Arts of Ancient Viet Nam Exhibition in Houston and New York
By STAN PARCHIN
September 5, 2009
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| Kneeling Figure Making Offering. Vietnamese, ca. 6th Century. Bronze. Oc Eo site, My Lam village, An Giang Province. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City. |
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| "Simhamukha" Architectural Ornament. Vietnamese, 6th Century. Terracotta. Oc Eo site, An Giang Province. Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho Chi Minh City. |
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| Male Divinity. Vietnamese, 7th Century. Stone. Tra Kieu. Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture. |
Some 110 spectacular artifacts and works never before seen in the United States comprise the landmark exhibition
Arts of Ancient Viet Nam: From River Plain to Open Sea. Exploring the history and culture of pre-colonial Viet Nam from the 1st Millennium B.C. through the 17th Century A.D., the show debuts at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (September 13, 2009-January 3, 2010) and concludes its American tour at
Asia Society in New York (February 2-May 2, 2010).
On loan from Viet Nam's 10 leading museums are rare ritual bronzes, terracotta funerary objects, Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, gold jewelry, precious stone ornaments and ceramic wares. Together they describe the region's fascinating artistic heritage and its role in trade between Asia and the West.
Organization of the ExhibitionEarly Cultures (1st Millennium B.C.-2nd Century A.D.) examines Viet Nam's remote history. The central and southern Sa Huynh civilization's large upright jars used for burial, the northern Dong Son society's ornamental bronze drums, iron axes, jewelry and decorative beads are on view.
The Archaeology of Fu Nan in the Mekong River Delta (1st-8th Century) investigates the walled city of Oc Eo, the Fu Nan culture's metropolis made prosperous by its location along trade routes that connected imperial Rome, India and China. Examples of native gold jewelry are displayed alongside imported goods.
Champa (5th-15th Century) presents metalwork, sculpture and ceramics of the powerful seafaring Cham people as well as objects they acquired from coastal Viet Nam, Southeast Asia and India.
Ceramic Trade and Exchange (12th-17th Century) examines the port city of Hoi An (Faifo), the center of ceramic trade between China, Japan and Europe. The exhibition describes the influence of Japanese, Chinese, Dutch and Portuguese merchants who settled in Hoi An during this great period of international commerce.
SourceTingley, Nancy, et al.
Arts of Ancient Viet Nam: From River Plain to Open Sea (exh. cat.). Houston and New York: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Asia Society, 2009.
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