Buddha, Shiva, Lotus, Dragon: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection at Asia Society at Kimbell Art Museum

 

Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Shiva Nataraja)
India, Tamil Nadu Chola period, c. 970
Copper alloy
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.20
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

 
 

Buddha, Shiva, Lotus, Dragon

The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller
3rd Collection at Asia Society

June 27, 2021 – September 5, 2021

 

This exhibition showcases the extraordinary range of bronzes, ceramics, and metalwork that John D. Rockefeller 3rd (1906–1978) and his wife, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller (1909–1992), thoughtfully assembled between the 1940s and the 1970s. With highlights including spectacular Chinese vases, dynamic Indian Chola bronzes, and exquisite Southeast Asian sculptures, the exhibition reveals great achievements in Asian art spanning more than two millennia. This selection of masterpieces drawn from Asia Society’s permanent collection is a visually stunning presentation that illuminates social and artistic histories from across Asia and underscores the visual arts’ capacity to encourage cross-cultural dialogue.  

This exhibition represents a special opportunity to experience the unparalleled quality of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection outside of its home at Asia Society Museum in New York City. In addition to investigating themes of Buddhist sculpture, Hindu sculpture and ceramics, and metalwork, the show also examines the Rockefellers’ connoisseurship as well as their collecting and exhibition practices in an age when political and economic circumstances informed the reception and availability of Asian artworks in the United States. With an emphasis on beauty, ingenuity, and tradition, this exhibition manifests the dynamic ideas and philosophies that animate histories of Asian art and renews the Rockefellers’ vision of promoting a deep understanding of different cultures through experiences with astonishing works of art.

 
 
 

Click the image below to watch the Inaugural Lecture: Buddha, Shiva, Lotus Dragon led by Adriana Proser.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Exhibition Highlights

 

Saint Sambandar
India, Tamil Nadu
Chola period, 12th century
Copper alloy
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.24
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Shiva
Cambodia
Angkor period, Baphuon style, 11th century
Sandstone
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.64
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Ganesha
India, Tamil Nadu
Chola period, 11th century
Copper alloy
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.26
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Shiva Nataraja)
India, Tamil Nadu Chola period, c. 970
Copper alloy
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.20
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Head of Buddha
Pakistan, Gandhara area
Kushan period, late 2nd–early 3rd century
Schistose phyllite
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.2
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Crowned Buddha Shakyamuni
Kashmir or northern Pakistan 8th century
Brass with inlays of copper, silver and zinc
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.44
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Parvati
India, Tamil Nadu
Chola period, 11th century
Copper alloy
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.21
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Bodhisattva
Western Tibet
Late 10th–early 11th century
Brass with inlays of copper and silver
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.4
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Food Vessel (Gui)
China, reportedly found in Shandong Province Eastern Zhou period, c. 6th century BC
Copper alloy
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.103a,b
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Nonomura Ninsei (Japanese, active c. 1646–94)
Tea Leaf Jar
Edo period, 1670s
Stoneware painted with overglaze enamels and silver (Kyoto ware)
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.251
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Stem Cup
China, Jiangxi Province
Ming period, mid- to late 15th century (probably Chenghua era, 1465–87)
Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze red enamel (Jingdezhen ware)
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.176
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Flask
China, Jiangxi Province
Ming period, early 15th century (probably Yongle era, 1403–24)
Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue (Jingdezhen ware)
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.160
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Stem Cup
North China
Tang period, c. late 7th–early 8th century Silver with embossing, chasing, engraving, and microscopic traces of gilding
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.118
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Storage Jar
Korea
Joseon period, c. mid-18th century
Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.196
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

Bowl
China, Jiangxi Province
Qing period, Yongzheng era, 1723–35 Porcelain painted with overglaze enamels (Jingdezhen ware)
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.186
Photography by Synthescape, courtesy of Asia Society and American Federation of Arts

News 7, Exhibitions 1Editorial TeamArt of the Ancestors, Steven G. Alpert, Asian Art, Island Southeast Asian Art, Oceanic Art, Asiatica, Ethnographica, Ethnographic Art, Art Collection, Fine Art, Primitive Art, Indonesian Art, Tribal Art, Eyes of the Ancestors, Dr. Reimar Schefold