Subsequent directors and curators of Chinese art have strengthened different areas of the collection, notably painting, calligraphy, bronzes, and, most recently, contemporary Chinese art.
With more than 3,500 Chinese objects to draw from, Josh Yiu, Foster Foundation assistant curator of Chinese art, has assembled an impressive overview of a very large subject. Each gallery unfolds a chapter in the history of Chinese Art and the viewer is taken away from the gray dismal clouds of Seattle to another world.
Paintings and calligraphy dominate one gallery striking the viewer by the subtle differences from era to era. Delicate and evocative, the deft skill of the artist's hand is so present in these works that it is as if the artist is in the gallery with you.
Ancient bronzes, Buddhist art, Song and Yuan ceramics, Ming and Qing decorative art - Fuller's collection of snuff bottles and a few choice pieces of Chinese contemporary art round out the exhibition.
Of particular note from our own era is Ju Ming's 1991 bronze sculpture "Taichi - Single Whip." In this work, the artist has immortalized a classic posture from the martial art form.
From the early 20th century, a drawing by Qi Baishi of baby chickens delights in its simplicity. The woodblock print "No. 19" by Fang Lijun is from an edition of four and mounted on four linen-scroll panels.
The truly amazing gallery can be found in the back, where nine superior examples of Longquan ware are displayed next to the highly popular jades. Longquan ware is the direct descendant of the Yue wares. In Southern Song, it developed quickly into works of great popularity. The pieces are gray-white high-fired stoneware, with a thick, translucent glaze ranging from blue-green to dove-gray. The glaze is filled with minute bubbles formed from the gasses during the firing process. The bubbles refract the light to produce a ceramic that rivaled jade for its lustrous high quality patina.
Most of the pieces have very little ornamentation, which serves to make them more powerful. A large plate from the 12th to 13th century is from the Ming-Yuan period. The creamy, green surface reveals the highly finished form with a simple elegance. The Ming period charger from the 15th century also has this sensibility.
The two Yuhughun vases resting next to each other allow viewers to compare the subtle differences from the Southern Song to the Yuan to early Ming periods. A simple bowl from the Song period is from the Zhejiang province and reveals an exquisite sparseness that reminds us of the influence of Chinese ceramics on the arts and crafts movement in the west, specifically on the Weller Pottery Company. Two of the large ceramics are displayed in such a way that you can look at the bottom of the piece and see the unglazed stand marks, providing an inside look into how they were made.
The piece with the most decoration is the double dragon dish from the Yuan period (1279-1368).
Two stylized dragons dance around the center of the dish with a dynamic radial symmetry. A vine like motif extends in a band along the upper interior basin of the bowl. The exterior of the bowl is executed with a scalloped like form.
All the pieces have the most compelling color and variants of jade green. It is this tonal unity and the juxtaposition of the ceramics with the jades that make this one gallery the jewel in the crown of the Asian Art Museum. The natural light streaming in through the windows add luster to the works. Sit down in one of the ample benches in the gallery, spend some time and drink it all in.
Chinese Art: A Seattle Perspective is an ongoing exhibition at the Seattle Asian Art Museum located in Volunteer Park. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with extra hours on Thursday: to 9 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Steven Vroom writes about the visual arts for the Capitol Hill Times. He is the host of the Visual Art pod cast Art Radio Seattle at www.vroomjournal.com. He can be reached at editor@capitolhilltimes.com.[[In-content Ad]]