Hidden Gold and China at the Center

Saturday, Mar 19 Institutions across the Bay Area give members free reciprocal admission. See our website for partner institutions.

Preview Day

Thursday, Mar 3 10 AM–5 PM Open to all members

Tour, Talk & Tea:

Korea: Bridge of Culture

Tuesday, Feb 16 1–3 PM Saturday, Feb 20 11 AM–1 PM Open to all members

Rhino Club Art Roundup

Tour, Talk & Tea:

Sunday, Mar 20 10:30–11:30 AM Storytelling in the galleries, followed by crafts and snacks.

Suggested for ages 4–10.

Open to Rhino Club families

Hidden Gold

Saturday, Mar 12 11 AM–1 PM Tuesday, Mar 15 1–3 PM Open to all members

Hidden Gold, Pearls on a String, China at the Center

Jade Circle Opening Reception and Curator Talk

The Rama Epic: Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe

Wednesday, Apr 20 6:30–8:30 PM Open to Friends ($500) and above

Tour, Talk & Tea: Jade and Jewelry

Tuesday, May 17 1–3 PM Saturday, May 21 11 AM–1 PM Open to all members

BIG Thank You Party

Saturday, Jun 11 10 AM–5 PM Check our website in May 2016 for the full schedule of activities.

Open to all members, past and present

Tour, Talk & Tea:

Member Shopping Days

Wednesday, Mar 2 6–7:30 PM Open to Jade Circle ($3,000+) and Nexus ($25,000+) Attendees are invited to stay for the Member Opening Reception.

Curator’s Choice Lecture:

China at the Center

Friday, Mar 18 and Saturday, Mar 19 10 AM–5 PM 20% off in the store and 10% off in Cafe Asia.

Open to all members

Tuesday, Apr 12 1–3 PM Saturday, Apr 16 11 AM–1 PM Open to all members

Want more access?

Upgrade your membership or contact us for details at 415.581.3740. If you renew at a higher level before your current membership expires, we’ll add 12 months and upgrade your benefits immediately. For more information, call 415.581.3740 or email members@asianart.org.

Check out our calendar at www.asianart.org/events

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

SPRING EXHIBITIONS Pearls on a String (opens Feb 26), China at the Center (opens Mar 4) and Hidden Gold (opens Mar 4) Feb 26 – May 8, 2016

MAY

JUNE Emperors’ Treasures Jun 17 – Sep 18, 2016

Mother-of-Pearl Lacquerware from Korea Apr 29 – Oct 23, 2016

Prototyping Through Apr 10, 2016

EXTRACTED Through Aug 14, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS: WWW.ASIANART.ORG

50TH ANNIVERSARY /// ASIAN ART MUSEUM

EXHIBITIONS

ASIAN ART MUSEUM Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art & Culture www.asianart.org 200 Larkin Street San Francisco, CA 94102 USA

Non-Profit Organization U. S . Po s t a g e P A I D Asian Art Museum of San Francisco