Object Rotations On The Way

Last week we unveiled the new Snukal Gallery, and today we’re excited to share more upcoming changes! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rotating light-sensitive objects in several galleries, including the Gallery of Korean Art, The Garden in Asia and The Art of Continuity: Revering our Elders. To ensure that our collection is preserved for generations to come, our curatorial staff carefully plans permanent and long-term exhibitions so that they can rotate textiles, paintings and other works on paper. In addition to conservation, this has the additional benefit of displaying a wider variety of our collection for our visitors. Check out these previous posts about these galleries, and make sure to visit your favorite paintings and textiles soon before the new ones are installed. ~CM

Confucianism in the Gallery of Korean Art
This gallery includes a stunning 19th-century ink painting of grapevines, seen in the top image in this post. This and other paintings in the gallery will soon be replaced with thematically similar objects.

 

 

 

The Three Friends of Winter
Current exhibition The Garden in Asia includes a number of beautiful scroll paintings, including the plum tree branch pictured in this post. It also includes a number of paintings in book form– in those cases, curatorial staff will open the books to new pages.

 

The Art of Continuity: Revering our Elders
This exhibition also includes a number of beautiful works on paper, including these colorful ancestor portraits. Also rotating are the portraits at the end of the exhibition provided by the community– you can even submit your own ancestor photographs to info@pacificasiamuseum.org.

This Week at Pacific Asia Museum: May 20-26

We’re trying a little something new– a weekly post to make sure you know what’s coming up at Pacific Asia Museum! Make sure to check back every Monday to stay in the know. And as always, you can sign up for our e-newsletter at the bottom of our homepage, or check out our full events calendar here.

Docent Open House: On Tuesday, May 21 at 10 a.m., don’t miss this meet-and-greet with our fabulous docents! We’ll be training a whole new class of docents this fall, and this is your chance to learn more. Details are at pacificasiamuseum.org/docent.

Stretch: Lunchtime Yoga classes continue on Thursday, May 23 at 12:30. This gentle Hatha yoga class is taught for all levels– a great way to decompress at lunchtime! Read more about this class in a previous post.

Learn: Saturdays at Pacific Asia Museum are full of great ongoing classes, including Tai Chi, Chinese Brushpainting and Chinese Calligraphy. Tai Chi is $10 per class, and while Brushpainting and Calligraphy are taught in series, potential students are welcome to observe a class before enrolling.

Introducing the new Snukal Gallery

Collections Management Assistant Cesar in the newly reinstalled Snukal Gallery

This Friday, May 17, we’ll reopen our newly reinstalled Snukal Ceramics Study Gallery. It’s been behind closed doors for 2 1/2 months as our curatorial and collections team has removed many ceramic pieces in the gallery and reinstalled key examples from different regions and time periods. This reinstallation had several goals: first and most importantly, to upgrade the cases and object mounts to better protect the objects from earthquakes; to reduce the number of objects in each case so that visitors can better enjoy each individual work; and to rearrange the flow of the cases to tell a comprehensive story of ceramic production in Asia.

“Before, the objects were not anchored in custom mounts in most cases,” said Cesar, our Collections Management Assistant. “It was a concern for us that a strong earthquake would put many objects at risk.” As part of an overall initiative to prevent objects both on view and in storage from damage from earthquakes (which was generously funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services ), the curatorial and collections departments worked with mount makers and an objects conservator to design and build custom mounts and supports for each individual object and anchored them into new plexiglass shelves.

Case 6, before and after

The reinstallation also involved rethinking the entire layout of the gallery cases. “By putting the objects in chronological order, grouped by country, we’re able to show the progression of ceramic technology and techniques through a careful selection of a smaller number of objects,” Cesar said. In the “after” case above, the colored glazes are in contrast to the unglazed ceramics in the earlier chronological cases. These objects represent improvements in the understanding of glazing and firing techniques that resulted in a finer monochromes and multi-colored surfaces. The pigments on these ceramics are more vibrant and better preserved than the earlier painted pieces, where the surfaces are more fragile.

Reconstructed bowl with minimal conservation.

The final case in the gallery demonstrates different conservation techniques and raw materials involved in making and glazing ceramics. “Because of the delicate nature of ceramics and the age of many of these objects, some of them were added to the museum collection despite having had previous repairs. All these objects have been repaired in one way or another,” Cesar said. “You can see  different approaches to repairs that have been used – sometimes the repairs are left to be clearly evident, at other times additional steps are taken to blur the repair or integrate it into the work. In some instances, modern pigments were used by early generations of conservators in painting the repaired area to match the undamaged areas but have faded or changed color over time, highlighting the areas that were repaired. Conservators working today strive to use pigments and materials that meet stringent standards for lightfastness and other concerns so that the repairs will stand the relative test of time.”

Come see the newly reinstalled Snukal Gallery for yourself, and enjoy the new progression of objects. What trends and changes do you observe as you move through the cases? ~CM

This Week at Pacific Asia Museum: May 13-19

We’re trying a little something new– a weekly post to make sure you know what’s coming up at Pacific Asia Museum! Make sure to check back every Monday to stay in the know. And as always, you can sign up for our e-newsletter at the bottom of our homepage, or check out our full events calendar here.

Fusion Fridays: You won’t want to miss the first Fusion Fridays event of 2013 on May 17 from 7:30-10:30 p.m.! This late-night event is a fun way to experience Pacific Asia Museum in a whole new way, with music, food trucks, a cash bar and performances. Advance tickets are available at http://fusionfridays2013.eventbrite.com. 

Cooking in the Courtyard: Cookbook author Farhana Sahibzada will demonstrate recipes from her new book Flavorful Shortcuts to Indian/Pakistani Cooking on Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m. Samples included! Books will be available for purchase and signing. RSVP (626) 449-2742, ext. 20.

Exclusive Concert: On Sunday, May 19, the Pakistan Arts Council of Pacific Asia Museum presents a special concert by Fareed Ayaz, Abu Mohammad Qawwals and brothers, known for performing the most traditional form of Qawwali music. Visiting from Pakistan, this will be their only public performance in L.A. Reception at 5:30 p.m., performance begins at 7 p.m. This event takes place at the Sanctuary at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. More details and tickets available on Eventbrite.

This Week at Pacific Asia Museum: May 6-May 12

We’re trying a little something new– a weekly post to make sure you know what’s coming up at Pacific Asia Museum! Make sure to check back every Monday to stay in the know. And as always, you can sign up for our e-newsletter at the bottom of our homepage, or check out our full events calendar here.

Caffeine Break: The next installment of Art and Coffee is Friday, May 10. Get your free cup of Starbucks, mingle with other visitors, and engage with our curators in the new exhibition Takashi Tomo-oka.

Free Family Fun: On Sunday, May 12 from 12-4 p.m., celebrate Mother’s Day at our Free Family Festival inspired by the exhibition The Garden in Asia. Enjoy performances, crafts and more– see the full schedule here.

Coming Up: Fusion Fridays kick off on Friday, May 17! You won’t want to miss this awesome summer mix of art, food, drinks, activities and more. Check out the lineup and get your tickets at http://fusionfridays2013.eventbrite.com.

 

Children’s Day in Japan

Source: Raneko on Flickr.

Children’s Day in Japan is celebrated every year on May 5. Previously known as Tango no Sekku and celebrating male children (the celebration for girls was May 3, called Hinamatsuri), the holiday was changed to celebrate all children and renamed Komodo no Hi in 1948, though the traditions associated with the former Boy’s Day remain. Before Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar that same year, Tango no Sekku was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, usually right around the summer solstice. This lunar date is also celebrated in other Asian cultures, notably Dragon Boat Festival (duanwu) in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Tet Festival in Vietnam and the Dano Festival in Korea, but with very different origins and customs. The fifth lunar month is also traditionally celebrated as a month of purification, and this holiday adds to that spirit as families wish for their children to grow up strong and successful.

Carp, Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912 AD), Ink on silk, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Donald F. Lomas, 1982.145.1

One of the most common sights on Children’s Day is rooted in its origins as Boy’s Day: the koinobori, or carp windsock, as seen at top. Families will display one for each family member: black for the father, red for the mother, and others (usually green or blue) for each child. The carp has long been a symbol for strength and fortitude– the fish is so strong and powerful that it swims upstream. Traditionally, families hoped for the same qualities in their sons. The carp windsocks blowing in the wind are meant to recall them swimming strongly through the waters. The symbol of the carp is also often seen in classical Japanese painting, as seen in this Meiji-era work from the Pacific Asia Museum collection.

Another common symbol of strength is the Kintaro figure, who we’ve written about before. Kintaro embodies both boyish youth and enormous strength, and has popularly been represented wrestling with or riding on a giant carp.

Gajin Fujita (b.1972), Golden Boy After Kuniyoshi 2011, Gold leaf, platinum leaf, and silver leaf with spray paint and paint markers on wood panel, 24 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm.), Collection of Jim Kenyon, Image courtesy of L.A. Louver, Venice, CA, © Gajin Fujita

Here at Pacific Asia Museum, we like to celebrate children too! On Sunday, May 12 from 12-4 p.m., we’re holding a Free Family Festival inspired by the exhibition The Garden in Asia. This Mother’s Day afternoon of crafts, performances and more is a great (free!) way to spend time with the family. You’ll even have a chance to make a koinobori for yourself! See the full schedule of events here. ~CM

This Week at Pacific Asia Museum: April 29-May 5

We’re trying a little something new– a weekly post to make sure you know what’s coming up at Pacific Asia Museum! Make sure to check back every Monday to stay in the know. And as always, you can sign up for our e-newsletter at the bottom of our homepage, or check out our full events calendar here.

Spring has Sprung: Our monthly free Silk Road Storytime series continues on Saturday, May 4 at 10:30 a.m. Join storyteller Sunny Stevenson to celebrate gardens with springtime stories from across Asia. Plus, make your own mini-garden and enjoy some Asian snacks.

Shop ’till you Drop: Member Appreciation Days run from Friday, May 3 through Sunday, May 5. Members receive 20% off regularly-priced merchandise in the Pacific Asia Museum store, and enjoy free admission and discounts at other institutions around Southern California.

Coming Up: May’s Art and Coffee event on Friday, May 10 at 3 p.m. spotlights the stunning work of Japanese artist Takashi Tomo-oka, now on view in our galleries.