24 Island Southeast Asian Masterworks in de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Asian Art Museum
24 Island Southeast Asian Masterworks in de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Asian Art Museum
Curated by Steven G. Alpert
For April’s last feature, Art of the Ancestors presents a compelling array of Island Southeast Asian art housed in the Asian Art Museum and de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, two historically related institutions in the Bay Area. These highly regarded museums were once conjoined in San Francisco's luxuriant and justly famous Golden Gate Park. In 2003, the Asian Art Museum moved to the former Main Library, a heritage building in the heart of downtown San Francisco, while de Young's landmark 1894 pseudo-Egyptian revival structure was abandoned after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and supplanted by a new museum; an architectural wonder designed by Herzog & de Meuron in 2005.
The core of the Asian Art Museum collection is reflected in numerous works from classical Indonesian antiquity, primarily from the legendary Avery Brundage collection. These holdings are further complemented by Balinese artwork, woven textiles, batik (Glenn and Joan Vinson), gold jewelry (James and Elaine Connell), and ritual paraphernalia.
In addition to its extensive decorative textile collection, the de Young Museum has a prominent and cohesive grouping of Indonesian sculptural art from the collection of the late Helen and Dr. Robert Kuhn, as well as magnificent artifacts formerly in the John and Marsha Freide collection of New Guinea art. These Jolika holdings give the de Young a unique presence among Indonesian collections outside of the Netherlands. In many cases, Indonesian material culture has been geographically arrayed from West to East in both print and exhibitions because of the artistic strength deriving from Mentawai, Enggano, Nias, Batak, Lampung and Borneo cultures. In this instance, the de Young’s collection is reversed and is artistically anchored in West Papua, the furthest most eastern province in Indonesia. The collection includes Pierre Loeb's iconic Lake Sentani figure, an early korwar collected in situ by Dr. Bernard Tursch, and a striking Lake Sentani tapa cloth formerly in the collection of Paul Wingert, among many other stellar items.
Among the timeless Batak works from the Kuhn collection is a rare shaman's carrying container, and an imposing protective figure (pagar), whose two companion pieces are in the Dallas Museum of Art. As well, there is a brilliant Nias commemorative stone seat in the form of a mythical animal (osa-osa), a vaunted ancestor figure astride a buffalo from a Mamasa Toraja house, and a rare Atauro maternity figure from eastern Indonesia.
Art of the Ancestors encourages our readers to explore the span and significance of Indonesia's vibrant cultural history as it is represented by the Asiatica and ethnographica celebrated by these institutions.
— Steven G. Alpert, founder of Art of the Ancestors
1
Ancestor Figure | West Papua
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
18th – 19th Century.
New Guinea, West Papua (Irian Jaya), Lake Sentani, North Coast, Doyo Village.
Wood.
Museum purchase, Phyllis C. Wattis Fund for Major Accessions.
L05.1.19
2
Stone Head of a Buddha | Central Java
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
800 – 850 A.D.
Indonesia; Central Java.
Stone.
The Avery Brundage Collection.
B60S379.
3
Batak Shaman’s Container | North Sumatra
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
19th Century.
Indonesia, North Sumatra, Batak people.
Bamboo, wood, horn, metal, black smoke.
Gift of George and Marie Hecksher.
2004.10.1a-b
4
Bronze Male and Female Ancestor Figures | Bali
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
1400 – 1600 A.D.
Indonesia; Bali.
Bronze.
Gift of the Connoisseurs' Council and Shawn and Brook Byers; and museum purchase.
B86B6.a-.b.
5
Ceremonial Stone Seat | Osa-Osa | Nias
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
19th Century.
Indonesia; Nias.
Stone.
Gift of George and Marie Hecksher.
Formerly in Hellen and Robert Kuhn Collection, Los Angeles.
2005.140.4
6
Stone Seated Ganesha | Central Java
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Approximately 800 – 900 A.D.
Indonesia; Central Java.
Basalt.
The Avery Brundage Collection.
B60S381.
7
Mamasa House Façade Figure | Toraja, Sulawesi
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Early 20th Century.
Indonesia, Sulawesi, Mamasa region, Osango village; Toraja people.
Wood, pigments.
Gift of George and Marie Hecksher.
2004.10.2a-c
8
Balinese Demonic Figure | Rarung
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Approximately 1800 – 1900.
Indonesia; Bali.
Wood with paint.
Gift of Thomas Murray in memory of his father Eugene T. Murray.
2000.37.
9
Dayak Woman’s Work Board | Borneo
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
19th – 20th Century.
Indonesia, Island of Kalimantan (Borneo), Mahakam River, Kenyah-Kayan Tribal Complex, Dayak people.
Wood and operculum shell.
Gift of George and Marie Hecksher.
2006.127.12
10
Painted Royal Storage Chest | Southern Bali
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Approximately 1825 –1875.
Indonesia; Southern Bali.
Painted wood and pigments.
Acquisition made possible by Richard Beleson.
Formerly in the Nieuwenkamp collection.
2007.4.a-.b.
11
Lake Sentani Bark Cloth | Maro | West Papua
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
20th Century.
New Guinea, West Papua (Irian Jaya), North Coast, Lake Sentani.
Bark fiber, pigment.
Gift of Marcia and John Friede in honor of Diane B. Wilsey and Harry S. Parker III.
2007.44.41
12
Four-Armed Seated Stone Figure of Vishnu | Central Java
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
800 – 900 A.D.
Indonesia; Central Java.
Basalt.
The Avery Brundage Collection.
B60S313.
13
Hanging Ancestor Figure of Mother with Child | Atauro
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
19th – 20th Century.
Indonesia, Island of Atauro.
Wood, fiber, cloth.
Gift of George and Marie Hecksher.
2006.127.14
14
Demonic Dagger Holder | Bali
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
1800 – 1900.
Indonesia; Bali.
Wood with paint.
Gift of the Christensen Fund.
2005.102.23.
15
Wandalai Dance Mask | West Papua
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
20th Century.
West Papua, New Guinea. Ransiki Village; Wandalai Clan; Wandamen Language Speakers.
Wood, Pigment, and Cassowary Feathers.
Formerly in Jolika Collection of New Guinea Art.
Gift of Marcia and John Friede in honor of Diane B. Wilsey and Harry S. Parker III.
2007.44.23.
16
Lampung Ceremonial Cloth | Tampan | South Sumatra
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
19th Century.
Indonesia; Lampung, Sumatra.
Cotton.
Gift of Joan and M. Glenn Vinson, Jr.
2018.137.
17
Batak Protective Statue | Pagar | North Sumatra
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
19th Century.
Indonesia, North Sumatra, Toba Batak People.
Wood, metal, hide, horse hair.
Gift of George and Marie Hecksher.
2005.140.1
18
Indonesian Bronze Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Approximately 600 – 800 A.D.
Indonesia; Sumatra. Thailand; Plai Bat Hill, Buriram province.
Leaded bronze.
The Avery Brundage Collection.
B65B58.
19
Seated Male Ancestor Figure | Korwar | West Papua
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
19th Century or Earlier.
New Guinea, West Papua (Irian Jaya), Geelvinck Bay (Teluk Cenderawasih), Schouten Islands, Biak Island, near Wagi village on the North Coast.
Eroded Wood.
The Marcia and John Friede Collection, a Promised Gift to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
L05.1.50
20
Pair of Ornate Gold Earrings | Flores
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Approximately 1800 – 1900.
Indonesia; Flores Island.
Gold.
Gift of the James and Elaine Connell Collection.
2012.38.1-.2.
21
Geelvinck Bay Dance Shield | West Papua
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
19th - Early 20th Century.
West Papua, New Guinea. Southwestern Geelvinck Bay (Teluk Cenderawasih), Roon Island.
Wood, pigments, hair.
Formerly in the Marcia and John Friede Collection.
22
Chinese Indonesian Altar Cloth | Thok Wie / Tok Wi | Java
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
1910 - 1920.
Indonesia; North Coast of Java.
Cotton.
Gift of Joan and M. Glenn Vinson, Jr.
2018.82.
23
Beaded Headpiece | Katipa | East Sumba
de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Late 19th / Early 20th Century.
Indonesia; East Sumba
Strung glass trade beads.
The Laurens Hillhouse Collection.
1981.84.69
24
Jeweled Dagger | Kris | Bali
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Approximately 1850 – 1950.
Indonesia; Bali.
Steel, iron, silver, gold, and jewels.
Transfer from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Gift of Templeton Crocker.
B84W6.a-.b.
All artworks and images presented in this feature are the property of de Young | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Asian Art Museum.
© de Young Museum Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco | © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.