Asian Art in London - Preview Highlights

Editorial Staff

Terdak Lingpa Gyurme Dorje Tibet, 18th century Distemper on cloth Height 40 cm, width 24 cm `Tibetan Thangkas: Buddhist Paintings from the 13th to the 18th century' Rossi & Rossi, London

From 8 to 16 November, more than fifty dealers will take part in an event that has quickly become London's main showcase for Asian art. Now in its fourth year, Asian Art in London (AAL) is well established as a major fixture in the European cultural calendar. As well as the dealer exhibitions and receptions, there is an extensive programme of auctions, lectures, symposia and museum exhibitions. Many are also part of Japan 2001, a year-long celebration of Japanese culture. The central social event for AAL is the gala dinner in the State Apartments of Kensington Palace, to be given in the presence of HRH The Duke of Gloucester. Proceeds will go to the Historic Royal Palaces in aid of the Queen's Gallery Restoration Project. The gallery was used by Queen Mary II to display 150 pieces from her collection of Chinese and Japanese art. For tickets/details, tel. (020) 7499 2215. Gallery receptions are divided according to location: the evenings of 10 November for Kensington Church Street, West London, Pimlico and Hampstead; 11 November for St James's; and 12 November for Mayfair. Auctions of Asian art take place at Christie's (8, 13, 14 and 16 November), Phillips (12-13 November) and Sotheby's (14-15 November). Exhibitions at museums and other institutions this autumn include `The Japanese Sword: The Soul of the Samurai' (until 3 March 2002) at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Also with a Japanese theme at the V&A are `Japanese Kimono' (until January 2002); `Out of Japan' (until February 2002), which centres on three key bodies of photographic work; and `Kamakura-Bori: 500 Years of Japanese Lacquered Wood Carving' (14 November-13 February 2002).

At the British Museum are `Shinto: The Sacred Art of Ancient Japan'(until 2 December); `Agatha Christie and the Orient' (9 November-17 March 2002), a display of objects and Christie's own films, made during her archaeological trips to the Near East; and `Light Motifs: An Aomori Float and Japanese Kites' (14 November-3 March 2002). In `Squirrels in a Plane Tree' (1-16 November), the British Library is displaying a rarely shown 17th century Mughal painting; also at the Library (The John Ritblat Gallery) is a display of manuscripts and paintings to celebrate the Hindu Dussehra and Diwali festivals (1-16 November). Ongoing are `Designs as Signs: Decorations and Chinese Ceramics, 3rd-18th Centuries' at the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art (until 21 December); and an exhibition of sculpture, furniture, landscape architecture and stage-set design by Isamu Noguchi at the Design Museum (until 18 November). Other shows open shortly: `Japanese Contemporary Art Exhibition' at the Hayward Gallery (4 October-9 December); `Four by Four: Sixteen Architects' Houses in Japan' at the Royal Institute of British Architects (9 October-28 November); `India: Pioneering Photographers 1840-1900', organized by Asia House at the Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), from 11 October to 15 December and `Contemporary Japanese Jewellery' at the Crafts Council (15 November-13 January 2002). Lectures take place from 8 to 15 November. For details and information on tickets and reservations, check the AAL website (www.asianartinlondon.com). On 8 November Asia House will present `Only Fools and Horses? In the Steppes of Muhammad Siyah Qalam', by Julian Raby of the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford.

The Nehru Centre is having a panel discussion on the role of folk and tribal arts in national development (also on the 8th) and a lecture and demonstration on art for everyday living on 10 November. Julian King will give a talk on `Song Ceramic Wares' at Sotheby's on 9 November; while John Guy of the V&A will discuss `New Discoveries of Vietnamese Ceramics from the Hoi An Shipwreck' at Christie's on 11 November. A symposium organized by the Circle of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies symposium (11 November), is titled `Conserving Art - Preserving Culture: Approaches and Methodologies in the Conservation of the Religious Art of Tibet'. It will be held in the lecture theatre at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of London. For information and registration e-mail: cths@soas.ac.uk

The British Museum Press's lecture (12 November), titled `Discovering the Ming' will be given by Jessica Harrison-Hall of the British Museum at the Stevenson Lecture theatre (reservations: Penelope Vogler, tel. 020 7323 1234). Harrison-Hall will also discuss `Building a Vietnamese Collection', on 14 November, at Winter Olympia Fine Art and Antiques Fair'. Julian Spalding will speak on `Chinese Tradition, Western Influences: The Creation of a Universal Language' at Davies & Tooth Ltd. The speaker for the annual Benjamin Zucker Lecture on Mughal Art (13 November) at the Victoria & Albert Museum is Susan Stronge (of the V&A). Stronge will discuss `The Chronicles of Akbar - The Making of a Royal Manuscript'.

Michael Sullivan will give a talk on `Collecting 20th Century Chinese Painting, 1940-2000'at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (13 November). On 14 November at the Royal Asiatic Society, John Falconer of the British Library will examine photographs of 19th century Asia from the Society's collections. On the same day, Roderick Whitfield of SOAS will discuss `"Secrets and True Knowledge": Looking Afresh at Song Painting'. Sponsored by the Circle of Inner Asian Art, the lecture will be held at SOAS. The Iran Heritage Foundation will hold a Lecture on Isfahan at the Foreign Office's Locarno Rooms on 15 November. Also on the 15th, `The Edo View of London', a lecture by Timon Screech of the Sainsbury Institute, is to be held at the Japan Society, sponsored by the Society and Sotheby's Institute of Art.

Finally, the British Museum and Oriental Ceramic Society Study Day (15 November) features lectures by Jessica Harrison-Hall, Helen Espir, J. van Dam, Errol Manners, Christiaan Jorg, Susan Miller, Eva Stroeber, Hilary Young and Rose Kerr.

Kensington Church Street, Westbourne Grove and Hampstead

The Drs A.M. Sengers Collection of Ming blue-and-white porcelain (profiled in Orientations, June 2000, pp. 103-105) will be on display at S. Marchant & Son from 8 to 23 November (excluding the second weekend). The collection, assembled over the last 35 years, contains some eighty pieces dating from 1560 to 1645. One of its strengths is the focus on blue-and-white of particular quality and rarity, and on a specific period, the final years of the Ming dynasty. Reflecting the Dutch origin of the collection as well as the collector's own interest, many of the pieces are classified as Kraak porcelain. A Wanli period pear-shaped bottle vase with four large and four small panels decorated with phoenixes and birds among flowers is a notable example.

Berwald Oriental Art's exhibition entitled `Facing East: Expressions in Chinese Art' runs from 5 to 23 November, and is accompanied by a colour hardback catalogue. As the title suggests, the show centres on the way faces are portrayed - both animal and human. Among the early pieces are a Warring States qin made of lacquered wood with painted dragon designs in red and a tiger's head at one end. A finely decorated green-glazed parrot cup dating from the Tang period is of an extremely rare type, possibly unpublished. The bird lies on its back, with its tail and wing feathers fanned out to form the cup. Another rare piece is a Tang pottery attendant, with extensive traces of the original pigment. The expressive face is distinctive, with plump features, high cheekbones and narrowed eyes. The gallery is also participating in the Salon International d'Art Asiatique in Paris from 5 to 8 October (see Orientations, September 2001, pp. 123-25).

Knapton & Rasti was established in July 2000, too late to prepare for AAL last year, so this year's show is seen as a chance to introduce the gallery to the public. They will concentrate on Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan art, with a section devoted to Islamic-inspired Chinese art. One example is a rare opaque blue Peking glass alms bowl with an Arabic inscription and a four-character Qianlong mark on the base. There is also a Zhengde mark-and-period vase with Arabic inscriptions, and an unusual Japanese scroll, commissioned by fishmongers in Nagasaki in the early 19th century. It depicts the fish that were caught off the Japanese coast and sold in the city's main market. Among the Tibetan pieces are the head of a snarling mythical beast from the 18th century. Gregg Baker's exhibition `The Appreciation of Flowers' will examine the significance of flowers in Japanese art. Flower and ikebana motifs can be seen on screens and sliding doors, and bronze ikebana vessels will also be on display. The paintings and vessels are associated with the Rikka School of flower arranging, which dates from the early 17th century. An 18th century six-panel screen of the Kano School depicts plum, chrysanthemum and camellia by the side of a river; and a Taisho period two-panel screen shows two bijin kneeling near large ikebana displays. One prepares incense, while the other holds a peony.

Situated in Westbourne Grove, Katie Jones is known for selecting unusual and elegant examples of Japanese art. `Japan: Hidden Beauty', from 10 to 17 November, will showcase seven contemporary artists in various media. The works on display include a copper and tin-plated ribbed square-form vase by Toru Kaneko, an angular red- and black-lacquer flower container by Ikuhiko Akabori, and an ovoid glass vessel by Ritsue Mishima, covered with randomly applied glass sections.

A specialist in the classical arts of Asia, Hampstead-based James Singer will hold a show of `Buddhist Art', featuring recent acquisitions from various countries. The art, dating from the 3rd to the 17th century, spans the geographical region covered by the spread of Buddhist culture, from Afghanistan to Japan, and Tibet to Indonesia. Highlights are a 3rd century terracotta head of the Buddha from Gandhara; a pair of circa 13th century Tibetan book covers with applied gold, silver and pigment; a 15th century Tibetan painted sculpture of Kubera, god of wealth, holding in his left hand a mongoose spitting gems; and a Javanese silver Padmapani of the 9th century, with a bronze base and solid gold halo.

St James's

In `Court Life: Treasures from Islamic and Mughal Palaces' (15 October-16 November) at Spink Indian & Islamic Works of Art, a varied selection of artworks will be on view, from stonework from the reign of Shah Jahan to Safavid and Ottoman ceramics. Highlights are a 16th century Ottoman dish from Iznik which has characteristics of Yuan and Ming porcelain combined with new motifs and colouring unique to its area of production; and an 18th century hookah base from the Lucknow region, enamelled in cobalt blue on a silver ground, with enamel bird-and-flower motifs. There is also a delicately carved occasional table from Ceylon, made of ebony in around 1820. The hexagonal top is inlaid with an array of hardwood segments forming a stylized rosette.

Priestley & Ferraro's show is called `Kilns and Conquerors: Chinese Ceramics from the 10th to the 14th Century'. Its theme is stoneware and porcelain in the context of significant events of the time, and in particular the way in which certain kilns came under different ownership or patronage. There are 26 items, representing the various kilns, among which are a Song or Jin dynasty Cizhou sgraffiato meiping with a black-and-white peony design, a pair of small Jin dynasty `oil-spot' Huairen bowls, and a Song dynasty Ding ware tripod censer with a design of monster-masks which is possibly unique. David Priestley noted that the gallery's exhibition in 2000 was more diverse, but the current selection is their response to the popularity of Song ceramics at last year's show.

Michael and Henrietta Spink's show is dedicated to `The Islamic Art of Design', featuring modern works inspired by Mughal art. They are working on a project with Mitchell Crites to design and manufacture Indian stonework, such as carved jalis and inlaid panels.

They are optimistic about the prospects of Asian Art in London, praising improvements to the website, and believe the AAL journal will help introduce the event to a wider group of people, not necessarily just those with specialist knowledge of Asian art.

They will also be showing Indian miniature paintings and Southeast Asian artworks. One example is a 12th/13th century bronze Hevajra from Cambodia; the sixteen-armed figure has eight heads in three registers and dances upon a recumbent figure on a double base.

Jonathan Tucker and Antonia Tozer's show, their first themed exhibition, is entitled `Splendours of Buddhist Art' and runs from 8 to 16 November. The works on display, mainly ceramics, sculpture and textiles, cover the entire history of Buddhist art. An early piece is a 2nd century century carved pillar depicting worshippers beneath a balcony. There are examples of Gandharan art, among them a Buddha head which is among the largest ever offered for sale; a colossal marble Kushan lion from the 1st or 2nd century and inscribed with the graffiti of pilgrims; and a Northern Qi torso in white marble. An exceptionally rare object is a Xixia polychromed and gilded stucco relief of the Buddha in parinirvana with a dancing mourner. Southeast Asia is also represented, with a Dvaravati period sandstone Buddha in relief and a 12th century standing Buddha from the southern Thai kingdom of Haripunchaya. An unusual piece is a 19th century Burmese box with the lid consisting of a carved reclining Buddha. It was used as a collecting box to encourage devotees to contribute funds for fighting the British during the Third Anglo-Burmese War.

Several dealers at 91 Jermyn Street will be having shows. A centrepiece at Samina Inc. is a canopy or summer carpet from northern India. The decoration is arranged in a trellis design on a gold background, each section containing four floral palmettes in a diamond pattern. The border contains iris, lotus, poppy and scrolling foliage, while in the centre is a medallion with lotus, poppy, rose and other flowers. The fine workmanship suggests this piece was commissioned by a royal or noble patron. Also on display is Mughal jewellery from the 17th to 19th century. Anthony Carter has a selection of Neolithic to early Western Zhou jade. The Western Zhou piece is a dragon huang. Stylistically, it differs from earlier and later forms: the Fu Hao-type dragon, its immediate predecessor, is more tightly curled, while later types have two head terminals rather than one. Carter is also showing a black jade reaping knife, formerly in the collection of A.W. Bahr, which dates from the late Neolithic or Erlitou period; and a Shang cong from the collection of Ip Yee, carved from mottled green jade and based on a Neolithic model.

Representing a completely different collecting area is an imperial red-lacquer chrysanthemum dish with an incised Yongle mark. It is similar to a larger example in the Idemitsu Museum in Tokyo. Commenting on the current direction of the art market, Carter observed that although the USA and Europe are becoming something of a challenge, Asia remains strong.

Francesca Galloway, who deals in Indian miniatures and works of art, Asian textiles and European textiles, has moved to Jermyn Street. She will offer a small selection of Indian miniatures, among them a Ramayana illustration made for Hamida Banu Begum, the mother of the Mughal emperor Akbar; Deccani paintings, and Pahari paintings and drawings. Discoveries of early Chinese textiles over the last twenty years have revolutionized the history of textiles. However, early Islamic pieces are of greater rarity. Great interest has been shown in embroidered costume and textiles from 14th century eastern Iran, and Galloway will be showing a large embroidered hanging from this group. There is a also a selection of early Central Asian, Liao and Mongol textiles, and a rare large embroidered hanging from Afghanistan made in the mid-14th century.

Mayfair

From 5 to 23 November, John Eskenazi is displaying recent acquisitions of Indian sculpture, and Tibetan bronzes and paintings, to be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue. A highlight is a monumental Gandharan piece in grey schist showing the footprints of the Buddha. A Northern Indian sandstone gana is dated to the 10th or 11th century. The bearded figure, one of Shiva's dwarf entourage, wears a tiger skin tied with a cobra; his hair is also tied by a snake, and a third cobra forms a necklace. The way in which he leans sideways and gazes upward suggests that the figure was originally part of a Shiva sculpture. His rapt expression shows the sculptor's skill in combining the formalized religious requirements of his subject with a degree of individuality. There is also an 11th century red sandstone Vidhyadhara which is unusual both for its size and the fact that it seems to have been a free-standing sculpture. It has sustained damage on one side, but remains impressive in its impact.

A semicircular frieze carved in relief depicts the legend of Savitri and Satyavana, from the Mahabharata. Satyavana, the devoted wife of Savitri, reclines in his arms under the Nyagodhra tree, faced by Yama, the god of death, and a goddess. This piece, carved from beige sandstone and dated to the 11th century, portrays a subject which is unusual in religious architecture.

Tibetan objects include a 15th century wood and papier-mache shrine to Milarepa. Above the central figure are his teacher Marpa, and Vajradhara. He is flanked by four further images: two disciples and the teachers Naropa and Tilopa. The shrine would originally have had wooden doors. The exhibition coincides with John Eskenazi and Sam Fogg's publication of Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings: Illuminated Manuscripts from the White Beryl.

The Textile Gallery's exhibition, `Chinese Textile Art III' will be held at Colnaghi in Bond Street from 8 to 17 November. Most of the pieces, which date from 400 BCE to CE 1600, are appearing on the market for the first time. Among the early textiles are several finely woven Warring States examples, decorated with archaic dragon and bird motifs, as well as jin silk brocades from the Han period. A centrepiece of the show is a composite object consisting of a softwood miniature table with its original silk cover, and a group of silk dancers and wooden vases arranged on the top. Some of the vases contain silk flowers. It is shown as found: the cover was glued to the table, while the dancers and vases were nailed on top. A talk, `Chinese Textiles from Western Collections' will be given by Michael Franses on 15 November.

Jacqueline Simcox will hold an exhibition of Chinese, Central Asian and Tibetan textiles at The Air Gallery, 32 Dover Street, W1, from 6 November. Because of the variety of visitors Simcox gets in London, she intends to show as wide a date range as possible, from the 2nd to the 18th century. Nicholas Grindley's exhibition is titled simply `November 2001'. It opens on 5 November and runs until the 16th. As the gallery primarily deals in Chinese furniture, a number of hardwood examples are being shown. A large 16th/17th century huanghuali cupboard with an open upper section for the display of objects has openwork dragon railings on each side. A huanghuali horseshoe armchair decorated on the splat with a full-face writhing dragon is of excellent quality. Other pieces include an unusual 18th century zitan and huanghuali table and a pair of huanghuali stools without stretchers. A set of four hanging panels, decorated in sand and mica on a lacquer ground, have calligraphy and depictions of flowers by the 18th century Yangzhou Eccentric painter Zheng Xie.

In the sculpture section are a 7th century white marble fragmentary lokapala, a seated bull with raised head and a red pottery Tang lion dog. Of earlier date are two Northern Wei pottery soldiers in leather armour and holding swords in front of them. Roger Keverne's `Winter Exhibition of Fine and Rare Chinese Works of Art and Ceramics' opens on 8 November. More than 100 works dating from the Shang to the Qing period are being shown, many of which come from private collections. Among the Shang bronzes is a gui of the 12th century BCE. It has a decorative design of taotie masks and dragons, and is similar to an example in the Sackler collection. A set of eight painted pottery female musicians on horseback dates from the Tang period. Each plays a different instrument, and the pieces are in good condition, with much of their original pigment remaining. There is also a Tang offering dish incised with a floral motif on a blue ground, which Keverne compares to a famous example in the Clark collection.

Keverne is known as an expert on jade, and is featuring examples from the Shang to the Qing period, as well as Mughal-style pieces. One of the highlights is a Qianlong period imperial white-jade marriage bowl, with a simple exterior design, bat ring handles and a relief decoration on the interior of millet and a bat in flight.

Keverne believes that despite the economic downturn, committed collectors in his area will still have the resources to acquire unique pieces. He explained: `Stronger sales in my June and July show underscore that as long as I maintain my policy of choosing a group of unusual and high-quality works, collectors still compete on that one-of-a-kind object'. Robert Hall is holding a show of recent paintings by Kwok Honsum titled `Buddha Always in my Heart', together with an exhibition of snuff bottles, `To Have and to Hold'. A prominent example is an inside-painted glass bottle by Sun Xingwu, dated 1899, with a hunting scene set in a snowy landscape. The artist's output is small, and among the known pieces, this is one of the finest. Different materials are represented by a turquoise snuff bottle from the Qianlong period; an agate bottle carved with a bird standing beneath a tree, with another bird in flight above; and a coral bottle carved with flowers and vessels.

Linda Wrigglesworth's exhibition, 5 & 9: Number and Symbol in Chinese and Tibetan Textile Art, from 5 to 30 November is being held in conjunction with a series of three lectures exploring this topic by Gary Dickinson: `Number & Symbol', `The Great Plan' and `Odds & Evens' (10 to 12 November). Dragons are a major feature of the show. The two numbers in the title were of great significance in Chinese imperial life; for example five-clawed dragons would often be shown in groups of nine, and were considered to comprise `nine resemblances' to other creatures. The main theme of Robert Kleiner's show is the imperial arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a focus on jade carvings and snuff bottles. One of the star pieces is a pearl snuff bottle embellished with gold and precious stones, made in Beijing palace workshops during the Qianlong period. It demonstrates the imperial taste of the time for European baroque-style decoration.

Based on his experience with Asian Art in London last year, Michael Goedhuis sees an increased emphasis on contemporary art. This parallels a similar trend in the Western world as a whole. He feels that London is becoming the main centre for Asian art of high quality. His theme this autumn is modernist Chinese calligraphy, with twelve works by Taiwan calligrapher Tong Yang-tze. Already well known in Asia and subject of a number of shows, this will be her first solo exhibition in the UK. Tong's calligraphy, usually taken from classical philosophical or literary texts, is bold and unrestrained. An important stylistic influence is the 8th century artist Huaisu, whose wild but much-admired brushwork is said to have been a result of frequent drunkenness. The show runs from 8 to 30 November.

John Siudmak is not aiming to have a central theme to his exhibition, rather to put together an interesting and important group of sculptures and other objects. A particular rarity is a white-limestone relief of the Amaravati School with a Wheel of the Law representing the Buddha's first sermon. Mounted on a lion capital with two crouching deer, the sculpture was originally part of the dome casing of a stupa. A Central Asian wall painting fragment with applied gold leaf depicting an animal-headed female deity with flaming red hair and holding a purse and vajra comes from a Buddhist monument at Tarishlak north of Khotan. It was once in the collection of the Indologist Otto Stein, and Siudmak identifies it as a piece brought back from one of Stein's expeditions. It is one of only several known pieces which show that Tarishlak can be considered a Khotanese sub-school.

Siudmak thinks the success of Asian Art in London this year largely depends on the quality of the art. Although some effect of the present economic unease may become apparent, it is unlikely to affect well-off collectors, who will continue to seek out particular objects, given the scarcity in the market recently. Doubts about future value can be dispelled by the knowledge that most of these collecting fields are already very well established.

Grace Wu Bruce is celebrating the third anniversary of her London gallery with a selection of Ming furniture and her first bilingual catalogue. This reflects a significant increase of interest among Chinese-speaking clients in classic Chinese furniture. There is a group of lacquer-covered pieces, in contrast to the more usual hardwood examples, which includes a zitan and softwood pingtou'an covered with gold and black lacquer. The design is reminiscent of a lacquer table excavated from the Warring States tomb of Marquis Yi. As zitan was held in such high regard, it has been left unadorned, and lacquer has only been applied to the softwood parts of the table. Other dealers on or near Mount Street such as A&J Speelman, and Alexander Gotz will be participating in AAL. Gerard Hawthorn's show is entitled `Asian Sculpture', and runs from 8 to 16 November.

Rossi & Rossi will be showing `Tibetan Thangkas: Buddhist Paintings from the 13th to the 18th Century' from 9 November to 14 December. Orientations speaks to Fabio Rossi about past and present exhibitions and the future of the Himalayan art market.

O: This is your most specialized show ever. Can you tell us what is the motivation behind it and how the pieces were selected?

FR: The idea stems from our interest in Tibetan art and culture in general and continues our aim of presenting different, and sometimes neglected, aspects of the art in a more focused way. Several of the paintings on show were purchased over a period of several years, with the hope that they would one day be shown in a cohesive manner to represent the consistently high quality of the Tibetan artistic vision, and illustrate the changes in style and context over the centuries.

O: How do you think the public responds to focused shows?

FR: In our experience, collectors usually respond with greater interest to thematic shows which try to present a new angle on a specific subject. In this case, we are hoping to share our appreciation of Tibetan painting over the centuries, and not just in the early period.

O: The twelve examples on show range from L10,000 to L100,000 in price. This is quite a disparity! How does this reconcile with the focused aspects of your show?

FR: We hope this exhibition will reach out to both new and old clients. New collectors will be exposed to a great variety of Tibetan paintings which are also financially accessible. With the recent interest in earlier painting, we want our established clients to be stimulated by the later material which, we feel, has been partly neglected.

O: How would you compare pieces which are at the opposite ends of your price scale?

FR: One of the most expensive paintings on show is a 13th to 14th century thangka of Amoghasiddhi, a Buddha associated with infallible success. When placed alongside a circa 18th century portrait of the founder of Mindroling, the stylistic differences are obvious. Yet, as an indication of constancy in Tibetan art, both share high aesthetic values and a particularly vivid palette with a bold play of colour.

O: Provenance is becoming an increasingly complex issue today. What are your thoughts on the matter?

FR: In the last forty years Tibetan paintings and sculpture have been dispersed all over the world. We think it is important to respectfully conserve and publish them so that they are preserved for future generations. In this way, the culture receives the exposure it deserves.

O: Your catalogue, written by Jane Singer, reflects a growing trend for collaborative projects between specialist dealers and academia.

FR: Yes, from our very first show and catalogue we have tried to cooperate with academics. This is a learning process which benefits both worlds; the market and the academia should work together.

O: How has the market changed over the years and how do you see it going forward?

FR: There is certainly an increasing interest in Buddhist art in general and Tibetan art in particular, with new markets such as Taiwan, and even mainland China, opening up in the last few years. The growing number of exhibitions and publications is helping to raise the profile of Tibetan culture and stimulate the collection of its art.

From 8 to 30 November, Eskenazi will be showing `Chinese Ceramic Vessels 500-1000 AD'. Giuseppe Eskenazi shares his views about the show, `Asian Art in London' and the issues confronting the market for Chinese art today.

Orientations: You seem to be focusing on glazed and unglazed earthenware of the Tang period; is there a revival of interest in early ceramics?

Giuseppe Eskenazi: There is no specific reason for this exhibition. Our exhibitions are always the result of several years of continuous work. At present, we have three shows ready and practically catalogued, and they will be held over the next two years. I have even started work on our fiftieth anniversary exhibition in eight years' time!

O: Although you are renowned for your expertise in Chinese sculpture and archaic bronzes, your most recent exhibitions, including one of Chinese furniture, indicate a move away from this field. Can you explain this trend given recent `finds' in these areas on the market?

GE: We haven't moved away from sculpture or bronzes - as you will see for yourself in the near future. We have been dealing in furniture since the mid-1970s, albeit without holding exhibitions. As far as bronzes are concerned, unless we have a theme or a group which relate to each other, we are not likely to have an exhibition.

O: Is the practice of `accumulating' a thematic group of wares worthwhile?

GE: From a purely commercial point of view it probably is not, and furthermore, to maintain a high standard is increasingly difficult and takes longer - compared to raiding Hollywood Road and having an instant exhibition!

O: You are known for your presentations of selective objects together with extensively researched catalogues. What is the rationale behind this format?

GE: Our exhibitions are not assembled to create a market, but to delineate a common denominator from which a collector, or indeed an institution, can pick and choose. In fact three objects from the recent New York exhibition were purchased by American institutions.

O: What are your favourite pieces in the upcoming show? Why would a museum or a collector be drawn to them?

GE: The Northern Qi ewer, for example, is amazing. Finely potted and crisply moulded, it has everything one should look for: rarity, quality and condition. Two other related vessels have come on the market in the last ten years, and we have handled both; one is now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the other in the Royal Ontario Museum. The other object is a blue amphora which is rare for both its form and glaze colour.

O: As a leading proponent of `Asian Art in London', do you think London maintains its position as the leading centre for Asian art?

GE: Well, AAL is certainly a success; as evidenced by the number of visitors from overseas - museum directors, curators, collectors and dealers - and the sales made during the event.

O: In what other ways do you contribute to promoting Asian art in London?

GE: We all contribute in some way or another outside our galleries to help keep London a centre for Asian art. I was a member of the steering committee that brought about AAL. I am on the council of the Oriental Ceramic Society and a Trustee of Asia House, London. Lastly, with Julian Thompson and Regina Krahl, I was responsible for the exhibition of Chinese ceramics from the Au Bak Ling collection at the Royal Academy, and more recently, I was instrumental in convincing the Academy to hold the Qingzhou sculpture exhibition next March.

O: Will the Chinese art market be affected by the anticipated economic slowdown and the UNESCO convention on cultural property?

GE: In all likelihood the Chinese art market will suffer. However it is likely to suffer less as it is truly international. In my opinion, China is a very different issue from other markets and the only way forward would be if the Chinese authorities (the Relics Bureau) enforced a system of licensing. There are tens of thousands of objects literally rotting or being destroyed in the name of progress: construction works, dams such as the Three Gorges, and so on. The majority of these objects cannot be rescued and are very unlikely to be rescued. If they could be sold with a systematic and legal government licensing system, which would not be so difficult to implement, then we would all know where we stand. The Chinese government would benefit as well; the clandestine `export' or smuggling will automatically stop. China has thousands of identical objects for which there is a market outside the country - and not much use within the country, since they are all amply represented in the various Chinese museums.

O: How do you picture the field ten years from now?

GE: It is difficult to predict the future; however, mankind has always collected the artefacts of previous generations and civilizations, and that is how our museums have been formed and exist today. I find it hypocritical now that museums are bursting to the seams, they should want others to stop collecting.