'Arts of Ancient Viet Nam: From River Plain to Open Sea' @ Asia Society Museum, New York

Vietnam, Charger with Dragon, Late 15th Century. Stoneware

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Asia Society, New York, offer an unprecedented exhibition of art from ancient Viet Nam—the first U.S. exhibition to address in depth the historical, geographic and cultural contexts of precolonial Vietnamese art. Throughout its long history, Viet Nam served as a central hub for trade routes connecting the regions of Asia and the West, with travelers and merchants traversing its long open plains, and trade vessels from as far west as India and Rome finding safe haven in its harbors. Arts of Ancient Viet Nam: From River Plain to Open Sea will introduce new scholarship on the history of Vietnamese art.

Approximately 110 objects dating from the first millennium B.C. through the 17th century, on rare loan from Viet Nam´s leading museums, will be on view. Highlights of the exhibition include ritual bronzes, terracotta burial wares, fine gold jewelry, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures, and ornaments made of jade, lapis lazuli, crystal and carnelian. The works have never before been exhibited.

Independent scholar Nancy Tingley is curator of the exhibition. Christine Starkman, MFAH Curator of Asian Art, serves as in-house curator for the show in Houston. In New York, Adriana Proser, Asia Society´s John H. Foster Curator for Traditional Asian Art, is in-house curator.

A full color, 356-page catalogue is available at AsiaStore.

February 2 – May 2, 2010 @ Asia Society Museum, New York

Drum, Dong Son period, 5th–3rd century BCE, Hoang (Mieu Mon) Village, My Duc District, Ha Tay Province. Bronze. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ha Noi, LSb 5724 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Halberd, Dong Son period, 1st century BCE–1st century CE, Hai Phong City, Kien An District, Hai Phong Province. Bronze. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ha Noi, LSb 1408 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Chicken-headed Ewer (Han type), Dong Son period, 1st–3rd century CE. Glazed stoneware. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ha Noi, LSb 15062 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Burial Urn with Cover, Sa Huynh culture, 4th–2nd century BCE. An Bang site, Hoi An District, Quang Nam Province. Earthenware. Hoi An Center for Monument Management and Preservation, Cl(AB)95 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Bicephalous Ear Ornament, Sa Huynh culture, 3rd–1st century BCE. Giong Ca Vo site, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh Province. Nephrite. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 13619 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Pangolin. Long Gio, Long Khanh district, Dong Nai Province. 3rd century BCE–2nd century AD. Bronze. Dong Nai Museum, LG24. Photo by Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, © Dong Nai Museum

Vietnam, Female, c. 5th Century. Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture. Stone

Ekamukhalinga, Fu Nan period, 6th century. Oc Eo site, My Lam Village, An Giang Province. Stone. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 5532 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Three Intaglio, Fu Nan period, ca. 6th century. Oc Eo site, My Lam Village, An Giang Province. Carnelian and crystal. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 2248, BTLS 2258, BTLS 2253 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Vietnam, "Simhamukha" Architectural Ornament, 6th Century. Terra Cotta

Vietnam, Kneeling Figure Making Offering, 6th Century. Bronze

Vietnam, Vishnu, 6th-7th Century. Stone

Lintel, Fu Nan period, late 7th century. Thuy Lieu Village, An Giang Province. Stone. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 5977 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Vishnu, Fu Nan period, 7th century. Tan Phu site, Tan Hoi Village, An Giang Province. Bronze. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 1585 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Viet Nam, Male Divinity, 7th Century. Stone

Lotus. Fu Nan period, 7th–8th century. Go Xoai site, Duc Hoa District, Long An Province. Gold foil. Long An Museum, BT87-M1-V-2. (Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco) © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Three Elephants Fu Nan period, 7th–8th century. Go Xoai site, Duc Hoa District, Long An Province. Gold sheet. Long An Museum, BT87-M1-I-3 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Surya. Fu Nan period, 7th–8th century. Ba The Village, An Giang Province. Stone. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 5527 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Pedestal. Champa period, 8th–9th century. Van Trach Hoa Village, Phong Dien District, Thua Thien Hue Province. Stone. Thua Thien Hue Historical and Revolutionary Museum, TTH 2813/D99 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Viet Nam, Seated Bodhisattva, 9th Century.

Vietnam, Dharmapala, 9th Century. Stone

Viet Nam, Nataraja, 10th Century. Stone

Relief of Figure Making Offering. Champa period, late 10th century. Stone. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 5906 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Vietnam, Female Figure, 11th Century. Stone

Dancer, Champa period, 11th century. Tra Kieu site, Quang Nam Province. Sandstone. Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, DKC 44 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Vietnam, Vishnu, 11th Century. Stone

Vietnam, Garuda with Naga, Late 12th — 13th century. Stone

Kinnara, Champa period, late 12th–13th century, Thap Mam site, Binh Dinh Province. Stone. Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, DKC 33 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Lion, Champa period, late 12th–13th century, Thap Mam site, Binh Dinh Province. Stone. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ha Noi, LSb 21187 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Large Basin, Ly–Tran dynasty, 12th–14th century, Thanh Hoa Province. Glazed stoneware. Viet Nam National Fine Arts Museum, 4975-G2-1851 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Ewer, Late 15th century, Chu Dau kiln, Cu Lao Cham shipwreck. Stoneware painted with underglaze cobalt blue and remnants of overglaze enamel. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City, BTLS 16997 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Pair of Nghe. Late Le dynasty, 16th–17th century, Bat Trang kiln. Glazed stoneware. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ha Noi, LSb 13572, LSb 13573 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Lime Pot, 15th century. Glazed stoneware. Viet Nam National Fine Arts Museum, CDA-5/04-4599 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Hoang Nguu and Nguyen Phong Lai, Lamp Stand. 24th day, 6th month, 3rd year of Dien Thanh’s reign (1580). Nghia Lu Commune, Cam Giang District, Hai Duong Province. Stoneware painted with underglaze cobalt blue. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ha Noi, LSb 13771 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Incense Burner and Pair of Lamps. Early 17th century, North Viet Nam. Glazed stoneware. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Ha Noi, LSb 12834, LSb 17251, LSb 15407 © Kaz Tsuruta, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco