Celebrating Asian Art

Safety in Numbers

Two recent acquisitions inspired the exhibition Safety in Numbers: a Heian-period image of Shō Kannon from a staggering group created and enshrined in the Kōfuku-ji in Nara until recent times and an impressive Ming-dynasty fahua porcelain jar featuring eight immortals ” Numbers matter and are manifested in various ways. While a Tang period white amphora, such as the one in the present exhibition, might stand secure in its own regal beauty, it is not alone in the world of Chinese ceramics, where its family is extensive. Two stalwart soldiers from the Six Dynasties period proudly represent their platoon. A kosometsuke dish of the early 17th century with incised qilin décor seems to stand alone, almost unique. Still, it exists within an enormous fold of Jingdezhen porcelains destined for markets abroad. Japanese paintings open a world of safety in numbers, whether at a horse or fish market or in an intimate group of masters of haiku poetry, brought together in a work by Yosa Buson (1716-1784). A 16th-century Chinese painting of the jovial Pudai shows him celebrated by a band of happy children while the Qing-dynasty painter Zhang You captures a troop of monkeys at play in a remote mountain environment. For more, please visit Kaikodo's website show from 16 March to 31 May 2023.