In the 6th year of the Kangxi reign (1667), under the benevolent directive of the Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang (1613-1688) and the newly enthroned Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661-1722), who had just assumed personal rule, the Qing court initiated an ambitious Buddhist cultural undertaking: the production of a deluxe gold-inked manuscript of the Kangyur (bka’ ’gyur) in Tibetan script. This monumental project, widely known as the “Tibetan Dragon Canon” (Longzangjing), required enormous financial resources and mobilized numerous master artisans and eminent monks. Completed over the course of two years, it was conceived as a devotional act to pray for the enduring stability of the imperial realm and the flourishing of imperial virtue, while also serving to consolidate the political and religious alliance between the Manchu and Mongol elites. This special exhibition seeks to move beyond the conventional display format that isolates individual folios and scripture protecting boards. For the first time at the Northern Branch of the National Palace Museum, the Tibetan Dragon Canon is presented in its entirety together with its complete set of mounting components.
A rare fifteenth-century imperial gilt-bronze portrait of a master of the Karmapa lineage achieved €2.683 million on June 10 at Christie's, leading the June Asian Art sales in Paris. The sculpture, commissioned during the Ming dynasty and formerly in the collection of Nancy Astor, reflects the close relationship between the Ming court and the Karmapa lineage. Its strong result is a reminder that collectors continue to compete most vigorously for Himalayan works distinguished by rarity, historical importance, and exceptional provenance.
Exclusive to Sydney, this captivating exhibition celebrates Vishnu, the Hindu deity who preserves order in the universe, through nearly 200 exceptional works spanning fifteen centuries of South and Southeast Asian art and storytelling. It is the first major exhibition in Australia dedicated to Vishnu. In sculpture, painting, textiles and photographs, the exhibition traces the ways artists have envisioned Vishnu’s various avatars, including Matsya the fish, Kurma the tortoise, the beloved Krishna, the noble prince Rāma, and Kalki, the future avatar who will bring renewal.
India's Great Mughals includes 200 sumptuous objects—intricate paintings and manuscripts, lavish textiles, architectural elements, metalwork, furniture, arms and armor, dazzling precious stones, and more. Opulent works of art—many made in the imperial workshops—convey the power and tastes of the three most celebrated Mughal emperors: Akbar (r. 1556–1605), Jahangir (r. 1605–27), and Shah Jahan (r. 1628–58). From the tiniest jeweled objects to the monumental wonder of the Taj Mahal, this highly sophisticated and globally connected empire produced treasures of unparalleled splendor and magnificence.
Edited by Sonya Rhie Mace, Sarang Sharma and Vijay Sharma
Contributions by Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Ainsley M. Cameron, Debra Diamond and Vrinda Agrawal
An in-depth study of the innovation and range of Pahari painting that draws from one of the greatest collections ever assembled.
Displaying seventy of the finest examples of Asian art in the United States drawn from Asia Society’s permanent collection, the exhibition showcases the extraordinary range of bronzes, ceramics, and metalwork thoughtfully assembled between the 1950s and the 1970s by John D. Rockefeller 3rd (1906-1978) and his wife Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller (1909-1992). John D. Rockefeller 3rd founded Asia Society in 1956 with the mission to promote greater knowledge of Asia in the United States; the bequest of the collection to Asia Society in 1979 underscores the Rockefellers’ conviction that an aesthetic encounter with great works of art promotes deep cross-cultural understanding.
Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean presents this monumental masterpiece of Cambodian artistry and explores its rich context. Delve into the sculpture’s original island-like temple, the deep blue waters of the surrounding reservoir, and the ancient city of Angkor. Learn about water’s cultural importance as a mirror of the ocean of creation, and admire the exceptional bronze-casting and engineering skills of artists who lived a thousand years ago.
Since its debut in 2015, the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room has been one of the Rubin Museum’s most popular installations, providing an immersive experience inspired by a traditional shrine. Now the Shrine Room travels to Brooklyn, where it will be on view for six years in the Brooklyn Museum’s Arts of Asia galleries as part of a multiyear collaboration.