Asian Di-Visions
Mary Cummings, museum director and specialist in Asian art,
organized this exhibition in the hopes of changing most people's hazy mental "vision" of a mysterious East to a sense of what might be called "di-visions":
a realization that Asia is divided into many
countries with diverse peoples and cultures. The exhibition was also organized
because the state of Montana has never had a
comprehensive exhibition of Asian art, despite favorite son Mike Mansfield
being Ambassador to Japan.
Highlights of the exhibit include a Ming dynasty white jade disc of a deity and
dragon cascading on water and clouds, an aquamarine Chinese silk robe with
embroidered butterflies and birds, a Japanese samurai sword and elaborate sword
fittings, a black lacquer box with illustrated scenes from Japanese history,
and other works.
Artists:
Individual artists are not specified for this exhibit, but
the works come from the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), the Ming dynasty
(1368-1644), the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), and the mid 1900s in China and from the Edo period (1615-1868), the
Meiji period (1868-1912), and the mid 1900s in Japan. Lenders of the art works
include the Portland Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the University of
Oregon Museum of Art, The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the University of
Montana Permanent Collection and Mansfield Archives, the Minnesota Museum of
Art, the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Atkins Museum in Missouri,
plus private collections in the Northwest and Midwest.
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Staff / Board
