FROM THE LANDS OF ASIA
The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection

The current exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum is titled "From the Lands of Asia".  Dear Friend drove from Dallas to join The Travelling Toe in touring this outstanding exhibit.

As you walk into the first gallery there are beautiful textiles in the form of clothing.  Some of them were beautiful colored silks and several other fabrics from the 5th or 6th century.  Different Asian countries were represented in this exhibit including Samurai armour and silk kimonos.

But the next gallery took my breath away.  If you love blue and white porcelain like The Travelling Toe does, then you will never want to leave this gallery.  Each showcase had beautiful examples of this work from various Asian countries.  It even showcased how recovery of sunken ships cargo full of porcelains are reclaimed.  One very beautiful piece was in the shape of a peach with lovely blue scrolling on the white background.  The peach is one of the most popular motifs in Chinese art.  It is a symbol of immortality.  It looked as if it were a teapot but instead it was a wine pitcher. Oh be still my beating heart!

Below is a lovely overview of the Myers, their collection and the items on display provided by the Kimbell Art Museum literature.

When Americans Samuel and Myrna Myers visited Paris in the mid-1960s, they became so enamored with the city that they decided to make their home there. This was where they built an extraordinary collection that until now has never been exhibited publicly. Over the course of more than 40 years, the Myers assembled some 5,000 works of art that, together, offer a very personal vision of the world of Asian art. This exhibition will present over 400 objects selected from this remarkable collection, with works representing key periods in the history of the art of China, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Korea and Vietnam.

 

The exhibition revolves around a passion for Asia and covers a broad historical range, from the Neolithic era to modern times. The objects are also highly varied in nature, from porcelain, ivory, and precious stones such as jade and rock crystal to Buddhist art and textiles and stunning costumes from Central Asia, Tibet, China and Japan. Each treasure is exceptional in its shape, rarity, quality, function or inherent message. The exhibition recounts fascinating historical events through themes such as the symbolism of Chinese jade, the trade in blue-and-white porcelain, Buddhism, Noh theater, the Japanese samurai, the tea ceremony, the art of writing and the place of women. The astonishing array of outstanding works of art in the Myers collection is testimony to Asia's rich cultural heritage and unique customs and offers a broad panorama of Asian history in all its beauty and diversity.

 

This exhibition is organized by the Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, Montréal, Canada.

The exhibit is on display until August 19th so if you are in the Fort Worth or Dallas area, you still have time to enjoy this lovely exhibit! 

Kimbell Art Museum