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William Huvar
 William Huvar
(@william)
Noble Member
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 658
Topic starter 10/08/2022 10:38 pm  

Just got back from visiting friends in Portland and took in a rather remarkable collection of early Chinese ceramics in the local Portland art museum. Specifically, the gallery devoted to The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Collection of Early Chinese Art.  This is a tightly focused collection that consists of major cultural objects of the Warring States & the Qin/Han periods.

http://www.portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=33118;type=101

This horse & cart is huge at 46.25” high and 41” long.

http://www.portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=33117;type=101

This is probably the most complete Han ritual orchestra in a western museum.

http://www.portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=33119;type=101

I believe these items were collected in the 1990s when so many early ceramic examples were dug up during the late 20th century industrial revolution in China.  They certainly make my early Chinese items look rather pitiful and modest.  I was somewhat stunned at what collectors with a “money is no object” could get out of China at that time period.  These objects had to have been procured from dealers at the highest level in the Chinese Antiquities field with contacts reaching into all levels of the Chinese government.

PS. Not liking the site redesign very much.

 

 

   
Clifford Khoi Huynh, Ming1449, Shinigami and 3 people reacted
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Sharon P
 Sharon P
(@sharonp)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 4504
10/08/2022 11:09 pm  

Neither am I, but then I do not know the reason why. The way it is now, is not user friendly and will not attract new visitors. Glad you enjoyed your trip to Portand.


   
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 Julia
(@julia)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7221
11/08/2022 1:47 am  

What incredible pieces! The orchestra in particular, looks so fresh, and the sheer size of the cart!  They must have had some very useful connections; which aside from the objects, is rather fascinating in itself.


   
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Shinigami
 Shinigami
(@shinigami)
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Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 4836
11/08/2022 3:09 am  

This is really impressive, thank you for sharing. I wonder they did not get ripped off, they must have had some knowledge of their own, not only the money. A collector I know traveled through China with a guide during that time and came back with fakes, simple items from graved and Guangxu ware they told him was Qianlong. 

Birgit


   
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William Huvar
 William Huvar
(@william)
Noble Member
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 658
Topic starter 11/08/2022 2:09 pm  

@shinigami 

I don’t know much about the collectors, but I am sure they were not mere tourists traveling in China.  My guess is that they were long term valued clients of a high end dealer.  They also probably had developed a personal relationship with a curator or director in the Asian art department of the Portland museum.  One or more of these people probably contacted the collectors with information that there was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to collect some of the extraordinary objects from early Chinese history being uncovered during the 90s massive industrial revolution in China.  Whoever orchestrated this complex deal had to have relationships established with Chinese government officials who could green light the export of major cultural relics.

I also wondered if there was bribery involved in the transactions associated with this collection.  My opinion is probably not since there was the potential for major embarrassment for the Chinese government and the Portland museum along with trashing the reputations of all those involved in the deal. So what probably happened is the “deep pockets” collectors funded some research programs or cultural institutions in China in exchange for export of some or all of these items.


   
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 John steward
(@john-steward)
Noble Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 925
13/08/2022 1:08 pm  

Hello Members 

You need to read this about there collection. John 

The promised gift of a striking collection of ancient Chinese artifacts has catapulted the Portland Art Museum into “the major league for Han dynasty artworks,” according to former Seattle Art Museum curator Jay Xu. The collection — now on view under the title “Mysterious Spirits, Strange Beasts, Earthly Delights” — was assembled by Portland patrons Arlene and Harold Schnitzer, long known in the region as collectors of Northwest art. Arlene Schnitzer said she made her first purchase of Chinese art in 1974 and has since given a number of the major pieces to PAM; the rest will eventually be transferred as well. The Schnitzers’ purchases of Chinese art focus on a narrow period of history. But within that focus, the collection is comparable in quality and size to that of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, or what’s on display at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Xu said from his office at the Art Institute of Chicago. Because PAM has no Chinese curator on staff, Xu (pronounced Shu), a renowned scholar, was asked to write a catalog essay. He also presented a sold-out lecture at PAM in May. There’s a lot to be learned from reading the catalog, but you don’t need any special expertise to appreciate the beauty and power of the objects. They date from the Warring States period through the Han dynasty, 481 B.C.-220 A.D., a period Xu describes as “one of the most glorious periods in China’s history.” We know it was glorious because of the ancient Chinese obsession with the afterlife: Their excavated tombs brim with treasures. Much like the early Egyptians, the Chinese believed that the dead needed food and lavish representations of their worldly goods to assure their status in the afterlife. Some of those finely crafted objects appear in “Mysterious Spirits,” from the classic lines of Han dynasty horses and exotic beasts exquisitely crafted in clay, to bronze wine vessels and graceful carved-wood figures. Most Read Entertainment Stories Anne Heche on life support, survival of crash 'not expected' 15 things to do in the Seattle area this weekend Jon Batiste leaves Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' The Army is making its first uniform bra. Vets say it's long overdue In HBO’s bizarre, hilarious ‘The Rehearsal,’ Nathan Fielder helps people prepare for real-life moments A large ensemble of earthenware musicians with racks of bells and chimes is one of the highlights of the collection, demonstrating the importance of music in Han culture. Often in exhibits of Chinese art, we only see individual objects removed from their context: one horse out of dozens in a tomb, or one soldier plucked from the rank of hundreds. Here we get a sense of the intricacy of the tomb displays with an entire tableaux of figures and their instruments. “In terms of visual magnitude, the ensemble with bells is quite wonderful,” Xu said. Even in a collection as carefully assembled as the Schnitzers’, however, there is the danger of acquiring artworks that are not authentic. Xu and another expert who examined the artworks recommended thermoluminescence (TL) testing be done on some of the pieces. TL helps establish how long ago clay objects were fired and is an important tool for determining authenticity. It turned out that one of two guardian figure earthenware pillars, previously dated as 25-220 A.D., tested as new. Arlene Schnitzer said she purchased the piece years ago from a West Coast dealer and has since given it to the museum. “We had it tested because a couple people looked at it and felt it wasn’t quite right,” she said by phone from her Portland office. After learning the results, Schnitzer said she phoned the dealer, who insists the piece is genuine and should be retested. In the meantime, it remains in the exhibition, labeled as contemporary. Skip Ad


   
William Huvar and Julia reacted
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 John steward
(@john-steward)
Noble Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 925
13/08/2022 1:09 pm  

Hello Members 

You need to read this about there collection. John 

The promised gift of a striking collection of ancient Chinese artifacts has catapulted the Portland Art Museum into “the major league for Han dynasty artworks,” according to former Seattle Art Museum curator Jay Xu. The collection — now on view under the title “Mysterious Spirits, Strange Beasts, Earthly Delights” — was assembled by Portland patrons Arlene and Harold Schnitzer, long known in the region as collectors of Northwest art. Arlene Schnitzer said she made her first purchase of Chinese art in 1974 and has since given a number of the major pieces to PAM; the rest will eventually be transferred as well. The Schnitzers’ purchases of Chinese art focus on a narrow period of history. But within that focus, the collection is comparable in quality and size to that of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, or what’s on display at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Xu said from his office at the Art Institute of Chicago. Because PAM has no Chinese curator on staff, Xu (pronounced Shu), a renowned scholar, was asked to write a catalog essay. He also presented a sold-out lecture at PAM in May. There’s a lot to be learned from reading the catalog, but you don’t need any special expertise to appreciate the beauty and power of the objects. They date from the Warring States period through the Han dynasty, 481 B.C.-220 A.D., a period Xu describes as “one of the most glorious periods in China’s history.” We know it was glorious because of the ancient Chinese obsession with the afterlife: Their excavated tombs brim with treasures. Much like the early Egyptians, the Chinese believed that the dead needed food and lavish representations of their worldly goods to assure their status in the afterlife. Some of those finely crafted objects appear in “Mysterious Spirits,” from the classic lines of Han dynasty horses and exotic beasts exquisitely crafted in clay, to bronze wine vessels and graceful carved-wood figures. Most Read Entertainment Stories Anne Heche on life support, survival of crash 'not expected' 15 things to do in the Seattle area this weekend Jon Batiste leaves Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' The Army is making its first uniform bra. Vets say it's long overdue In HBO’s bizarre, hilarious ‘The Rehearsal,’ Nathan Fielder helps people prepare for real-life moments A large ensemble of earthenware musicians with racks of bells and chimes is one of the highlights of the collection, demonstrating the importance of music in Han culture. Often in exhibits of Chinese art, we only see individual objects removed from their context: one horse out of dozens in a tomb, or one soldier plucked from the rank of hundreds. Here we get a sense of the intricacy of the tomb displays with an entire tableaux of figures and their instruments. “In terms of visual magnitude, the ensemble with bells is quite wonderful,” Xu said. Even in a collection as carefully assembled as the Schnitzers’, however, there is the danger of acquiring artworks that are not authentic. Xu and another expert who examined the artworks recommended thermoluminescence (TL) testing be done on some of the pieces. TL helps establish how long ago clay objects were fired and is an important tool for determining authenticity. It turned out that one of two guardian figure earthenware pillars, previously dated as 25-220 A.D., tested as new. Arlene Schnitzer said she purchased the piece years ago from a West Coast dealer and has since given it to the museum. “We had it tested because a couple people looked at it and felt it wasn’t quite right,” she said by phone from her Portland office. After learning the results, Schnitzer said she phoned the dealer, who insists the piece is genuine and should be retested. In the meantime, it remains in the exhibition, labeled as contemporary. Skip Ad


   
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 Clifford Khoi Huynh
(@khoi)
Estimable Member
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 84
16/08/2022 12:46 pm  

Hey, I live in Portland. I should check that out

Clifford


   
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