Preview Highlights:
The International Asian Art Fair in New York

Editorial Staff

Fangding China, Shang period (c. 1500-c. 1050 BCE) Bronze Height 33 cm. Gisele Croes at the International Asian Art Fair, New York (Photography by Roger Asselberghs)

The International Asian Art Fair will take place from 23 to 28 March at the Armory in Park Avenue. Khalil Rizk of The Chinese Porcelain Company, one of the original proponents of the fair, is optimistic that it will be another spectacular event, with a loan exhibition of Japanese cloisonne from the Hosomi Museum in Kyoto, the addition of long-established dealer Hirano Kotoken from Osaka and some extaordinarily fine objects assembled by leading dealers such as Gisele Croes and John Eskenazi. Rizk and Eskenazi have assembled a group of leading experts for the vetting committee to ensure a high level of quality and authenticity.

Rizk is also very enthusiastic about his own exhibition, in conjunction with Galerie Jan Krugier, Diteschelm & Company, of ten to twelve abstract drawings, watercolours and paintings by Paris-based Zao Wou-ki, one of the most successful Chinese emigrant artists. They will also be showing a group of Yuan and Ming lacquers.

John Eskenazi sees the fair as one of the most important events for Asian art. This year, he will be presenting works related to the ancient religions of India and Tibet. One of the oldest pieces on show is a sandstone sculpture of Pingala, attendant of Surya the sun god. The figure is distinctively dressed in the traditional Sassanian manner. Another highlight is a sensuous temple sculpture dated to the second half of the 10th century showing the marriage of Shiva and Parvati.

Among the Tibetan items, a 15th or 16th century portable wood shrine depicting Milarepa and his lineage is especially interesting, being the only known surviving example of its type. A 15th century Chinese brocade with scrolling lotus flowers, probably used as a canopy above a large Buddha image in a Tibetan monastery, is one of the more unusual items. Doris and Nancy Wiener will be featuring a special exhibition of Khmer stone sculpture, including examples from the Prasat Andet, Preah Ko, Baphuon and Bayon periods, that were acquired by a European collector in the 1960s. The centrepiece, a sandstone image of Uma, reflects the level of achievement in figural sculpture during the Baphuon period. It also exhibits characteristics of the period: highly polished areas contrasting with the carved sections and an integration of a naturalistic with an idealized form. Uma's bare breasts are sensuously modelled, while precise incised lines define her finely pleated ankle-length garment. A decorative fold in the shape of a fish's tail below the navel cinches the garment, and a simple belt holds the skirt in place.

Reflecting her expertise in China's long history of bronze casting, Gisele Crous will be presenting a selection of thirteen important examples from the Shang period, including one in the rarely seen fangzun form, entirely decorated in high relief, with large flanges and covered with a green-blue patina. A jia with sharp blade-like legs is decorated with stylized elephants and a fish/dragon motif. The same motif can be seen on an exceptional fangding with four (rather than the usual three) legs. In addition, a late Spring and Autumn period sculpture of eight interlaced dragons devouring a serpent in gold, and a pair of Warring States period crossbow fittings inlaid with gold and silver represent the hallmark of her gallery as well as her own area of interest. Belt hooks, a Northern Qi period stone head of a bodhisattva, objects from the Dian culture and two large and exceptionally well modelled Tang period pottery ladies complete the display. Croes has witnessed a proliferation of Chinese art collectors at all levels since she joined the fair in 1996 and is optimistic that this trend will continue. A catalogue entitled Treasures of the Shang and Other Ritual Bronzes accompanies the show.

Returning to the fair for a second time is New York-based Koichi Yanagi, who will be sharing a booth with his uncle, Kyoto dealer Hiroshi Yanagi. A scroll depicting cherry blossoms by Oda Shitsushitsu, dated 1803, will be one of their highlights. Other masterpieces, such as a large rectangular dish with a chrysanthemum design by Ogata Kenzan, will be shown at their gallery at 17 East 76th Street. A number of other dealers in the show such as Joan Mirviss, China 2000 Fine Art, MD Flacks and Frederick Schultz will also be holding gallery exhibitions (see previews on pp. 137, 140 and 142). Schultz, who is participating in the fair for the first time, will primarily be showing Southeast Asian pieces, but as he began exploring Dian material as well as art of other cultures on the periphery of China a couple of years ago, these regions will also be represented.

Recognition of the venue by Japanese dealers is gaining momentum, with Hirano Kotoken from Osaka joining this year. Uragami Mitsuru of Uragami Sokyu-do from Tokyo, exhibiting for the fifth time, is greatly encouraged by this trend as he believes it lends stature to the fair. His exhibition will be dominated by a selection of Chinese ceramics from the Neolithic to the Song period. These have been the focus of a number of exhibitions in his gallery, and his catalogue Ancient Chinese Ceramics from the Neolithic Period to the Western Han continues to be a useful reference work. Another area of expertise is Korean ceramics, and Uragami will be bring a few examples to further develop the growing interest shown by collectors and curators. A highlight is a Koryo celadon box and cover. Contrasting with these wares will be an important blue-and-white Annamese dish decorated with deer among plants, which was exhibited in the Hong Kong Oriental Ceramic Society's exhibition `South-East Asian and Chinese Trade Pottery' in 1979 and sold at Christie's London in 1984 at the `Mr and Mrs Robert P. Piccus Important Annamese Ceramics' sale.

The escalation in prices of Qing period imperial ceramics and works of art has limited the number of dealers who now specialize in this area. S. Marchant, first established in London in 1925, remains active in this area. Their exhibition `The Rolf Heiniger Collection of Qing Imperial Wares' last June was a great success. Fifteen recently acquired Qing imperial artworks will be the highlight of their stand and will be featured in an illustrated brochure. Among these pieces is a compressed rectangular metal teapot and cover decorated in famille-rose Beijing enamels with two scholars in a landscape. The base bears a six-character Qianlong seal mark in red enamel within a square.

Mustapha Hassan of Imperial Oriental Art will be showing Ming and Qing ceramics, including a good selection of blue-and-white and some monochromes, many of which were originally from private collections in America and Europe. `There are more than a dozen important pieces to consider as highlights in my show but the centrepiece will be a large blue-and-white vase of the Yongzheng period which is decorated with flowers and fruits,' he commented.

Sandra Whitman will display a selection of purely decorative Chinese and Tibetan rugs of the 18th and 19th centuries, a few earlier small and large examples for collectors and some important East Turkestan pieces, including an 18th century example from Khotan decorated with butterflies around the central medallions. Other highlights include a 1930s art deco rug and an 18th century room-size example from Ningxia.

With a view to meeting new clients and reinforcing their presence in the market, Art of Chen from Taipei returns to the fair with a selection of high quality Ming furniture, scholar's objects and works of art. A 16th/17th century four-tier bookcase and a 17th century folding wine table, both made from huanghuali, are of particular interest.

Andy Hei, who has been a member of the Chinese furniture vetting committee since the beginning of the fair, joins for the first time and is also opening a gallery in April at 46 Lyndhurst Terrace in Hong Kong. After serving an apprenticeship for some thirteen years with his father, renowned furniture dealer Hei Hunglu, he believes it is time to branch out and create a venue for both established and new collectors to meet and exchange ideas about the connoisseurship of Chinese furniture. He aims to show mainly hardwood, but his inventory also includes some good and interesting examples in softwood. Hei sees the fair as a venue for introducing high-quality items to young people who may become serious collectors in the future. At a time when good pieces are becoming difficult to obtain, better cooperation among dealers should be the future direction of the Asian art world. For Hei, the fair is an opportunity to work towards this aim. His exhibition will include a group of classic Chinese furniture in black lacquer and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Dating from the mid-Ming to the mid-Qing period, these `museum quality' items are rare as they do not survive as well as objects purely in wood. Another highlight is a 16th century luohan bed with a dragon medallion on its panels.

Another interesting development during the fair will be Plum Blossoms' opening of a gallery in New York at 555 West 25th Street; this in in addition to their galleries in Hong Kong and Singapore. In keeping with his areas of speciality, Stephen McGuinness will be showing Yuan and Ming period textiles, some Tibetan sculpture and carpets and contemporary Asian paintings and sculpture. Of particular importance is a pair of 16th century rank badges from the Corsini Palace. Contemporary works by artists such as Zhu Wei, Hong Zhu An, Wei Dong, Wucius Wong and Xuhong Shang will be featured as well.

Mary Hunt Kahlenberg and Robert Coffland of Tai Gallery/Textile Arts have also greatly benefited from the exposure at the Asian Art Fair. To accommodate the growing number of collectors who now visit them in Sante Fe, and to enable them to show larger, more sculptural works, they are moving to larger premises in May. Kahlenberg's selection for the fair of 14th to 18th century textiles made in India for the Indonesian market will once again be displayed alongside dramatically woven and sculpted Japanese bamboo baskets acquired by Coffland during his trips to Japan over the past year, from artists such as Nagakura Kenichi, Yamaguchi Ryuun, Torii Ippo, Hayakawa Shokusai, Fujisuka Shosei, Fujinuma Noburu and Abe Motoshi. Prices for the baskets range from US$2,000 to US$35,000. Of note in their display is a late 17th century ceremonial hanging made on the Coromandel Coast of eastern India and collected in Sumatra during the 18th century. Among the baskets is a work by Abe Motoshi entitled Ocean Current which bears some resemblance to traditional tea ceremony flower baskets.

Kagedo Japanese Art from Seattle are also planning an expansion: they will open an additional gallery in New York this spring. Their show at the fair will include a number of 20th century objects, including a red bronze vase by Nakajima Yoshio and a carved lacquer vase by Tanaka Kenchi which were last seen by the public during the Imperial Art Exhibitions. Important pieces include a large incense burner in the form of a reclining fox inlaid with silver by Takahashi Kaishu which was shown at the Nitten Art Exhibitions, and a bronze gazelle cast in 1959 by Shodo Sasaki which has a companion in the Tokyo Museum of Art. Among the contemporary lacquer by masters such as Hattori Shunsho and Kitaoka Shozo, is a lidded square black lacquer box in which Hattori combined coloured and nashiji lacquers with mother-of-pearl inlay to create a geometric motif.

The fair has a number of other dealers specializing in the art of Japan. Flying Cranes Antiques have selected a group of Meiji period metalwork, cloisonne, ceramics and carvings with a monkey theme. A popular subject in Japanese art, the animal is masterfully depicted here on ceramic and metal vases or in ivory, wood and bronze okimono climbing trees, eating persimmon, cavorting with family members and imitating art connoisseurs. Carole Davenport believes she has achieved her aim of obtaining objects which are diverse and beautiful. She will show a pair of Rimpa screens from the Edo period depicting deer, two 14th century Japanese guardian figures, a Tibetan repousse gilt-bronze and Noh masks ranging from the serene to the fearsome. For Davenport, participation in the fair not only encourages her to seek out the best but also presents an opportunity to better her skills and knowledge, and work with the top dealers in the field. Judith Dowling returns to the fair after her initial success last year. Important works include a page from Hon'ami Koetsu's manuscript List of Swordsmiths, decorated with large gold-stamped pine trees and clusters of grasses. There will also be a calligraphy by Hakuin Ekun. One piece with an interesting history is a section from an 8th century sutra scroll in silver ink on indigo paper. It comes from one of sixty scrolls which survived a fire at Nigatsu-do, Todai-ji in the early 17th century and came to be known as `yakegyo' (the burned sutras).

With the growing interest in Japanese screens, Liza Hyde sees the fair as an opportunity to further the knowledge of an attentive public. This year, in addition to the flower-cart screens that Hyde is known for, there will be screens showing women dyeing and weaving fabrics, and a 17th century scene from the Peach Blossom Festival. Star pieces include a gold tagasode screen from the Meiji period and a pair of 20th century screens depicting the Uji bridge in blue, silver and gold.

Lea Sneider is one of the few dealers to specialize in Korean art, and will be showing a selection of 18th and 19th century screens and paintings as well as early ceramics and textiles. Her Japanese mingei will include a group of masks, shop signs and lacquer as well as 20th century ceramics. As usual there is a large contingent of dealers from London. For Gerard Hawthorn this event parallels `Asian Art in London' in presenting Asian art enthusiasts with a plethora of opportunities, and with the likelihood of import restrictions being imposed on antiques in the next few years, collectors should take advantage of current availability to form good, focused collections. For example, he believes that museums will be actively acquiring early Chinese excavated wares. His own areas of interest, however, remain in later Chinese and Japanese works of art. His album of ten leaves in colour on silk depicting erotic European and Chinese scenes should be of great interest while a pair of Edo period wood sculptures of seated Shinto figures, which retain much of their original pigment, will have a commanding presence on his stand.

Following his success last year, Brian Harkins returns with a wide range of Japanese and Chinese material, from both religious and applied arts. The focus will be on 20th century bronzes by masters such as Nagano Tesshi and Unno Kiyoshi, and some Japanese Art Deco objects. Juxtaposed with these is a work by Shibata Zeshin, one of Japan's greatest lacquer artists of the 19th century. Robert Hall has been acquiring a group of coral snuff bottles specifically for the fair. Five will be displayed, with some glass examples from the imperial workshops and others in jade under Hall's unique fibre-optic lighting system. Prominent among the Meiji period metalwork on Barry Davies's stand will be a box in the form of a helmet. The work is decorated in various metals with Fudo Myo-o on the front and his two attendants on the side, each divided by borders with cloisonn‚ enamel roundels of flowers finely worked in gold wire. The brim below is decorated with a coiled dragon around a silver sword and Buddhist symbols and flowers. It bears the full signature of Musashiya Ozeki, who is renowned for the finest metalworks, many of which won important awards at exhibitions worldwide.

Jonathan Tucker and Antonia Tozer, previously of Spink's, have joined in an effort to establish themselves as independent dealers. They have been amassing a selection of Chinese, Indian and Southeast Asian sculpture, textiles and ceramics specifically with the event in mind. Highlights are a Yaozhou bowl incised with an elaborate design of flowering peonies, a Kangxi mark and period wucai plate from an English country home, and a head of Bacchus from the Gandharan period.