Accent on Asia in London - Asian art fair in London, England, includes exhibitions at the British Museum and other locations - Brief Article

Magazine Antiques, Nov, 1999 by Miriam Kramer

The second Asian An in London fair takes place from November 9 to 20. In an unusual atmosphere of cooperation between the commercial and noncommercial worlds, dealers, auctioneers, museums, and academic institutions have organized a series of events and exhibitions to celebrate the visual arts of the Orient.

At the British Museum, an exhibition entitled Gilded Dragons: Buried Treasures from China's Golden Ages takes up the stow of Chinese art at the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) and focuses on objects made of gold and silver during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906). Many of the works, never seen outside China before, were hidden during political unrest in the eighth century and have only come to light in the past thirty years.

The furniture dealer Grace Wu Bruce, who specializes in objects from the Ming period, has organized a loan exhibition of pieces from the collection of Dr. S. Y. Yip at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. More than fifty works offer an overview of the high standard of craftsmanship found in Ming chairs, tables, beds, and cupboards. An eight-page brochure accompanies the exhibition, and Dr. Yip has written a new book on his collection. Further information about the book may be obtained by telephoning 44-171-499-3750.

Prestigious Pots, at the Victoria and Albert Museum, looks at ceramics of the Yuan and early Ming dynasties. It includes a number of thirteenth- to fifteenth-century objects recently excavated from the imperial factory site at Jingdezhen in southern China, where great technological advances took place.

Information on all Asian Art in London events may be obtained by telephoning 44 -171- 499 -9190 or by visiting their Web site (www.asianartinlondon.com).