Reviving the Past: Antiquity & Antiquarianism in East Asian Art

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

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Reviving the Past: Antiquity & Antiquarianism in East Asian Art
Kris Ercums, curator
October 25, 2008–December 1, 2010
Asia Gallery, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

This thematic presentation of the Spencer’s permanent holdings in the arts of China, Korea, and Japan explores the idea of “antiquity” as a resonating force in the creative reframing of art and visual culture in East Asia from the Neolithic period to the contemporary. In China, the notion of fu gu or “returning to antiquity” was a process of constant renewal in which ideas, theories, and styles of art from the past were used to rethink and rejuvenate a wide range of media including painting, prints, bronzes, ceramics, religious art, and architecture. This installation not only examines how the phenomena of antiquarianism informed artistic production within East Asia but also considers the development of international trade and modern national identity as relevant factors in this process. As part of this ongoing installation, a selection of paintings, prints, screens, and select objects from the collection on the theme of antiquarianism will rotate routinely to refresh and stimulate ongoing dialogues about this rich topic.

Exhibition images

Works of art

ruyi sceptre, 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
seal paste container with Daruma, late 1800s, Edo period (1789–1868)
tea bowl, 1500s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
pedestal bowl with cover, 400–500, Silla dynasty (57 BCE–CE 935)
Yu Shuo
seal, late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
茶碗 chawan (tea bowl), 1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
small bowl, 1100s–1300s, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279)–Yüan dynasty (1279–1368)
wrist rest with landscape, 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
cup, early 1100s, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
Yan Yihe
gui-shaped vessel with recumbent deer, late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
tetsubin (kettle), late 1800s, Meiji period (1868–1912)
Rongqing
teapot, late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
water jar, 1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
mizusashi 水指 (lidded water container), 1500s–1600s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Heng Shengzhan
teapot with lid, 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
棗 natsume (tea caddy), late 1700s–early 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Bactrian camel (tomb figure), 800s, Tang dynasty (618 CE–907 CE)
P'ou (ritual vessel), Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (BCE 481–BCE 221)
ink stone, late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Amitābha (阿弥陀仏 Amida butsu; 阿弥陀如来 Amida nyorai), circa 1400s, Muromachi period (1338–1573)
Richard Notkin
jar, late 200s–400s, Kofun period (250 CE–552 CE)
female tomb attendant, 600s, Sui dynasty (581 CE–618 CE) to early Tang dynasty (618 CE–907 CE)