Spring rotations

Have you been in the galleries recently? If so, you may have noticed that we are in the midst of rotation season right now. Each week, we remove another group of light sensitive objects from view and replace them with works from storage. Attentive visitors can track these changes by looking for the blue “newly on view” dots in the galleries.

Japanese baskets, newly on view

Most recently we’ve made changes to our Chinese painting display, Japanese basket area, and the second floor Korean gallery. So what might you see on your next visit?

First, the Chinese painting gallery is featuring a collection of landscape paintings, including several works that have never been on view.

Chinese painting gallery. Visible are Kuncan's "The river bend" (dated 1661), AAM# B65D53 and Gong Xian "View of Qixia" (approx. 1670-1689), AAM# B69D54.

Over in the Japanese basket corner, we’ve installed twenty-three new baskets. One of my favorites is Honma Kazuaki’s Streaming Light (Ryuki) (1974), a flowing sculptural work crafted with bamboo taken from the eaves of an old farmhouse.

Streaming Light (Ryuki), 1974. By Honma Kazuaki (Japanese, born 1930). Bamboo and rattan. AAM #2006.3.844.

In the Korean gallery, bojagis have returned and the current selection features some particularly subtle examples. We’ve also rotated our generous loan of photographs of Korean palaces from the collection of the National Museum of Korea.

Korean gallery with Bridal robe by Han Sang-soo (Korean, born 1930), AAM# 2005.65.A, and photographs from the National Museum of Korea

More changes are lined up for the coming weeks, including a new group of Himalayan thangkas, South Asian paintings, and a very special thematic rotation in our Japanese galleries. With all this freshening up, isn’t it time that  you revisited your favorite gallery?