Asian Art
The Asian art collection includes a wide range of materials that date from the Neolithic period (ca. 8000–2000 BCE) to the present, from China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia. In the arts of China, the collections of calligraphy and painting rank among the finest outside Asia. Calligraphic works range from Buddhist and Daoist scriptures of the Tang dynasty (618–907) to poems, records, and letters from the Song dynasty (960–1279). Among the paintings are rare masterpieces from the Song dynasty and Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) as well as numerous examples by renowned artists from later periods. The collection also includes Neolithic pottery and jade objects, Shang dynasty (1299–1000 BCE) oracle bones from the thirteenth through eleventh centuries BCE, ancient bronze ritual vessels, ceramic vessels and figurines, Buddhist sculpture, and a rare group of Liao dynasty (907–1125) painted-wood tomb panels and coffin boards from the tenth to thirteenth centuries CE.
The collection of Japanese art includes works ranging from Jōmon (ca. 5000–1500 BCE) to modern period ceramics, Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura period (1185–1333) sculpture, as well as painting, calligraphy, screens, lacquerware, metalware, and woodblock prints from the Heian to contemporary periods. The arts of Japan have been a sustained area of collecting activity in recent years aimed at elevating the depth and breadth of these holdings.
The arts of Korea include examples of Three Kingdoms (57 BCE–668 CE) ceramics, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) celadons, and modern painting and sculpture. Metal, stone, and terracotta sculptures from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other Central Asian regions trace Buddhist sculptural styles from early forms to later developments in East Asia. The collection also includes a growing and important collection of Indian miniature paintings, metalware, weapons, and textiles.
Recent efforts have led to a significant increase in a broad range of objects from India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
