Seki Sanjūrō III as Naosuke Gonbei...
Did you know Japanese horror movies are heavily influenced by Noh plays and the Chinese legends that inspired them? Our curators tell STIRworld more here: https://s.si.edu/3WfiUq4
Image: Seki Sanjūrō III as Naosuke Gonbei (R), Kataoka Nizaemon VIII as Tamiya Iemon (C) and Bandō Hikosaburō V as both the Ghost of Oiwa (Oiwa no bōrei) and the Ghost of Kobotoke Kohei (Kobotoke Kohei bōrei) (C), and Bandō Hikosaburō V as Satō Yomoshichi (L), Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞 (1786-1865), 1861, 7th month, Japan, Ink and color on paper, 37.5 × 25.4 cm (14 3/4 × 10 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection, S2021.5.504a-c
The Boy and the Heron Trailer
In August, catch up on some of last year’s most acclaimed films in Asian cinema, from award-winning debuts to the returns of beloved directors, such as "The Boy and the Heron."
This is your chance to see these gems on the big screen. Full details and showtimes here: https://s.si.edu/3WjLkzh
"The Boy and the Heron" trailer courtesy of Gkids
July Rhapsody Trailer
This summer, catch classic Hong Kong movies ranging from the sublime (masterpieces from Wong Kar Wai and Ann Hui) to the ridiculous (Bruce Lee clones). https://s.si.edu/3xVVmgy #SmithsonianAsianArt
"July Rhapsody" trailer courtesy of Cheng Cheng Films LLC
Asia After Dark: Bruceploitation
On July 13, join us for "Asia After Dark: Bruceploitation," a night of live DJ music, snacks, and drinks before a screening of "The Dragon Lives Again," the wildest Bruceploitation flick of them all!
Free and open to the public. Refreshments available for purchase: https://s.si.edu/3VSAXC6
#SmithsonianAsianArt
Goddesses Are Wise!
Meet these goddesses and more in the online exhibition “Wisdom of the Goddess," with 25 Hindu and Buddhist artworks and resources to explore: https://s.si.edu/3RLBALg
Images:
The Goddess Uma, 10th century, Cambodia, Sandstone, 124.2 x 37.5 x 24.3 cm (48 7/8 x 14 3/4 x 9 9/16 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Gift of Arthur M. Sackler, S1987.909
Tara (one of the Famed Twenty-one Tara Emanations), Second half of 17th century, Central Tibet, Gilt copper alloy, turquoise, enamel, and coral, 48.3 x 31.8 cm (19 x 12 1/2 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, S2011.12a-c
Saraswati, folio from a Goddess series, Attributed to Wajid (active late 17th century), ca. 1680-1700, Sawar, Rajasthan state, India, Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 15.9 × 24.4 cm (6 1/4 × 9 5/8 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S2018.1.40
Scientific Research on Asian Inks
Did you know ink is often made with soot? Join us on June 20 to examine materials used to make ink and hear about our latest scientific research: https://s.si.edu/3QLCUgU
Image: Dragons and Clouds 雲龍図屏風(左隻), Tawaraya Sotatsu 俵屋宗達 (fl. ca. 1600-1643), 1590-1640, Japan, Ink and pink tint on paper, 171.5 x 374.3 cm (67 1/2 x 147 3/8 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1905.229
Gushtasp slaying a dragon
Not all dragons are like those found in the #HouseOfTheDragon 🐉, but during the Mongol Ilkhanid period (1256-1353 CE), Persian and Chinese dragons had a lot in common.
Learn how and why in exhibition “An Epic of Kings: The Great Mongol Shahnama,” opening August 31, 2024. https://s.si.edu/3RuxKpL
Image: Gushtasp slaying a dragon, Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) by Firdawsi (d. 1020). Iran, Shiraz, Inju dynasty, dated February 1341 (Ramadan 741 A.H.). Ink, color, and gold on paper. National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase – Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1948.15
Picture Sugoroku Board
Ghosts of Sugoroku Past?
A simplified, pictorial version of the Japanese board game “sugoroku” has existed since the thirteenth century, but became more popular during the Edo period, when printed editions were widely and cheaply available.
“Picture sugoroku” resembles the game “Snakes and Ladders,” where players roll dice and progress around the board. Pictured here, the squares are illustrated with various supernatural characters familiar to players from kabuki theater, such as the magician Akatsuki Hoshigorō, riding on the back of a giant bat, seen here in the center.
“Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints” is now on view in Gallery 25: https://s.si.edu/3Q1RAqS
Part of our #JapaneseArt collection. #SmithsonianAsianArt
Images: Picture sugoroku board game of actors in supernatural roles, Toyohara Kunichika (1835–1900), Block carver: Ōta Tashichi (Komakichi) (act. ca. 1834–1882), Publisher: Hiranoya Shinzō (dates unknown), Japan, Edo period, 1863, 9th month, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection, S2021.5.347
Shakyamuni Descending from the Heaven of the 33 Gods
Watch the Buddha Shakyamuni, who was born in Lumbini, Nepal around 500 BCE, descend from heaven after teaching his great wisdom to the gods.
Celebrate the Buddha’s birthday from anywhere in the world by visiting our Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room here: https://s.si.edu/3WluH6F
#SmithsonianAANHPI
Image: Shakyamuni Descending from the Heaven of the 33 Gods, late 18th-mid 19th century, Probably Lhasa, Central Tibet, Mineral pigments and gold foil on sized cotton; with older (Ming?) brocade for the frame; original silk curtain and ribbons; wooden dowel with chased silver caps, 149.9 x 86.4 cm (59 x 34 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, S2013.30
Peony Garden
Did you know peonies have a special meaning in Japan?
Learn what it is in “Imagined Neighbors: Japanese Visions of China, 1680–1980,” now on view: https://s.si.edu/3x3V3iT
Part of our #JapaneseArt collection. #SmithsonianAsianArt
Image: Peony Garden 牡丹園, Murakami Kagaku 村上華岳 (1888-1939), Taishō era, 1918, Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, The Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, F2020.5.31a-f
Preparing Artwork for Display
How do “hinges” keep artworks stable in frames and while in storage?
On May 16, join Welch Conservator in Training Valeria Pesce to explore how our conservators hinge works of art! https://s.si.edu/3JEllLT
Image: Folio from a Qur'an: Sura 38, verses 87-88; sura 39, verse 1, 8th-9th century, North Africa or Near East, Ink, color and gold on parchment, 23.9 x 33.6 cm (9 7/16 x 13 1/4 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, F1930.60
Japan After Dark | "Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints
In Japanese culture, the line between the real world and the supernatural one is a thin one!
Explore "Japan After Dark," part of our special exhibition "Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints," which brings ghostly stories to life: https://s.si.edu/3V0sL29
Image: Seki Sanjūrō III as Naosuke Gonbei (R), Kataoka Nizaemon VIII as Tamiya Iemon (C) and Bandō Hikosaburō V as both the Ghost of Oiwa (Oiwa no bōrei) and the Ghost of Kobotoke Kohei (Kobotoke Kohei bōrei) (C), and Bandō Hikosaburō V as Satō Yomoshichi (L), Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞 (1786-1865), 1861, 7th month, Japan, Ink and color on paper, 37.5 × 25.4 cm (14 3/4 × 10 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection, S2021.5.504a-c
The Woman Who Ran Trailer
Nostalgic trips to relive past loves. Twice-told tales of what-ifs. Reflections on life and womanhood with friends.
Join us for films by the endlessly inventive Hong Sangsoo, Korea’s reigning art house auteur.
Get free tickets here: https://s.si.edu/3QlPdQX
"The Woman Who Ran" trailer courtesy of The Cinema Guild #SmithsonianAsianArt
Landscape Handscroll, Hosokawa Rinkoku
During the Edo period (1603–1868), feudal Japan was largely closed off from the outside world. For two hundred years, a loose movement of Japanese artists, often referred to as literati, turned to neighboring China—variably a source for emulation and a source of rivalry—for inspiration.
This #CherryBlossom season, visit “Imagined Neighbors: Japanese Visions of China, 1680–1980,” now on view: https://s.si.edu/3x3V3iT
Image: Landscape Handscroll 山水画巻, Hosokawa Rinkoku 細川林谷 (1782-1842), Edo period, 1835, Handscroll; ink and color on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, The Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, F2021.4.11a-c
Here Trailer
Co-presented with Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital, we're kicking off Earth Month March 30 with “Here,” an exploration of the everlasting relationship between humans and nature, even within the urban locale of a city.
Get free tickets here: https://s.si.edu/3SNtMsn
Here Trailer courtesy of Cinema Guild
Shrine Room Conservation
Ever wonder how we preserve objects and keep them ready for public display?
Meet objects conservator Tamara Dissi and learn how she cares for the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon in Gallery 26 through March 27th: https://s.si.edu/3USjTMJ
Shahnama Folio Repair
A damaged corner of this 700-year-old folio needed repair. Our Paper Conservator Rhea DeStefano uses a technique called a “fill”--when paper or other material is used to fill in a missing part to prevent further damage.
Meet Rhea at our next Conservation Cart Talk on Thursday, March 21st, and explore these conservation materials in person! https://s.si.edu/3UWSqJt
Yazdigird Enthroned, Folio from a copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020), Iran, probably Shiraz, Mongol period, Inju dynasty, February 1341 (Ramadan 741 A.H.), Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 36 x 29.2 cm (14 3/16 x 11 1/2 in), National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, S1986.118
NMAA Library
Our library is considered one of the finest repositories of Asian art resources in the U.S., and it's free and accessible to all.
Browse now, or reserve the Reading Room here: https://s.si.edu/3vb0XKV #SmithsonianAsianArt
Abiding Nowhere
{Update: this event is sold out}
🎬 Don't miss the North American premiere of "Abiding Nowhere," the 10th film in Tsai Ming-liang’s acclaimed Walker series, on Friday, March 1st.
Stay for a video Q&A to meet Tsai Ming-liang, Lee Kang-sheng, and Anong Houngheuangsy, followed by a reception featuring Taiwanese cuisine!
Only a few free passes remain. Reserve yours here: https://s.si.edu/3OARS88
Hidden Letters Trailer
In collaboration with the Smithsonian Folklife Recovering Voices #MotherTongue2024 Film Festival, join us Saturday, February 24th.
“Hidden Letters,” is a documentary about a once-secret language that bonded generations of Chinese women in a clandestine support system of sisterhood, hope and survival.
Get your free passes here: https://s.si.edu/48lCtzA
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