“Linking Asia: Art, Trade & Devotion presents the DAM’s vast Asian art collection, as well as objects on loan, in a new perspective, focusing on the cross-cultural and cross-regional connections across Asia from 400 BCE to 1900 CE,” says Tianlong Jiao, Joseph de Heer Curator of Asian Art at the DAM. “The exhibition takes a close look at the art or object’s source to give visitors an understanding of where the inspiration came from and how they were accepted or modified in the hosting region or culture.” Linking Asia investigates the exchange of ideas and artistic inspiration that trade along the Silk Road encouraged, and how this cultural cross pollination affected Asian religious thought, art and culture.
Courtesy Denver Art Museum
Frieze Tile, Ilkhanid Dynasty (1256–1335), Iran, Kashan, 1200s–1300s. Fritware with lustre and glaze; 21-1/2 x 18-7/8 x 4 in. Denver Art Museum: Museum exchange, 1958.4.
Opening this month at the Denver Art Museum, Linking Asia: Art, Trade & Devotion explores the breadth and depth of the museum's Asian art collection. The exhibit includes objects retrieved from three shipwrecks, on view for the first time, as well as visitor favorites such as Shiva, King of Dancers (Shiva Nataraja). Linking Asia: Art, Trade & Devotion features approximately 150 works in a variety of media, including sculptures, ceramics, textiles, and scrolls. Showcasing the art of 20 countries over a period of 2000 years, the exhibition examines the interplay between art, trade, and belief.
Courtesy Denver Art Museum
Shiva, King of Dancers (Shiva Nataraja), Tamil Nadu Province India, 1100s. Bronze; 36-7/8 x 32-1/2 in. Denver Art Museum: Dora Porter Mason Collection. 1947.2
Courtesy Denver Art Museum
Moon Flask, Qianlong period, Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), China, about 1736–1795. Porcelain with underglaze blue; 19-1/2 x 15 x 8 in. Denver Art Museum: Gift of May Wilfley in memory of her parents, A.R. Wilfley and Addie M. Wilfley, 1974.28
Linking Asia: Art, Trade & Devotion is on view until April 1, 2018. Admission to this exhibit is included in the price of general admission. For more information, visit https://denverartmuseum.org/
