Review 18 2 2009 June

VO LU M E 1 8 N O.
2 J U N E 2 0 0 9
the journal of
the asian arts society
of australia
TAASA Review
EARTH
contents
Volume 18 No.2 June 2009
ED ITOR IAL : EAR TH
Josefa Green
THE EVOLUTION O F IKEBANA : KAWANA TETSU NO R IS I N S TA L L AT I ON AT T H E N G V
Jo Maindonald
MOTHER IND IA : TH E TR ANSMU TING P O WER O F EAR TH
Jim Masselos
10
SKETC HIN G MOU NT NAMSAN
Peter Armstrong
TA A S A RE V I E W
THE ASIAN ARTS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC.

Abn 64093697537 Vol. 18 No. 2, June 2009
ISSN 1037.6674
Registered by Australia Post. Publication No. NBQ 4134
e di torI A L email: editorial@taasa.org.au
General editor, Josefa Green

publications committee
Josefa Green (convenor) Tina Burge

Melanie Eastburn Sandra Forbes Ann MacArthur
Jim Masselos Ann Proctor Susan Scollay
Sabrina Snow Christina Sumner
13
BEIJIN G S ALTAR O F EAR TH AND ITS R ITUAL CER AMICS
Iain Clarke
16
IN SP IR ATION A ND INTER CH ANGE : TH E J APANESE -AU S T RA L I A N POT T E RY C ON N E C T I ON
Janet Mansfield
18
TR AN SFOR MATI O N: TH E WO R K O F TAKAH IR O KO ND O
Trevor Fleming
19
IN THE P UBLIC D O MAIN: A N I Z N I K T I LE I N T HE PO WE R HO U S E M U S E U M
Paul Donnelly
20
ON C E UP ON A MID NIGH T: TH E O Z ASIA R O CK MU SICAL
Alex Vickery-Howe
22
EXHIBITION R EVIEW: F R O M T HE HA N DS O F O UR A N CE S TOR S
The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc., its staff, servants or agents.
Maryellen Hargreaves
No claim for loss or damage will be acknowledged by TAASA
23
BOOK R EVIEW: T HE A N CI E N T TA LE O F A J AVA N E S E BUDDH A - P R IN C E
Pamela Gutman
23
EXHIBITION R EVIEW: N A M BA N G! AT T HE CA S ULA PO W E R H OU S E
Ann Proctor
24
The 2nd ASEAN TR AD ITIO NAL TEXTIL E SYMP O SIU M
Gill Green
25
R EC EN T TAASA ACTIVITIES
25
TAASA MEMBERS D IAR Y
26
WHAT S ON: june august 2009
design / layout
Ingo Voss, VossDesign

printing
John Fisher Printing
Published by The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc.

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COVER
Installation with Ikebana (DETAIL) (2009) Evan Demas. Photo: Lucy Joyce. Courtesy of
Kazari Collector. see Jo Maindonald's article 'The Evolution of Ikebana' on pages 4 - 6
A full Index of articles published in TAASA R e vi e w since its beginnings

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T A A S A committee
EDITORIAL: EARTH
Josefa Green, Editor
Judith Ruther for d President
Collector and specialist in Chinese textiles

G i ll G r een Vice President
Art historian specialising in Cambodian culture

A NN GUILD TR EASU R ER
Former Director of the Embroiders Guild (UK)

KATE JOHNSTON SECR ETA RY
Intellectual property lawyer with

an interest in Asian textiles
JO CE LYN C HEY
Visiting Professor, Department of Chinese Studies,

University of Sydney; former diplomat
M att Cox
Study Room Co-ordinator, Art Gallery of New South

Wales, with a particular interest in Islamic Art of
Southeast Asia
Philip C ourtenay
Former Professor and Rector of the Cairns Campus,

James Cook University, with a special interest in
Southeast Asian ceramics
M E LANIE EAS TBUR N
Curator of Asian art, National Gallery of Australia

Sandra Forbes
Editorial consultant with long-standing interest

in South and Southeast Asian art
Josefa Green
General editor of TAASA Review. Collector of Chinese

ceramics, with long-standing interest in East Asian
art as student and traveller
What a wonderful scope this topic offers, the

second in our elements series. As the range
of articles in this issue testifies, we can think of
earth in many ways: as an all encompassing
notion of the world we inhabit; as the soil
which nourishes, and as the material from
which works of utility, ritual and art are
constructed such as ceramic vessels and
sculpture. Earth has figured in most cultures
as one of the basic elements that make up the
material world, associated with origin myths,
divine beings (often female) and honoured
through ritual and festivals.
A deep seated regard for nature is at the core
of Ikebana, a distinctly Japanese art form
drawn from both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs.
Jo Maindonalds article not only shows how
this discipline evolved from a striving to
bring out the full potential of objects in the
natural world, but also how it manifests itself
in the contemporary work of artists such as
Rosalie Gasgoigne and Kawana Tetsunori,
whose spectacular bamboo installation is
currently on show at the NGV, Melbourne.
Iain Clarke provides a fascinating account

of the origins of and rituals associated with
the Altar of Earth, established in Beijing
by the Ming Emperor Jiajing in 1530. His
article offers the results of his research into
the ceramic monochrome sacrificial vessels
associated with the Altar of Earth, and other
ritual altars in Beijing, which were ordained
in regulations set out during the reign of
Emperor Qianlong in the Qing dynasty.
The influence of the Japanese ceramic tradition
on Australian potters, its aesthetics and its
philosophical foundations, is explored in Janet
Mansfields article. In particular, the Mingei
movement in Japan and the tea ceremony
tradition found resonance in the 1960s and
70s craft movements and to the present day.
Drawing from her own experiences as one of
our outstanding ceramic artists, with strong
Japanese and other international ceramic
connections, Janet Mansfield is in a unique
position to provide us with this overview of
an interchange which still inspires Australian
potters today.
G E RALD INE HAR D MAN
Collector of Chinese furniture and Burmese lacquerware

ANN PROCTOR
Lecturer in Asian Art, Sydney University

and the National Art School, Sydney
A NN ROBER TS
Art consultant specialising in Chinese

ceramics and works of art
SABRIN A S NOW
Has a long association with the Art Gallery of New

South Wales and a particular interest in the arts of China
CHRISTIN A S UMN ER
Principal Curator, Design and Society,

Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
SPE CIALIS T ADVISOR ON N E ASIA
Min-Jung Kim
Hon. Auditor
Rosenfeld Kant and Co

state representatives
Australian Capital Territory
Robyn Maxwell
Visiting Fellow in Art History, ANU;

Senior Curator of Asian Art, National Gallery of Australia
Northern Territory
Joanna Barrkman
Curator of Southeast Asian Art and Material Culture,

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Queensland
Suhanya R affel
Head of Asian and Pacific Art, Queensland Art Gallery

South Australia
James Bennett
Jim Masselos thoughtful article explores the

many manifestations of earth in the context
of Indian religious and political thought. He
discusses the way early Hindu formative
myths depict earth as a potent goddess and
how this transformed into more contemporary
notions of Mother India, the sacred territory
of India, as an important rallying symbol in
the late 19th and early 20th century agitations
against British rule.
In Asia, mountains serve as potent symbols
for earth and are often sacred precincts,
offering protection in both a physical
and spiritual sense. This is the case with
Namsan, the southern of the four mountains
that controlled access to the Silla kingdom
capital, Kyongju (BCE57 CE936), in SE Korea.
Architect and Sydney University academic
Peter Armstrong shares with us his delightful
sketches made on his many walks through the
pathways of Mt Namsan. His images bring
to life its dramatic terrain and the Buddhist
sculptures that are now the only evidence
of the many structures that once dotted this
sacred mountain. TAASA Review is delighted
to have the opportunity to publish some of
these original works of art.
Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia

Victoria
Carol C ains
Curator Asian Art, National Gallery of Victoria International
Detailed instructions on the ritual worship

of earth were codified in China as early as
the Western Zhou dynasty (1027 771BCE).
Trevor Fleming explores the inspiration

behind the work of contemporary Japanese
ceramicist, Takahiro Kondo, which draws on
the Zen Buddhist notion of transience, and
the tea ceremony notion that each encounter
is unique and decisive. In Kondos recent
work, monolithic objects inspired by the
ancient standing stones of Orkney, Scotland,
are encased with what appears to be frozen
or dripping water particles, the result of
an innovative overglaze that produces
astounding effects.
Our regular In the Public Domain item
allows us to dip into a different ceramic
tradition, of wall tiles used extensively to
decorate the palaces and mosques of the
Islamic Ottoman Empire. From his research
undertaken for this TAASA Review article
on an Iznik tile of c.1575 in the Sydney
Powerhouse Museums collection, Paul
Donnelly has found some evidence that this
particular tile may have been removed at
some point from the Ayub Ansari mausoleum
complex in Istanbul.
Together with an exploration of cross cultural
collaboration in Adelaides OzAsia Festival
rock musical Once Upon a Midnight, and a
number of exhibition and book reviews, this
earth issue aims to offer an abundant feast
to nourish its readers.
TASMANIA
Kate Brittlebank
Lecturer in Asian History, School of History and Classics,

University of Tasmania
T H E E VO L U T I O N O F I K E B A N A : KAWA N A T E T S U N O R I S I N S TA L L AT I O N AT T H E N G V
Jo Maindonald
rom ancient roots to contemporary art,

the demands of the discipline of Ikebana
- the balancing of tensions and requirement to
show organic material at its best - has assured
its survival and place in the contemporary
art context.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Ikebana
International in Melbourne, renowned
international guest artist Kawana Tetsunori,
has created Five Elements-Water, a huge bamboo sculpture, which will remain in the Grollo
Equiset Garden at NGV International, St Kilda
Rd, from May 15th 26th July.
Kawana travels the world extensively to teach
Ikebana, living in Hong Kong and now New
York, creating huge works in New York,
Boston and most recently in Moscow. He has
also worked successfully as an art director,
including the winning Nagano demonstration
for the Olympic Games, Lillehammer, Norway
in 1994.
He is a Master of the Sogetsu School of
Ikebana, and yet this NGV installation work
is described as a sculpture not Ikebana.
Although clearly informed by his life work
with the school and created with organic
and natural materials shown to their highest
potential, this huge work may not have the
same elements that one would usually expect
of an Ikebana work.
Fully versed in the aesthetics of Ikebana,

Kawana can work with the fundamentals of
the discipline to create something new that is
beyond Ikebana but which still allows us to
see the essential value of this art form.
The scale on which he works takes us far away
from the generally accepted view of Ikebana
as a flower show display where restrained
arrangements, with their emphasis on plant
material to express line, shape, form and space,
compete with western displays of abundance.
Kawana worked with both Sofu Tesigahara
(1900-1979), founder of the Sogestsu School,
and later his son and successor Hiroshi
(1927-2001) who was also an avant-garde
filmmaker. They worked in a multiplicity of
styles in forms that seem cutting edge today,
using flowers and plant material, but often
just large bamboo installations that echo line
and particularly space.
Branches of both the modern school of
Sogetsu and the classical Ikenobu School
of Ikebana were successfully established in
Australia by Norman Sparnon (1913-95).
During the period 1960-1990, Sparnon was
possibly the Western worlds most qualified
leading exponent and Master of Ikebana. In
the post war period he studied in Japan for 12
years and achieved full credit and high rank
in both Ikebana disciplines. After settling in
Sydney on his return to Australia, he became

honorary advisor to the world headquarters
of Ikebana International, which had branches
in the major cities of Australia and New
Zealand, running classes in Melbourne and
Canberra. Today he is revered as father of
Ikebana in Australia.
Sparnon wrote a number of books including
Japanese Flower Arrangement, Classical and
Modern and importantly, The Beauty of
Australias Wildflowers: creative ideas for Japanese
flower arrangement. Aware of Australias
unique flora and landscape, he was quick to
demonstrate how the scalene geometry and
other rules employed in Ikebana strikingly
show the natural beauty of flora such as
banksias and waratahs and other strangely
sculptural indigenous plants.
Another of Sparnons achievements was a
translation into English of Rikka, The Soul
of Japanese Flower Arrangement, by Fujiwara
Yuchiku, known to be the most definitive
work on the subject in Japan. This classical
style, directly derived from early Buddhist
and Shinto offerings to deities, is now
associated with the Ikenobo School.
Today, there are around 10 Ikebana schools
represented in Australia. The Sogetsu School,
due to Norman Sparnon and the schools
creative modern approach, has gained the
greatest popularity. In contrast, Ikenobo, the
oldest known school, is more prescriptive
with fewer opportunities for those with a
more creative flair. Other schools including
Ohara, Ichiyo, Misho, Shogetsudo-koryu,
Koryu, Chiko and Adacahi have appeared
as students and teachers have returned or
moved to live here, from Japan.
Beth Higgs was one of the first students to
study Sogetsu SchooI Ikebana with Norman
Sparnon. A long-standing member of the
Ikebana International Melbourne Chapter
since its inauguration in September 1959,
she curated The Long River of Ikebana, a
stand out exhibition (Kazari 2003) tracing
Ikebana through its history and development
from its indigenous animist roots. She also
wrote an accompanying text, illustrated with
well-chosen poems, capturing the essence of
Ikebana. In the introduction she wrote:
To transform and idealise is the soul
of Ikebana. It is a uniquely Japanese
Five Elements Water (2009), Kawana Tetsunori, National Gallery of Victoria. Photo: Tony Delves
TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 1 8 N O. 2
Classical peony basket and nageire arrangement of

peonies, lotus flowers and leaves, Japan, early 18th century,
Edo period. Colours and ink on silk, with kiri haku
(sprinkled gold leaf) and gofun (powdered shell), hanging
scroll. Courtesy of Kazari Collector
combination of technique, tradition and

intuition. This attitude towards art has a
long history and its sources lie in the way
the Japanese people regard nature. For
the ancient Japanese co-existence with the
elements of nature was inherent in their
Shinto religion then, with the introduction
of Buddhism in the 6th Century, came
temples and offertory flowers placed
before the images of Buddha.
Beth Higgs account shows how the triad style,
a three stemmed asymmetric form, emerged
as the basic structure of all Ikebana to this
day. This triad, trinity or scalene geometry has
spiritual roots shared across major religions
such as Buddhism, Shintoism, Christianity
and other ancient codes. Influenced by China,
yet reflecting Shinto reverence for nature, the
arrangement of flowers, and various terms
to describe this, continued to evolve during
the Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura period
(1185-1333).
Significant developments occurred during
the Muromachi period (1392-1573) with
the third Ashikaga Shogun holding regular
flower arrangement events in Kinkaku-ji, the
famous Golden Pavilion in Kyoto. Yoshimasa,
the 8th Ashikaga Shogun, retired in 1467 to
the Ginkaku-ji, the equally beautiful Silver
Pavilion, to study meditation and foster
cultural pursuits such as No drama, tea
ceremony and flower arranging. He cultivated
the finest artists of the period including

Zen priests from the Rokkaku-do temple,
later known to be the place where the Rikka
standing style and the Ikenobo school became
established by the late 16th century.
and Daisetsu Suzukito. The professor now

teaches at Takarazuka University of Art &
Design, the only university in Japan to offer
post graduate study in Japanese Traditional
Arts where Suzuki completed her doctorate.
What typified the relatively short but

important Momoyama period (1573-1615)
was the excesses of the militaristic Shogun,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (r.1582-98), especially
in his preference for huge scale gold interior
decoration and massive flower arrangements.
Yet at the same time, this period saw the
appearance of renowned tea and flower
master, Sen no Rikyu, whose taste was
the antithesis of this. Chabana, simple yet
sensitive flower arrangements, were created
in humble tea houses constructed in gardens,
and became an intrinsic part of the evolving
rituals of the tea ceremony.
Often said to have originated in the 15th

century, her research found that the word
Ikebana didnt appear until 1764 in a book
by Ryuboku Chiba, who established the
first formal Ikebana school based on the
head master system. Chiba spoke about the
individual characteristics of plant species
used, each needing to be shown to best
advantage. Dr Suzukis research has shown
that the word Ikebana itself came from the
root IKASU meaning to bring out the full
potential of things, whereas previously the
word was assumed to originate from IKIRU
which means to live and give life.
From the mid 17th to mid 18th centuries, social

change and the development of a new merchant
class saw a corresponding shift from classical
and formal Rikka - aimed at the recreation of the
natural landscape using indigenous materials
combinations of pine, cedar, bamboo, mountain
cherry, camellias and azaleas - to a more
informal and upright Nageire style emphasising
only one material aspect of nature, either
alone or by the subtle use of a few contrasting
materials, says Higgs.
As Dr Suzuki says: in order to show the

original characteristics of the plant in an
arrangement, the arranger will have to
observe the plant carefully from all angles
with a firm determination of bringing out
the fullest beauty of the plant. In order to do
that it is best to consult with the plant itself.
In Ikebana, the arranger is required to have a
dialogue with the materials and work together
with them to make an arrangement.
Through the 18th century, new schools and

styles emerged and continued to evolve, with
women encouraged to participate. By the
early 19th century, a more relaxed approach
stressing the natural beauty of the material
used, has led to Ikebana as it is today.
Recently Dr Eiko Suzuki, visiting from
Hiroshima, was guest speaker at an event
at Kazari Collector in Melbourne, where she
demonstrated how to identify and use the
best qualities of plant material in simple
traditional Ikebana arrangements As the
only person to have gained a Post Graduate
Doctorate on Ikebana, she shared something
of her research into its deeper philosophy,
prompted by being intrigued as to why so
many Western people are drawn to study it.
As there are more than 1,000 schools now in
Japan, and the study of Ikebana has almost
become a rite of passage for young women,
she asks: How can they all be Ikebana? What
is the spirit of Ikebana that unites all these
styles of arrangements?
Answering these questions led to finding her
teacher, Professor Yukihiro Kurasawa, a world
authority on Art and Zen and a prominent
philosopher of the Kyoto school, founded by
Japanese philosophers such as Kitaro Nishida
Rosalie Gasgoigne, one of Australias foremost

contemporary artists, representing Australia in
the Venice Biennale in 1982, was another early
student of Norman Sparnon. In the catalogue
essay, Making Poetry of the Commonplace
for the recent exhibition at the NGVs Ian
Potter Centre, curator Kelly Gellatly wrote
that Rosalie Gasgoigne was to regard the
real foundations of her sculptural practice
as lying in her work with Ikebana. It is
clear that the discipline of Ikebana, which
required her to manipulate and show the
innate beauty of natural material, with an
emphasis on line, form and space within three
dimensions, informed her later work, yet she
also felt the emphasis Norman Sparnon placed
on Japanese culture and aesthetics left big
pieces of the Australian ethos out, which she
then went on to explore on her own.
Another Australian artist, Evan Demas, who
has assisted Kawana Tetsunori in the past, is
a sculptor, ceramic artist and award winning
Sogetsu School student. His work often
shares materials in common with Gasgoigne,
including industrial materials that might
show signs of decay and disintegration His
large scale installations with, and without,
plant material, has been advantaged by the
three dimensional and aesthetic training of
Ikebana.
Sogetsu School, Ikebana arrangement,

Beth Higgs (2009). Photo: Lucy Joyce
Folds, dints and bends are created to

counter the inherent geometry of the
materials including a tension between
control and chance or conscious and
unconscious activity. Architectural space is
filled with chaotic and controlled line and
mass that plays with flowing movement
and static energy.
He will work within the gallery space to
explore line, mass and space using antique
Japanese and other architectural elements,
organic and plant materials. Demas also
expresses his understanding and appreciation
of Kawanas work in this way:
but such experimentation can fall very short

indeed if material, line, colour, mass and
space are not considered or tensions balanced.
Like any discipline, this can only come with
an expert eye and extensive training: know
it well and then you can break the rules. The
human impulse to create in response to the
beauty of nature, the impermanence of the
materials, the constant tension in balancing
opposites inherent in Japanese aesthetics and
art, continues to keeps this art form alive.
Jo Maindonald is co-director of Kazari (est. 1979)
in Melbourne, dealing in Japanese and Chinese art
and antiques and recently, contemporary art. Kazari
is Principal Sponsor of Five Elements-Water, Kawana
Writing on his installation exhibition planned

for June 2009 at Kazari Collector, where both
his own creativity and aesthetics gleaned
from Ikebana and Japanese traditions will be
experienced, Demas says:
Kawanas large bamboo installations

are arranged in ways that express flow
and movement reminiscent of wave like
phenomenon such as created in water or
in unseen frequencies. The energy that
is perceived contrasts the static reality
both with the work and the surrounding
space. The bamboos slow disintegration
allows us to ponder the notion of change
and reintegration of the particular into the
universal.
Tetsunori at the Grollo Equiset Garden at NGV

International, St Kilda Rd. 15th May - 26th July.
REFERENCES
Gellatly, Kelly. 2008: Rosalie Gasgoigne, Catalogue of the National
Gallery Of Victoria.
Higgs, Elizabeth. 2003: The Long River of Ikebana, Ikebana
International, Melbourne Chapter.
Fujiwara, Yuchiku 1976: Rikka, The Soul of Japanese Flower
Arrangement, transl. Norman Sparnon, Shufunotomo Co Ltd.
Kudo Masanobu. 1986: The History of Ikebana, transl. Jay and
Sumi Gluck, Shufunotomo Co Ltd.
There is purity about Ikebana. Moving outside

the discipline can be successfully managed
EARTH TRANSMUTED : MANIFESTATIONS OF MOTHER INDIA

Jim Masselos
In India earth transmutes. It is never

constant. It becomes something it was
not, and then returns to what it was. Clay
becomes a pot, a plate, a cooking vessel or
a foot scraper. It can become a figure, be
given human shape and even turned into
something that is literally divine when artist
and priest work their diverse magic and
sacral potency so that the deity enters into
the clay image. The final step after the image
is painted and dressed is to paint in the eyes.
Then it has life, the image becomes literally
the deity in whose shape it was fashioned
and whose form it has mimicked. Installed
in homes and in public places, the gods take
their abode within the brilliant clay images.
They are in place only a few days, usually ten
or less, during popular festivals which take
over the cities, towns or villages of eastern
and western India. The gods stay installed in
state until the end of the festival when they
are carried to local beaches, rivers or ponds
and immersed. As the icons dissolve, deity
dissipates Ganesh or Saraswati or Durga
and their associates return to the clay from
which they were formed.
So Nehru combined the idea of Mother India

as motherland, with space and people. He
was about inclusion, not exclusion. All of
the land and all the people who worked and
lived on it - all were collectively Mother India.
Earth thus joined with place and personal
identity to be transmuted into the idea of a
composite and encompassing nation.
Here Nehru built on what was already a
powerful rallying symbol used in Bengal in
late 19th and early 20th century agitations
against British rule. Out of protest songs,
marches and demonstrations emerged a
notion of the territory of India as being sacred,
that Mother India was a goddess - everyones

goddess - in the struggle against the foreigner.
She was visualised as superimposed above
the map of India and soon appeared on
posters and calendars distributed throughout
the nation in making. Hers was a potent
and popular image before independence
and, as her posters show, her popularity has
continued into independent India. In recent
depictions she is always represented as a
young and beautiful woman, often standing
alone on a map of India along with her lion
vehicle. In other posters she is accompanied
by national heroes superimposed around her
they can include pre-British warrior kings,
Earth transmutes in other ways. Nehru who

became Indias first prime minister understood
the severalty of earth, its multiplicity. When
he was electioneering in villages in 1937
peasants greeted him with shouts of Bharat
Mata ki jai Victory to Mother India. He asked,
in what became a virtual Socratic interchange,
what they meant - who was this Mother
India? They were surprised. Eventually one
would answer:
it was the dharti, the good earth of
India, that they meant. What earth? Their
particular village patch, or all the patches
in the district or province, or in the whole
of India? And so question and answer went
on, till they would ask me impatiently to
tell them ... I would explain that India
was all this they had thought, but it was
much more. The mountains and the rivers
of India, and the forests and the broad
fields but what counted ultimately
were the people of India, people like them
and me, who were spread out all over
this vast land. Bharat Mata, Mother India,
was essentially these millions of people,
and victory to her meant victory to these
people. You are parts of this Bharat Mata, I
told them, you are in a manner yourselves
Bharat Mata. (Nehru 1988:60)
Varaha rescuing Earth Goddess Bhu Devi at Udaygiri, Madhya Pradesh. Gupta period (c.5th century CE).
Photo: Jim Masselos, 2008
Mother India (Bharat Mata). Tamil popular poster,

South India, early 2000s. Portvale Collection
addendum, Rama again becomes suspicious

and Sita prepares to make a public statement.
Instead the earth opens, her mother, the earth
goddess, appears, and the two disappear
underground. This time Sita does not return
and Rama is left alone. The story has been used
traditionally as a moral tale asserting chastity
and conjugal faithfulness, while recently some
feminists give it a contrary interpretation as an
exemplar of the autonomy of action possible
for women. As for artists, the Ramayana has
inspired a multitude of paintings about the
forest exile and the rescue battle, but there are
surprisingly few portrayals of the final, less
heroic episodes.
freedom fighters, nationalist martyrs, postindependence leaders and prime ministers and
present-day soldiers defending the frontiers.
She is impressively powerful, bedecked with
weapons. There is no weakness in her despite
her beauty. Nor does her stance suggest nonviolence; rather it implicitly urges battle and
struggle, confrontation against the nations
enemies.
Bharat Mata is not the only goddess associated
with earth and territory. There are others who
go back much further. In early Hinduism, the
earth was viewed as a potent goddess often
associated with the sky to form the couple,
Sky-Earth (Dyava-Prithivi). A basic formative
myth explains how she acquired the name:
because Prithu, the first king and inventor
of agriculture, forced the earth to yield crops
and feed people she was called Prithivi, or
the domain of Prithu. (Danielou 1964:87)
Again, in the story is the idea of transmuting
- of earth into food and plenitude.
Prithivi or Bhu Devi (Earth Goddess) plays
a different role in the Ramayana, because of
her daughter, Sita, the name itself meaning a
furrow dug in the earth during farming and
suggestive of fertility. Sita is a central figure in
the story through her marriage to Rama. They
are forced into forest exile, she is abducted by
the demon Ravana and is taken to Lanka, and
is eventually rescued. The couple return to
their kingdom but Rama is jealous since Sita
has been in another mans house. That Ravana
had treated her impeccably while she was his
prisoner is irrelevant. Eventually Sita throws
herself on a pyre to assert her innocence. Her
virtue is so profound the flames do not hurt
her and Rama takes her back. There the story
should end but in the final part, possibly an
The earth goddess has a more central place

in Hindu theogony than her deus ex machina
role in the Ramayana suggests. As the wife or
senior consort of God Vishnu she is important
as the nourisher of life and in ensuring the
stability of the universe. In South Indian
temples honouring Vishnu, she is there
beside him, standing on his right, with a
junior wife (i.e. a younger consort) on his
left. Such groupings are among the finest of
the many superb bronze statues produced
in the 11th or 12th centuries in Tanjore.
They have a mannerist grace, are lithe and
majestic, and restrained despite their message
of omnipotence.
Bhu Devi is also a passive actor in one
of the defining episodes in the cornucopia
of Hindu myths, those relating to Vishnus
incarnations when he rescues the world
from chaos and destruction. In his third
incarnation he assumes the gigantic form of
a boar (Varaha) at a time when the earth was
submerged under the ocean. At the bottom
is the goddess earth, made captive by the
demon Hiranyaksa in his underwater palace.
Varaha dives deep, rescues the goddess and
brings her up to the surface on his tusk. She
then floats on the ocean and it is her floating
which becomes the earth as we know it.
In another version, one without a demon,
Vishnu sees a lotus leaf standing up out of the
ocean and realises there may be something
below. He assumes the boar form, dives to the
bottom where he finds the earth, takes part of
it to the surface on his tusk and spreads it on
the lotus leaf. The earth was thus something
that was spread or which became, hence her
name, Bhumi. (Danielou 1964:168)
Whichever version, the Boar incarnation
was particularly popular as a religious

icon
some 1500 years ago. Among the many
depictions of the story in the Gupta period, is
an outstanding one from Udaygiri in central
India outside Bhopal. Dated to the 5th century
it is a large bas relief carved on the wall of a
shallow cave and depicts Varaha with a

human body and a boars head. Hanging
from his right tusk is Bhu Devi, dwarfed
by his size and momentum he is still
pushing up through the waters of the ocean,
as suggested by the wavy lines on the wall
behind him and equally by the contained
breath held within his chest. The carving
conforms to the iconographic precepts of the
day but transcends them to create a singularly
expressive icon. The modelling of Varahas
torso and the contrast between the two figures
capture Varahas unstoppable, unconquerable
energy and tells all that is needed about the
victory over destructiveness, the masculinity
of Varaha and the femininity of Bhu Devi, and
the achieving of new beginnings. It is after all
about creation, earth, land, and ultimately all
that lives.
Another masterly stone sculpture is a 6th
to 8th century enormous image of Shiva,
Mahadeva (the great god), in a cave on
Elephanta Island in Mumbai harbour. Its three
heads portray different modes or aspects of
Shiva. The one on the right shows the gentle,
the feminine in Shiva; in the centre is Shiva
as a transcendental encompassing deity; the
third shows his ferocious, destructive side.
Not seen is the uncarved head on the fourth
side in the rock nor an invisible fifth head
atop all four, which unites them into a single
encompassing icon. Together this is all that is
Shiva. From a distance the outline of the three
heads echoes the shape of a lingam, Shivas
aniconic form, one of which is elsewhere in
the cave in a shrine on its own.
On first viewing, the Mahadeva appears to be
merely a very large bust, a torso composed
of heads, shoulders, and top chest even if
impeccably carved. But there is something
else: part of Shivas hands are carved as
if emerging from the rock below. This
suggests a different reading, making this
monumentally sized sculpture monumental
in a different sense: in the daring of its
conception. The sculpture has been created
to be understood as a complete figure whose
body is still largely in the earth below and
from which it is emerging. As is the case with
Uluru we see only a part, not the whole. The
artists who carved Mahadeva have created
an extraordinary conceit, a kind of gigantic
three-dimensional trompe doeil, to convey a
sense of Shivas emerging presence.
The Mahadeva is a prime example of idea
and form merging, blending into one
affect. It is an image that entirely conveys
an interpretation that has Shiva, as Stella
Kramrisch puts it, as being immanent in
the element earth and as such fully realised
God Ganesh on the way to immersion at Chowpatty

Beach, Mumbai. Photo: Jim Masselos 1961
no precedents to guide their work, the form

of the depiction is not common, nor is it
conventional. It is unique in Indian art. Its
achievement comes from the interplay on
the senses between what is there and what
is not, between the seen and the not seen,
and between that which is out of the earth
and that which is in it and is to appear. The
tension created by this interplay intensifies its
overall impact.
time. After all, the metaphysic of Elephanta

was once a new concept to be explored
and passed on. Presumably, as Indian artists
continue to define and represent evolving
traditions and new approaches, something
as basic and as multiple as earth will find her
place in their art.
Jim Masselos is Honorary Reader, School of
Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, University of
Sydney. His most recent book is The City in Action.
Earth had a primary role in classical Hindu

thinking in that it was considered one of the
basic elements, one of the building blocks
that make up the material world. It has also
had, as the examples discussed here suggest,
a place in many other kinds of speculation.
There is the cosmological in terms of earth
creation myths; the metaphysical; the
religiously speculative and the devotional;
the socio-economic in relation to farming
and fertility; and the political in terms of
nationalist symbolism.
in his basic reality. (Kramrisch in Meister

1984:5) Putting metaphysics and the esoteric
aside, the portrayal of Mahadeva manifesting
from the earth is a feat of artistic imagination
and a triumph for its creators. There were
Bombay Struggles for Power, 2007.
REFERENCES
Danielou, A. 1964. Hindu Polytheism, Bolligen, New York
Kramrisch, S. The great cave temple of Siva in Elephanta in
Meister, M.W. (ed) 1984. Discourses on Siva, Vakils, Feffer and
Simons, Bombay.
Nehru, J. 1988. The Discovery of India, Oxford University Press,
Delhi.
As always, art and ideas are interlinked and

no more so than in the way earth has been
given meaning in Indian creativity over the
centuries. That art used ideas now considered
traditional but it also presented whatever
new ideas and approaches were current at the
R & V Tregaskis
Oriental Antiques Pty Ltd
30 years experience
by appointment only
buying & selling quality objects
expert valuations
Exhibiting at the AAADA Fair, Wharf 8,

Sussex Street, Sydney, August 19th - 23rd
see website for updates
www.tregaskis.com.au
Phone 9979 7162
Email rtregaskis@gmail.com
A fine bamboo brushpot, Kangxi, 1662-1722,

seal mark of Yuan Xuan, ht 14.5cm.
Member of the Aust Antique Dealers Assoc

Approved to Value Oriental Antiques for the Aust Govt's Cultural Gifts Program
SKETCHING MOUNT NAMSAN

Peter Armstrong
the Mongols burnt the buildings

W hen
of Hwangryongsa (Hwangryong temple)
(553-1238) in their sustained invasions from
1231, it was the greatest temple of the Silla
capital, Kyongju (BC57-AD936) and one of
the wonders of East Asia. Nine centuries later,
sitting among the foundation stones of its
Geumdang (Golden Hall) looking across the
platform of the nine storey pagoda, Namsan
fills the landscape with its misty blue bulk
defining the southern extent of the city, its
brooding presence changing with the seasons,
the weather and the time of day. While
neither large nor high in terms of the peaks of
Korea, Namsan has a majestic and pervasive
presence in the urban landscape of Kyongju.
Its foothills begin behind the palace fortress,
extending 10km to the south and rising to
a modest 468 metres, with its slopes cut by
some 17 deeply folded granite valleys, richly
vegetated above the deeply scoured water
courses at the base.
Namsan is the southern of the four mountains
with fortresses located at the cardinal points of
the compass, which controlled access to the Silla
capital, each overlooking one of the major roads

leading to it. Of these fortified mountains, only
Namsan held more than a military function.
While famous for its remaining Buddhist
statuary, Goindol (dolmen tombs) at its eastern
base reveal an earlier history and an earlier
religion, when shamans mediated between
men and the gods and protected the city.
Following the adoption by the Silla kingdom
of Buddhism as state religion in 535, the
spiritual care of the city passed to the Buddhist
gods of the four quarters, the four devas who
protect the faithful from evil. Close to the foot
of the north end of the mountain lie the ruins
of their temple, Sacheonwangwsa (Four Devas
temple). Under excavation since 2007, the scale
of the temple can be seen from the foundations
that have emerged from the fields that have
covered them for a thousand years.
Namsan became a sacred precinct where the
safety of the nation and the sovereign was
invoked through the multiplicity of Buddhist
temples, monasteries and retreats that covered
its slopes, valleys and ridges. From the finely
figured and coloured granite of the mountain,
a library of Buddhist art was carved or painted:

from freestanding images to frescos and images
growing from the forms of the rock itself. The
images vary in scale from the colossal to the
miniature, and locations vary from exposed
ridges to hidden grottoes.
A millennium has passed since 918 when
the Koryo Dynasty assumed power and
moved the capital north, leaving Kyongju
as a provincial capital. Through political
upheaval and the changing fortunes of the
Buddhist faith, only the foundation stones of
Namsans original structures remain, leaving
the sculptures as evidence of past glory. These
monuments still retain qualities that bring to
mind the spiritual fervour of a lost Buddhist
community and the role of the mountain in
the defence of the city from both earthly and
spiritual forces.
The mountain is criss-crossed with routes
which walkers use in combination depending
on time, season and inclination. In spring
the mountain azaleas cover the slopes with
pink blossoms, and the mountain turns a
Upper south side of Bucheobawi (Buddha Rock) in Tapkol
10
Stone pagoda of Neumbibong
deep rust colour in autumn. There are ancient

routes and paths along all the ridges and
valleys connecting monuments known and
yet undiscovered, and there is a bewildering
range of possibilities for the walker. Every
route reveals unexpected monuments and
images, many still venerated by the local
people who leave their offerings before the
sculptures as their ancestors did.
Sitting on the foundation stones of
Hwangryongsa, the central ridge of the
mountain fills ones view. To the south-west
can be seen the entrances to the successive
valleys rising from the rice fields which now
cover the ancient city streets. Crossing the
Namcheon (Nam river), the road follows
it round the base of the mountain to a fork
leading to the third of the eastern valleys, now
known as Tapkol (Pagoda valley). Walking
beside a modest creek through the village into
the forested lower slopes of mountain, there
is an unprepossessing approach to a small
temple, Ongnyongam. As one follows the
path up the valley past the temple buildings
a large crag blocks the way forward. At
closer view, the faces of the crag, Bucheobawi
(Buddha Rock), are covered with incised
reliefs, while at its summit a stone pagoda of
the Silla style is partly visible. The rock faces
portray the Pure Lands of the four Buddhas,
set at the cardinal points.
On the upper southern face of the rock is a

sculpted Buddhist triad facing a terrace on the
ridge, with a stone pagoda characteristically
standing guard at the highest point. It is the
largest Korean carving of its type, portraying
bodhisattvas set in idealised landscapes.
From stylistic similarities of these images
to those found in China in the Southern
Dynasties period, it is thought that the
original temple on this site, Shininsa, existed
in the era of King Hyoso (692-702). The nine
metre high north face has incised images of
two timber pagodas over which floats an
image of Sakyamuni Buddha seated on a

lotus flower. While the archaeological and
literary records have provided some data
regarding the lost pagoda Hwangryongsa,
it is thought that these images are the only
record of its appearance, and will be used in
current proposals for its reconstruction.
In the forest above Tapkol are hidden the
remains of the 8th century fortress, Namsan
Shinseong. Only small parts of the wall remain
and the foundation of two large storehouses.
The path to it begins at the memorial to a Silla
11
Scholars pavilion of Sochulchi
scholar who, after succeeding in the Imperial

Examinations, became a member of the Tang
bureaucracy in China. It rises steeply up the
ridge, the remains of the Namsan Shinseong
barely visible in a forest of red pines. Emerging
to a spectacular panorama of the main ridge of
the mountain, the stone pagoda of Neumbibong
dominates the scene, part of the temple complex
which once stood in the valley below. These
monuments, miniature stupas, mark principal
Buddhist sites on the mountain, and form an
integral component of the Namsan landscape,
uniting its natural and spiritual elements.
At the base of the eastern flank of the mountain
is Sochulchi, a lotus pond over which is
suspended an elegant scholars pavilion.
Following the road past the site of the ruined
temple Namsansa, the route leaves the fields
and, entering the Ponghwagol (Fire Alarm
Beacon Valley), narrows to a track leading
upward into a deep valley that becomes
increasingly dark and overgrown. The track
culminates in a steep set of 130 steps, rising
to Chilbulam or the retreat of the seven
Buddhas. Once a great temple, it has the most
complete ensemble of statuary remaining on
the mountain. A Buddhist triad is carved into
a granite rock five metres high. The majestic
central figure is flanked by two bodhisattva,
with further figures sculpted into the flanks.
Pieces of sculpted granite lie scattered about
the site, indicating the scale of the buildings
that once sheltered the Enlightened One from
the elements as he gazed out over the eastern
edges of the capital.
Behind the group, the mountain rises
symbolically to the clouds. Following the path
and climbing higher using fixed ropes, some
12
40 metres above the group is perhaps the

most photographed image on the mountain.
A bodhisattva gazing east to the Tonghae
(East Sea) symbolically floats on the clouds
above the triad below. It is cut into the wall,
with only a small platform and altar in front.
Holes in the granite indicate that a rail once
protected pilgrims from the cliff edge, but
both rail and shelter have long disappeared.
An ideal place for contemplation, only the
most hardy of monks could have survived
the rigours of both access and the Korean
winter. On reaching the ridge above, and
following south to the surviving foundations
of the Joseon Period (1392 -1910) fire alarm
beacon, there is fine a view looking down on
Chilbulam in its splendid setting.
The summit of Namsan is the peak named
Kumho-bong, a golden ridge that defines the
midpoint of the main ridge of the mountain.
From this point there are many routes to
both east and west, all of which are dotted
with monuments from the Silla period. This
multitude of riches takes many expeditions
to visit, and each has its pleasures. Some
routes are travelled by both local people and
tourists, while others are neglected. Among
the latter is the Yaksugol (Mineral Water
Spring Valley) route. Overgrown and with
fixed ropes, the route once contained three
temples in the valley, overlooked by a great
Buddha figure. Headless, it stands some 17
metres high, finely engraved into a natural
outcrop high on a ridge near the summit.
Despite the passing of some 1200 years, the
finely chiselled drapery still hangs elegantly,
and the hands are raised, teaching the dharma
to those who pass by. The separately sculpted
head was originally fixed by an iron bar
to the neck, the empty hole for the bar still

collecting water. Whether the bar rusted and
the head fell through neglect, or whether
it was deliberately severed by invading
Mongols or Joseon Dynasty bureaucrats is
unknown. A lost foot was recently discovered
and replaced, completing the body of the
Buddha. There is still hope that the head may
lie buried in the valley below, and that it may
be ultimately be reunited with the torso.
With a faint sense of sacrilege one uses the
rope to drop down beside the figures raised
hand, to follow the narrow track past the
remains of the temples. The path follows the
watercourse down until it turns into a creek,
finally entering the upper rice fields where it
irrigates the fields according to season. Path
turns into road and finally a bus stop, and
after a short bus ride the distant world of Silla
is washed away in the hot water of the public
bath and the busyness of the modern city.
Peter Armstrong teaches in the Faculty of
Architecture, Design and Planning at the University
of Sydney. He was made an honorary research
fellow of the Korean Governments National
Kyongju Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in
2005. All illustrations in this article are taken from
sketches made by Peter Armstrong on his many trips
to Namsan.
REFERENCES
Adams, E.B. 1979. Kyongju Guide, Seoul International Tourist
Publishing, Seoul
Korean National Commission for UNESCO (ed.). 1998. Kyongju:
City of Millennial History, Hollym Seoul
Yun, Kyong Nol. 1994. Namsan, Buddha land Company, Seoul
BEIJINGS ALTAR OF EARTH AND ITS RITUAL CERAMICS

Iain Clark
Part of a side altar setting using replica bronze vessels and an arrangement similar to those
used at the Altar of Earth. Confucian Temple, Beijing, 2008. Photo: Iain Clark
he Asian collections at the Art Gallery of

New South Wales include several highly
distinctive Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912) imperial
monochrome ceramic ritual vessels made
in the 19th century for use at Beijings Altar
of Earth. This article outlines the historical
context of Beijings Altar of Earth and its
unique ceramic ritual vessels.
Chinas use of distinctive vessels in ceremonies
of sacrifice was already well established in the
Western Zhou Dynasty (1027 - 771 BCE) (Lau
1993: 83), where the rulers and members of
the aristocracy knew the importance of ritual
in maintaining authority and their place in
society. The hierarchy of the ruling class on
earth, with the king and his ministers, was
imagined to be a reflection of that above,
where heavens Supreme Ruler on High
held court with a number of subordinate gods
(Ma 1986: 24). The heavenly court, together
with imperial ancestors, were all due respect
and homage in order to sustain spiritual
and political order within the earthly realm.
Difference in rank, both amongst the gods and
their earth bound devotees was demonstrated
not least by the number and size of ritual
vessels, which at that time were cast bronze.
The ritual vessels were highly symbolic both
in form and decoration, becoming media
through which the rulers believed they might
communicate with the gods and their ancestors
to ensure the prosperity, harmony and general
well-being of society (Ma 1986: 28).
The Rituals of Zhou and the Book of Rites
provide contemporary descriptions of state
ceremonial occasions during the Zhou
Dynasty and instructions on how the emperor,
the Son of Heaven, should offer sacrifices on
behalf of the state to Heaven, Earth, the Sun,
the Moon, imperial ancestors, and guardian
spirits of the State, Agriculture and Harvests
(Lau 1992: 83).
Beijings Altar of Earth was established in 1530
by the Ming Emperor Jiajing (r. 1522 -1566).
When the Ming Emperor Yongle (r. 1403 1424) planned the city in the early 1400s, all
state rituals involving heaven and earth were
intended to be conducted at the Altar of Heaven
(Chan 1992: 87) and only subsequently were the
separate altars we see today constructed.
Unlike the circular Altar of Heaven, the north
facing two-tiered Altar of Earth is a square
platform surrounded by a moat and enclosed

within a double wall, all conforming to a
complex web of ritual, custom and regulation.
This set of requirements determined
everything related to the rituals, notably
the colour, form, number and position of
sacrificial utensils.
Tiles on the walls surrounding the Altar and
on the roofs of ancillary buildings should, like
the emperors robes and ritual ceramics, all be
yellow, the colour of the soil. All the numbers
used in the measurements and elements of
the Altar are even, yin, numbers, just as at
the Altar of Heaven, all the number used in
measurements are uneven and yang (Chan
1992: 90).
Sacrifices at the Altar of Earth took place on
the summer solstice, the 21st day of the 6th
lunar month, when yin forces were in the
ascendant with shortening days (Chan 1992:
90). They involved prayers written on yellow
paper, specially slaughtered animals and
yellow ritual silks, all of which were buried
at the conclusion of the ceremony, unlike the
Altar of Heaven where the offerings were
burnt.
The character of the imperial worship at the
Altar of Earth was substantially the same as
the Altar of Heaven, except that the spirits
worshipped were those of the mountains,
rivers and seas. The ritual and worship
performed at the Altar of Earth should not be
confused with Daoist, Buddhist or Confucian
practice. It was a ceremony of state, performed

only in Beijing, with the Emperor as the only
priest (Simpson 1874: 175).
The first Ming Emperor, Hongwu (r. 1368 1398) decreed in 1369 that ceremonial vessels
used in state sacrifices should be made of
porcelain, rather than gold, silver and bronze
which had, until that time, been the case
from antiquity. It appears that this change
coincided with an increase in the number of
ritual utensils required and made the time
and cost of producing vessels less onerous.
The Ming records, in particular the Da Ming
Huidian compiled in the 16th century used the
following names, generally drawn from archaic
bronze vessel shape names (Lau 1992: 86):
Bian, Deng, Dou, Fu, Gui, Jue, Xing,
Zhan, Zun.
Apart from the Jue and Zun, no examples
of Ming Dynasty ceramics conforming to
these shapes are known. Research based
on diagrams in the Da Ming Huidian now
proposes (Lau 1992: 92) that during the Ming
dynasty, the Bian, Dou, Fu and Gui archaic
shapes were replaced by plates or dishes and
the Deng and Xing with bowls, whilst the
traditional shape names were retained.
Ming Dynasty records also confirm that
there were strict regulations regarding the
choice of colour for these ceramics (Lau 1992:
83). Colours were assigned to the different
13
Altar vessel Fu, mark and period of Tongzhi (r. 1862 1874). Porcelain with yellow glaze, 27.4 x 30.0 x 23.0cm.
Collection: Art Gallery of New South Wales, purchased 1987
principal altars as follows: deep blue for the

Altar of Heaven, yellow for the Altar of Earth,
white for the Altar of the Moon and red for
the Altar of the Sun.
The unique monochrome ritual vessel forms
we see today first appeared during the high
Qing, when Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736-1796)
was in the midst of a campaign to rebuild
and refurbish Beijing, the like of which has
not been seen since, until the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Games.
Qianlong supervised over many years a
review of the state ritual system, regulating
important aspects including the ritual utensils.
This work culminated in the Illustrated
Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of
the Qing Dynasty, printed first in 1766. The
Regulations set out in great detail not only
the sacrificial vessels, but also the costume
and jewelry, musical and astronomical
instruments, flags and banners and even
weapons involved in state rituals at many
altars, temples and palaces, including the
Altar of Earth.
The Regulations also describe the ceramic
utensils to be used at the Altar of Earth,
including the number of each type in the 10
separate settings on the Altar (see p15).
The Bian covered stem bowl is not included
here since, in the Illustrated Regulations, it
is a vessel made from bamboo rather than
ceramic material.
It appears that the diagrams in the Illustrated
Regulations were heavily influenced by
a Song Dynasty catalogue, the Xuanhe
Illustrated Guide to Antiquity (Medley 1959:
11), which listed 839 bronzes collected by
Emperor Song Huizong (r. 1100-1125 CE) (Yu
2007:5), the greatest of all Chinese collectors
before Emperor Qianlong. Further, the design
of ritual vessels is part of a wider movement
during the 18th century to adopt archaic
themes in decorative arts, reflecting the
Emperors view of his place in history.
According to the Illustrated Regulations,
yellow coloured ritual ceramic vessels were
not used exclusively at the Altar of Earth. This
helps explain why today, the yellow coloured
vessels are by far the most often seen. On the
other hand, red coloured vessels of identical
form and decoration made for the Altar of the
Sun are extremely rare.
During the succeeding reigns of the Qing
Dynasty, it appears from surviving examples
that the court in Beijing ordered new vessels
only to replace those lost or broken over the
Altar vessel Dou, mark and period of Jiaqing (r. 1796 1820). Porcelain with yellow glaze, 29.0 x 16.5cm.
Collection: Art Gallery of New South Wales, purchased 1967
14
years, rather than to mark the enthronement

of a new emperor. (Records of the orders
themselves and the extent to which they
survive remain to be investigated.)
Consequently, while many examples of
monochrome ritual ceramics are marked
Qianlong and examples of all shapes can be
found today with Qianlong marks, complete
sets of vessels from the succeeding reigns are
unknown.
This family of highly distinctive monochrome
yellow, ritual ceramic vessels made for

ceremonial use at the Altar of the Earth
in Beijing helps draw us into a web of
Chinese history and culture stretching back
into antiquity, with links and connections,
references and allusions beyond imagining.
ancillary buildings in the park have been

extensively rebuilt since the 1980s, and the
ritual ceramic vessels on display are modern
replicas, but many ancient trees, witness to so
many magical ceremonies, survive.
Iain Clark is a collector and independent researcher
And the Altar of Earth, the setting for

imperial rituals for nearly 500 years may still
be visited in Beijing today. Ditan Park covers
40 hectares just outside the Second Ring Road
to the north of Beijing City. The Altar and
with special interest in Qing Dynasty imperial

monochrome ritual ceramics.
REFERENCES
Chan, Charis. 1992: Imperial China, Penguin Books
Huangchao liqi tushi, Illustrated Compendium of Qing Rituals. 1766:
Guang Ling Press, Yangzhou, 2004.
Deng
Dou
A covered
A covered
Lau, Christine. 1993: Ming Ceremonial Monochrome Wares,
stem bowl for
stem bowl for
Colloquies on Art & Archeology in Asia No. 16, Percival David
offering meat.
offering meats,
The cover has a
the cover
Foundation of Chinese Art
solid, spherical
with an open
Ma, Chengyuan. 1986: Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Oxford University
knob.
twisted rope
Press
Qty: 10
handle.
Medley, Margaret. 1959: Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial
Qty: 112
Paraphernalia of the Qing Dynasty, Oriental Ceramic Society

Simpson, William. 1874: Meeting the Sun: A Journey All Round The
World, Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer
Wang, Guangyao. 2003: A Brief Discussion of Porcelain Ritual
Vessels in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing Palace Museum Journal, 2003
No 2, Volume 106
Yu, Huichun. 2007: The Intersection of Past and Present, The
Fu
Gui
Qianlong Emperor and His Ancient Bronzes, Dissertation to
A covered
Like the Fu, this
Princeton University
rectangular
is a covered
and angular,
vessel, but
straight
rounded and
sided vessel
the lid with
for cereal
four winged
offerings.
feet. It too
The cover can
would contain
stand on its
cereal, possibly
wavy flange.
rice.
Qty: 20
Qty: 20
Jue
Xing
A three legged
A covered
drinking
three legged,
vessel for
deep bowl with
wine offerings,
two dragon
closely
head handles
following
for soup. The
a bronze
domed cover
precursor.
has three leaf
Qty: 30
like flanges
matching
the feet.
Qty: 8
Zhan
Zun
A plain
The Zun wine
wine cup.
storage jar
Qty: 120
has no surface
decoration. It
has two animal
head handles.
Qty: 10
15
I N S P I R AT I O N A N D I N T E R C H A N G E : T H E J A PA N E S E - A U S T R A L I A N P O T T E R Y C O N N E C T I O N
Janet Mansfield
Mitsuo Shoji, Platter. 2008. Stoneware. 45 cm/wide. Cudgegong Gallery, Gulgong. Photo courtesy of Cudgegong Gallery
he teachings of Bernard Leach, Soetsu

Yanagi and others of the Mingei
movement in Japan found resonance with
potters during the 1960s and 70s in Australia,
and around the world. Statements such as
Losing oneself in ones art in order to find
oneself, whether directly through tradition
and hard repetitive work as a journeyman
potter, or by the intense search and selfdiscipline of satori or self reintegration,
inspired many a hopeful potter.
The principle of becoming a complete

person with the correct training through a
master potter, the acceptance of ones own
character, and to earn ones living through
ones work were attractive philosophies in
the burgeoning craft movement of the day.
The pilgrimage to Japan began and aspiring
potters took the opportunity to travel there,
staying either months, like myself or, in some
cases, years, often overcoming hardships but
believing fully in the proposition that this was
the right way for them. We had read Bernard
Leachs A Potters Book (1940, Faber & Faber)
and his A Potter in Japan (as quoted above,
1960, Faber), and then came Yanagis The
Unknown Craftsman (1972, Tokyo).
These books and others that came out
subsequently served to reinforce our purpose.
Returning potters gave lectures, wrote articles
and took on their own apprentices in the
Japanese style, further encouraging the desire
to experience such training. Les Blakebrough,
Milton Moon, Peter Rushforth and others
were both articulate and persuasive in their
attitude to Japan.
Les Blakebrough became a student of Kanjiro
Kawei in Kyoto, and has continued to explore
the beauties and subtlety of porcelain. Milton
Moon spent a year in Japan in 1974 and
returned many times to study with Zen
masters. His Zen meditation practice is
reflected in the way he brings a sense of
serendipity to his pottery, and the way his
pots have an ability to make his audience seek
to understand the ideas behind them. Peter
Rushforths ceramics, with their distinctive
Jun-glazed surfaces on platters and blossom
jars, explore the calmness and naturalness
that is the hallmark of the Japanese Mingei
school philosophy.
My own work has been inspired by East Asia,
where the forms used for flowers or scholars
16
rocks, popular in Japan and China, are made

with use, containership or contemplation in
mind. As with so much successful Japanese
ceramics, they seek to be in harmony with
nature.
While many Australian potters obtained their
inspiration directly from training in Japan,
Japanese potters and Mingei proponents such
as Shoji Hamada and Soetsu Yanagi were
invited to Australia to lecture and teach and
their philosophy was given an enthusiastic
reception. When Shiga Shigeo, then Hiroe
Sven settled in Australia, the connection
was confirmed. Shiga returned to Japan
after 13 years residency but continues to
act as a bridge between the two countries
through exhibitions and visits. Hiroe Sven,
with her precise Kyoto style and flawless
craftsmanship, set an example for women
to be recognised in the field of ceramics in
both countries. Later, Mitsuo Shoji settled in
Australia, working and teaching at the Sydney
College of the Arts, exhibiting his work and
generously inviting colleagues from Japan to
spend time lecturing in Australia. Heja Chong
was another admired and respected female
potter who had trained in Bizen ceramics in
Okayama, Japan.
Collections of Japanese art in major Australian
state museums and galleries as well as those
in private homes were also influential, some
collectors even building Japanese style tea
houses and gardens. The practice of the tea
ceremony, with its emphasis on tea bowls and
the attendant forms of water containers, vases
for ikebana, incense burners and tea caddies,
has persisted prominently in the range of
wares produced by potters. These are forms
that can date back to the simple styles of
the tea master Sen no Rikyu or the more
decorated and relaxed, even deliberately
deformed, pots promoted by Furuta Oribe.
Both styles, established in the second half of

the 16th century, are still in favour. So too
are the styles of Shino, Tenmoku and Seto,
all familiar to practising potters today. The
tea masters set the taste for the day, and
they possibly still do. And vessels for the tea
ceremony perhaps set the style for the making
of functional wares.
Pilgrimages to Japan by Australian potters
usually include visits to the six old kiln sites
of Shigaraki, Tokoname, Bizen, Seto, Tamba
and Eichizen. Here one can be immersed in
the history of ceramics and see a range of
contemporary domestic wares: different styles
and shapes to match the variety of foods
presented, a wealth of ideas for future practice.
But the inspiration for Australians has not
only been focused on the domestic. Yasuo
Hayashi, Japanese ceramic artist who visited
Australia in 1991 to conduct workshops at
the Canberra School of Art, spoke about
his involvement as one of the founders, in
1948, of the Shitokai school of contemporary
ceramics, a breakaway group which took
an experimental approach to working with
clay. The Sodeisha movement followed seven
years later, under the leadership of Kasuo
Yagi and the Kyoto school. These breaks
with traditional ceramics represented a new
attitude towards visual art and altered the
expected use of ceramic materials, while
still taking advantage of the centuries old
techniques of making and firing. Avant-garde
works remain tied to clay and its valued
processes and offer a new framework in
which the traditional and the experimental
in Japanese ceramics provide inspiration to
potters worldwide.
Since 1986, the municipality of Mino, Gifu
Prefecture, centred around the town of Tajimi,
has offered substantial prizes for ceramics,
Shiga Shigeo, Group of Three Pocelain Jars. 2006. Boutwell Draper Gallery.
Photo courtesy of Boutwell Draper Gallery Surry Hills NSW
in categories both of design and art. Held

every three years, and attracting thousands of
entries, a number of Australian ceramists have
submitted their work to this international festival
and competition. In 1996, on the panel of judges,
I noted five Australian finalists among the 180
selected from more than 3000 works. Again,
three years later, and on the judging panel
again, there was similar success for Australian
ceramic artists. This festival, held in an area
of historical ceramic significance and home
to many potters, Japanese and international
including Australian, celebrates the birth of
Shino and Oribe ware in the 16th century,
but also recognises the ground-breaking new
styles that inject vitality into works made
today, individual and industrial. This history of
ceramics is heady stuff for Australian potters in
a country whose history is so recent.
Visits to Australia by Japanese ceramic artists
continue as well as reciprocal visits to Japan.
My first visit to Japan was in 1970 and since
that time I have held two solo exhibitions
in Tokyo and one in Kyoto, as well as a
number of group exhibitions. During these
visits many connections have been made,
followed by visits to Australia by Japanese
ceramists. One memorable visitor was Ryoji
Koie, invited to Gulgong for a project on my
property in Gulgong, NSW, in 1995. One of
the most avant-garde of Japanese ceramists,
he is a consummate artist interested in current
events, influenced by everything from the
bombing of Hiroshima to functional work
using local materials however rough and
natural they may be.
Another visitor was Rokubei Kiyomizu, an 8th
generation Kyoto potter, and a prizewinner
at the Sidney Myer Ceramic Awards in

Shepparton, Victoria. Kiyomizu works as a
sculptor using clay to make fine slab forms
with sharp refined edges; he calls upon
science and art to bring yet another direction
to Japanese tradition. Takeshi Yasuda, trained
in Mashiko, Japan, and now resident in China
at the Pottery Workshop, in Jingdezhen, is
always a welcome visitor to Australia. As a
master demonstrator in 1993 at the National
Ceramic Conference in Adelaide, he will again
be an honoured guest at the 2009 Triennial
Ceramics Conference to be held in Sydney in
July. Yasudas work combines the traditional
and the experimental, it gives functional work
a new vitality, is bold and sensual, made with
passion and spirit. There is an intellectual
quality to Yasudas work, an element all good

pottery should contain. It draws upon all the
qualities that inspired Australian potters to
study Japanese ceramics and which influenced
our work in the first place.
I would estimate that the connections between
Japan and Australia in relation to ceramic
art involve hundreds of exchanges: visits,
workshops, conferences, events and further
study. Long may this connection continue.
Janet Mansfield is a ceramic artist and author.
She is President of the International Academy of
Ceramics based at the Ariana Museum, Geneva,
Switzerland. She lives in Gulgong, NSW.
17
TRANSFORMATION: THE WORK OF TAKAHIRO KONDO

Trevor Fleming
Orkney Monolith Series, 2008, Kondo Takahiro. Slab formed porcelain withgintekisai(silver mist glaze).
Transformation Exhibition at 101 Collins St, Melbourne. Photo: William Hung. Courtesy of Lesley Kehoe Galleries.
he work of Takahiro Kondo draws

one into the otherworldly sphere of
Zen Buddhist transience. One time, One
meeting- ichi-go ichi-e - from the philosophy
of tea practice, holds that all encounters
are unique and decisive. As a chawan (tea
bowl) presents as a physical metaphor for a
pathway to enlightenment, so do Kondos
works magically capture spiritual life
energy and evanescence deriving from the
transformation of clay.
One has a sense of a perpendicular axis,
vertical rather than horizontal. A monolithic
object connecting the skies and the firmament,
heaven and earth, says Kondo explaining
the inspiration behind his Monolith series.
(Kondo 2008) During his stay in Scotland
he viewed the ancient standing stones and
the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney. On the mist
covered primeval structures, he observed
the connection of earth, sky and, of course
water. Kondos work is concerned with the
transformation of earthly elements. Porcelain
is derived from clay, and glass from sand,
with fire the transforming catalyst.
Takahiro Kondo (b.1958) is the third generation
of a renowned family of ceramicists. His
grandfather, Yuzo Kondo (1902-1985) was
named a Living National Treasure in 1977 for
his work in sometsuke, or underglaze cobalt
blue decoration. Despite being surrounded by
a pottery tradition from a young age Kondo
did not come to ceramics until 1986. While his
early ceramics followed the more traditional
techniques favored by his grandfather, he
quickly established his own artistic voice with
the Time & Space series before developing
the gintekisai silver mist technique and
experimenting with new media, particularly
metal and cast glass.
Silver mist is able to capture the concept of
water in a state of flux, much like the everchanging passage of time. He does this by
dealing with two things that are normally
antithetical: fire and water. Gintekisai is an
overglaze technique that comprises silver,
gold, platinum and glass. After the piece is
formed and the underglaze colour is applied,
gintekisai is painted on and the piece re-fired,
crystallising the surface. Kondo remarks,
this is the sense in which I am using fire
to create water. (Kondo 2008) The versatile
manifestations of silver mist are astonishing:
some pieces stand with apparent dense
18
condensation or ice; others with long dripping

effects redolent of a rain soaked window.
The use of glass in many of Kondos pieces
expresses his preoccupation with water in
all its forms. While undertaking a Master
of Design at Edinburgh College of Art,
he studied cast glass techniques. He has
since used glass not as an addition, more a
significant feature. His smaller works reflect
the tension between opposing colours and
geometrical planes. They are drawn together
by cast glass and pate de verre variations that
extend the exploration of the water theme.
Importantly, Kondos use of glass does not
dominate the porcelain but instead augments
the work - a beacon of light atop an earthen
bound object.
Australian audiences had their first
opportunity to view Kondos works at two
exhibitions hosted by Lesley Kehoe Galleries
in the magnificent foyer of 101 Collins St and
in the showrooms of Deutscher and Hackett
in Sydney, as well as at Hamilton Art Gallery,
Victoria. In total, 16 pieces were created
for the Australian exhibitions including six
works from the Orkney monolith series.
The monoliths in the Melbourne show were
placed in 101 Collins water ponds casting
majestic reflections and like the stones of
Orkney, inspiring a meditative response.
works; the National Gallery of Victoria is to

acquire two spectacular monolith works from
the show, and a smaller vertical piece is to be
donated to the National Gallery of Australia.
Kondos works are also represented in many
private and public collections.
Despite his pedigree, Kondo thinks of himself
as a contemporary artist using sculpture as
context for sharing sensibilities. He challenges
the notion that using porcelain compels one
to be bound by rules of functionality. This
artistic philosophy has similarities with the
contemplations of the avant-garde Sodeisha or
Society of Running Mud, founded in 1948
by Yagi Kazuo, and advocating form over
function in ceramic art. Similarly, Kondo seeks
to transcend the ceramic as functional art
paradigm. In particular, his monolith series
are purely sculptural works that lean towards
the notion of concept art and autonomous
artistic expression and away from the world
of functional wares. Importantly however,
Kondo remains true to the medium, to that of
clay and that of earth.
Trevor joined Lesley Kehoe Galleries in 2001and
has had extensive work experience in Japan.
He holds a BA (Asian studies) with a Japanese
language major, and is currently undertaking a
Masters Degree in Arts Administration.
REFERENCES
The highly successful Transformation
exhibition was viewed by an estimated 5000
people. Hamilton Art Gallery has added to
their impressive collection of contemporary
Japanese ceramics, now owning three Kondo
Wilkinson, J: Takahiro Kondo, Time & Change. Ceramics Art &

Perception, Issue 65, 2006
Aoyama, W: Japanese Ceramics Now #2, www.yakimono.net 2004
Kondo, T: Mist. DVD Presentation 2008
IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN: AN IZNIK TILE IN THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

Paul Donnelly
Plate from Saunders 1987, Pl. 3, manipulated to show equivalent section to Powerhouse tile removed.
Courtesy of Victoria & Albert Museum and with thanks to Jean-Francois Lanzerone for manipulation
be grateful that high points

W ein should
world history frequently remain
represented long after their demise by
splendid survivors of art, literature and
music. The height or classic phase of the
imperial style of the Ottoman Empires long
rule can be seen in an Iznik tile of c.1575 in
the Sydney Powerhouse Museums collection
It was purchased in 1983 along with 35 others
from the region using funds from the Patrons
of the Powerhouse Museum.
Within a century of Ottoman control of
Byzantine Constantinople, the rebuilding into
Istanbul began apace. It was the construction
of the Sleymanye Mosque (beginning 1550)
that prompted a dramatic demand for tiles,
met for the next half century by the Iznik
workshops situated 100 kilometres to the
south west of the capital. Iznik already had
a history of ceramic production as ancient
Nicaea but it found renewed fame through
experiments in crafting a stark white body of
quartz (silica and frit) in imitation of Chinese
porcelain, and decorating it with a startling but
controlled palette of black-outlined designs in
sealing wax red, turquoise, blue, purple, and
green. The designs were dominated by the
celebrated red, which stands out proudly on
the tiles surface. Its first dateable occurrence
is on a mosque lamp of 1557 (Atasoy et al.
1989: 224).
The Powerhouse tile fits stylistically with
this height of Iznik production in the last
half of the 16th century. Between 1550 and
1620 some of the most celebrated monuments
were completed under Sleyman II (the
Magnificent, 1520-1566) and his immediate
successors, including the Sleymanye
Mosque, sections of the Topkapi Palace in
Istanbul, and the mosque of Rstem Pasha.
The crucial link in this period was Sinan
(1489-1588), the justly famous and prolific
chief Ottoman architect.
The Powerhouse tiles crisply applied and
fired motifs are in the hatyay style, dominated
by a combined turquoise serated saz (reed)
leaf and tulip with quarter palmettes at
opposite corners in purple and sealing wax
red respectively. Tying the design together
are Chinese-inspired sprigs of blue and red
prunus flowers on brown stems with one
idiosyncratically snapped at an angle to
fit the field. Gratifyingly while researching
this article a perfect match was found with
examples drawn in situ at the Ayub Ansari

(Eyp Sultan) mausoleum complex in Istanbul
(Saunders 1987: 11, pl. 3). Comparison of the
Museums tile with the illustration showed
for the first time that the Powerhouse tile is a
rectangular portion cut on two sides leaving
approximately 55% of the original square
tile. Closer scrutiny of the tile itself shows
the glaze of the uncut sides gathering along
the edge whereas the glaze of the cut sides
end abruptly. Interestingly only one of the
cut sides is angled at 90 degrees, whereas the
other cut side mirrors the manufactured sides
in being undercut at 75 degrees.
Topkapi Palace for example it is known a

number of rooms had been improved during
the 18th century by replacing Iznik tiles with
Dutch Delft. Such are the vagaries of novelty,
but it is just such activities that have released
tiles to the market and institutions. When
we remember that constructions such as the
Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmet contained
approximately 20,000 tiles, it is easy to imagine
opportunities when maintenance and change
have released tiles such as this gem now in
the Powerhouse Museum collection.
Dr Paul Donnelly is a Curator of Design and Society
at the Powerhouse Museum. His doctorate focussed
It is safe to guess the Powerhouse tile was

trimmed either through necessity at the time
it was originally used, or because it was
damaged during removal and the edges
straightened later for sale. The mosque,
mausoleum and bathhouse architecture upon
which tiles were affixed is typically complex
and tiles frequently required cutting to fit
around pillars, and within panels, mihrabs
etc. The difference in finish of the cut sides
of the Powerhouse tile might be significant in
suggesting different times for the trimming:
possibly a combination of pre and post use.
on Bronze Age earthenware vessels of the Levant.
REFERENCES
Atasoy, Nurhan, and Julian Raby, 1989. Iznik: The pottery of
Ottoman Turkey, Alexandria Press with Thames & Hudson, London
Denny, Walter B. 1977. The ceramics of Rustem Pasha and the
Environment of change, New York, 1977
Denny, Walter B. 2004. Iznik: the artistry of the Ottomans, London
Saunders, Gill, 1987. Tile Paintings. Victoria & Albert colour books,
Webb and Bower, London
Petsopoulos, Y., 1982. Tulips, Arabesques and Turbans: decorative
arts from the Ottoman Empire, Alexandria Press, London
Tile designs were usually commissioned for

specific projects and while it is not impossible
that the same tiles were used on another
building it is exciting to speculate that the
Powerhouse tile had been removed during
renovations of the Ayub Ansari at some stage
in its renovations over the centuries. In the
19
O N C E U P O N A M I D N I G H T: T H E O Z A S I A R O C K M U S I C A L
Alex Vickery-Howe
L to R: Composer/musician Tim Lucas; Kango, the Kappa (Shimabukuro Hiroyuki); Yoshiki the Tengu (Tenchou) a
nd Scratch, the werewolf (Chris Asimos) in opening number Bring on the Night. Music Town, Okinawa City, July 2008.
Photo: Tomoaki Kudaka. Courtesy of Kijimuna Festival office
n 2007, Adelaides OzAsia Festival gave

focus to Australian artists relationship
with Asian cultures. The work in the
inaugural festival ranged across retrospective
reflections of Asian migrants, such as Anna
Yens poignant Chinese Take-Away and Hung
Les tongue-in-cheek I Still Call Australia
By Phone, the experience of Australians
with diverse cultural backgrounds, such
as Australian-Chinese artist William Yang
exploring his cultural roots in China, right
through to direct encounters between
different cultures, most notably Julie Jansons
Eyes of Marege, a collaboration between artists
from Sulawesis Teater Kita Makassar and
Australian Indigenous performers.
But what of the next generation of artists? The
strong presence of young people at the Moon
Lantern opening of the festival demonstrated
their enthusiasm for cross-cultural engagement.
How does the emerging generation of
Australian artists engage with their Asian peers
in a globalized age with Internet file sharing, a
viral pop culture and a transnational flow of
references in film and television?
In 2008, Once Upon a Midnight set out to
address that question. The third collaboration
between the Flinders University Drama Centre
in South Australia, and the Kijimuna Festival
in Okinawa, Japan, Once Upon a Midnight, a
bilingual rock musical with a fantasy setting,
tells the story of the worlds most frightened
child, cardigan-clad teenager Kelsey Clarke.
Kelsey, played by Lauren Henderson, is afraid

of everything around her, including her own
relatives and household appliances. Her
older brother, Ryan (Matthew Crook) tries to
cure her phobias by giving her Nozomi (Mai
Kakimoto), a fierce Japanese warrior-doll, as
a 14th birthday present. When the lights go
out, Nozomi springs to life and lures Kelsey
into an underground world of magic and
monsters. The Underground is threatened
by the well-meaning Blue Fairy, Angelica
(Michelle Pastor) and only by teaching the
worlds most frightened child to conquer
her fear can Nozomi and her friends prevail.
Through Nozomi, Kelsey learns to overcome
not only her fear, but her small-mindedness,
prejudice and self-doubt.
It was in early 2006 that the projects producer,
my teacher and friend Julie Holledge,
approached me with the unexpected question:
How do you feel about Japanese monsters?
Holledge had previously collaborated with
Japanese artists on Masterkey (1998 Adelaide
Festival, 1998 Perth Festival) and with Butoh
performer Tomiko Takai on Exile (2000). In
partnership with Hisashi Shimoyama, the
producer of the Kijimuna Festival, students of
the Drama Centre had performed in bicultural
productions Culture Shock (1994) and Red Sun,
Red Earth (1996). Once Upon a Midnight was
a new kind of challenge. The production
not only had a specific focus on youth
culture but the cast itself was comprised of
7 Australian and 7 Japanese performers, the
majority of whom are in their twenties. We
set out to create a nightmare world on stage
- a subversive space where werewolves,

vampires, vultures, tengu and ningyo make
suitable travelling companions, but fairies
show no mercy! (Once Upon a Midnight
publicity 2008)
Heavily influenced by anime and punk rock,
musical director Tim Lucas, translator Ken
Yamamura and myself as writer combined
our skills to develop a narrative and a style
that would appeal to a contemporary youth
audience, whilst at the same time travel
across cultural and linguistic barriers. Ken
Yamamura explains our rationale:
People will see Kelsey finding her courage,
and see her friendships, and understand
that no matter what culture you come from
it doesnt mean that others are evil. This is
what I think the play is about. That should
be very clear for all of us.
Under the direction of Australian Catherine
Fitzgerald, with choreography by Japaneseborn performance artist Yumi Umiumare,
the production played to sold-out houses
in both Okinawa, as flagship production of
the 2008 Kijimuna Festival, and Adelaide, as
runaway hit of the 2008 OzAsia Festival
(Adelaide News, 29 September 2008).
The narrative was born from a desire to
explore the cultural other, to acknowledge
difference and awkwardness and precipitate
a frank cross-cultural engagement. At first,
this journey appeared to be similar for the
artists involved.
Nozomi, the Ningyo(Mai Kakimoto)vs Yoshiki, the Tengu

(Tenchou). Music Town, Okinawa City, July 2008. Photo:
Tomoaki Kudaka. Courtesy of Kijimuna Festival office
20
Nozomi (Mai Kakimoto) and Kelsey Clarke (Lauren

Henderson) travel to the Underground. Music Town,
Okinawa City, July 2008. Photo: Tomoaki Kudaka.
Courtesy of Kijimuna Festival office
centred on much of the slapstick and physical

humour which was, ironically, inserted during
rehearsals to aid cross-cultural understanding
and to lighten the tone for youth. In Japan
young audiences expressed appreciation for
the Australian actors attempting Japanese
and found the results amusing, but it was still
the dark and dangerous characters of Nozomi
and Damon who were singled out and asked
for autographs. Such feedback is important
as the question of how theatre can capture
youth as a unique and valuable culture,
vital to the future of the art form, is ongoing.
For Mai Kakimoto, who performed as the

sword-swinging Nozomi, the production was
a first encounter with westerners. Mai had
travelled from her home in Tokyo to Naha
city in Okinawa to take part in the show.
While her English language skills developed
dramatically over the rehearsal period, she
was initially perplexed.
On the first night, I was invited out to dinner
with the cast. I stepped outside and there was
this bunch of foreigners. I had never really
seen westerners outside of TV. I didnt know
what to say, or how to behave I didnt know
who was who, or what to call everybody. But
I was very happy and excited.
What young Japanese and Australians

demonstrated effectively in this instance, both
as artists and as audience members, was a
remarkable ease when crossing linguistic and
ethnic boundaries. The common other were
previous generations.
Early interactions were tentative in this way.

Those who spoke both languages were in
high demand as artists from two cultures
tiptoed around each other. It was only when
our translation crutch was removed that
communication became more fluid.
(The production is) not really cross-cultural
if I translate it all. Its just literal, you get the
meaning but theres no communication. I was
tired so I thought, why dont I just let it go?
Let them communicate it actually worked
and it was much better. (Ken Yamamura)
At this point, early in the rehearsal process,
the core strength of Once Upon a Midnight
proved to be its youthful and adaptive cast.
Actor, Melissa Matheson, observes:
It only took a day or two to break the
ice with each other. I was very surprised
(because) all of us were very nervous about
the language barrierWe seemed to mingle
quite easily without using words so much as
drinking games or television, or quirky sign
language. Actually, I found the generation
gap became more dominant while working.
Whilst the character of Kelsey floundered
in the dark, the young performers swiftly
bonded and found common ground. A shared,
nostalgic interest in the Back to the Future
trilogy, watched together after rehearsals, and
Disney songs sung at karaoke became easy
icebreakers. There were collective childhood
references, from Astroboy to Miyazaki, and
the Australians quickly developed a taste for
popular Japanese music, fashion, slang and
Match, the drink of champions.
Close relationships based on connections
between individual personalities blurred the
Japanese/Australia dichotomy, the divide
upon which the production and festival were
based. Fear of the other, that most visceral
yet childish of emotions, reflected in the
news media, retained by older generations

(for whom the Second World War is still
fresh) and subtly reinforced by social norms,
evaporated in the summer heat.
Within the rehearsal room, performers shared
physical and vocal warm-up techniques. The
Japanese demonstrated their skill in crafting
dynamic, physical characterizations; the
Australians demonstrated a textual approach,
working analytically through a dissection of
the text, creating their characters from the
inside out. Pop culture references and humour
not only continued to be the shorthand of our
day-to-day interactions but a sense of the fun,
the reflexive and the shared was imbedded in
the text. I was pleased when members of the
audience chuckled at, for example, a tonguein-cheek reference to Mister Miyagi from The
Karate Kid, a character who lived in Okinawa.
Whereas Kelseys story had been intended
to bridge the gap between East and West,
sharing ideas outside the rehearsal space led
the young Japanese and Australian artists
to take their connection beyond this simple
journey and question the relevance of the
East/West divide altogether.
Similarly, the young audiences, largely
High School groups, voiced a much stronger
interest in the productions portrayal of
contemporary youth culture than in the crossnational aspects. In Adelaide, they requested
the adventure be presented darker and
harder in subsequent productions, revelling
in Nozomis relationship with blood-crazed
vampire Damon (David Hirst) and Kelseys
flirtation with the dark side, but disregarding
the cheesy aspects of the staging. Their gripes
An emerging generation of artists, and the

audiences they draw, interact in a different
style, with a different set of guiding principles,
from those that have come before. Where the
exploration of ethnic difference lies at the heart
of much past cross-cultural collaboration,
and many theories have been drawn around
the dichotomy of East/West, the future of
theatrical partnership may deconstruct those
binary opposites.
Likewise, Oz/Asia is a dichotomy that puzzles
second and third generation teenagers of
Asian descent who wonder which camp they
should join. The question of how the emerging
generation of Australian artists engages with
their Asian peers, the question that spawned
Kelseys adventure, led to further, more
complex questions about youth identity in a
globalised world. There are new stories to be
told on that front.
The encounters between the participants in
Once Upon a Midnight opened the doors for
candid, honest communication. Theatre, in
this way, functions not only as an on-stage
cultural exchange, or as spectacle, but as a
means to bring groups together and facilitate
forthright dialogue. Youth and youth culture
have a unique voice to lend, chaired by a new
generation of exciting artists.
Alex Vickery-Howe is a South Australian author and
playwright currently completing his PhD in Drama at
Flinders University,Adelaide.
REFERENCES
Once Upon a Midnight publicity 2008.
http://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/ozasia/
Adelaide News, 29 September 2008.
http://www.adelaidenews.com.au/oz-asia/
21
E X H I B I T I O N R E V I E W: F R O M T H E H A N D S O F O U R A N C E S TO R S
Maryellen Hargreaves
Headdress, earlymid 20th Century, Atara Ermera, silver alloy, 1.5 x 15 x 17cm, MAGNT Collection (SEA 03541).
Image courtesy of Museum & Art Gallery Northern Territory
his comprehensive exhibition features

objects from the newly formed National
Collection of Timor-Leste together with
holdings from the Museum and Art Gallery
Northern Territory. Exquisite carved ancestral
figurines and ceremonial house doors,
crafted jewellery, hand-woven textiles and
earthenware vessels are presented along with
contemporary two-dimensional art, videos
and interactive multimedia.
At the heart of this exhibition is the
preservation of the material marks of
[the islands ancient] cultures as stated
by His Excellency Xanana Gusmo in the
exhibitions stunning, tri-lingual catalogue.
The exhibition recognises Timor-Lestes rich
artistic inheritance through celebrating the
survival of its cultures following decades of
destruction and conflict. Also illuminated
by the exhibition are the ingenious skills of
Timors artisans.
The curatorial strategy, employed by
Joanna Barrkman the exhibitions curator,
uses complementary opposites as a visual
distinction, delineated by colour and space.
The concept of duality, which underpins
Timorese culture ushers the visitor between
the esoteric and mundane worlds presented
in From the Hands of Our Ancestors, providing
an insight into the nuanced cultures
of Timor. In a study of Timorese society,
anthropologist David Hicks observes it is
the inter-relatedness of opposites, such as
earth and sky, sacred and profane, sun and
moon, feminine and masculine, that give
them their true meaning. (Hicks 1976:107).
Upon entering the gallery, vibrant orange
walls sweep the visitor into the expansive,
worldly realm of light, life and masculinity.
Here a series of ancestral figurines, customarily
used as grave markers intended to honour clan
ancestors stoically appear. Alongside these
figurines, hand-woven ikat and supplementary
weave textiles are displayed, reflecting Timors
regionally diverse textile virtuosity.
In contrast to this dynamic, expansive space is
an inner blue walled chamber that resonates
as the sacred realm of darkness, death and
femininity. Emulating a Timorese ceremonial
house, entrance into this chamber necessitates
passing a series of ornately carved doors
of totemic crocodiles, mermaids and rulers
that traditionally guarded the doorways of
22
ceremonial houses within which rituals were

performed to pay homage to the ancestors.
A set of beautifully carved roof finials feature
prominently inside this chamber. The finials,
originating from the Lospalos region, are an
iconic emblem of the distinguished culture
of the Timorese people (Barrkman 2008:92).
Each finial features a carved bird, symbolic of
the clans ancestral spirits. When in situ these
extended from the house roof and soared up
into the sky. Annual purification ceremonies
occurred in [these] houses whereby rainwater
was poured down from the roof, between
the finials, into the ceremonial house and
onto the clan members gathered inside. The
act of pouring the water between the birdadorned finials symbolised the blessing and
purification by the clans ancestors of the
water and their descendants (Pers comm.
Simith V, 22 Nov. 2008).
Returning Home and Independence Day that

remind the viewer of the nations volatile
history.
A DVD entitled Living Cultures provides a
nation-wide overview to intangible cultural
practices and a musical sound-scape that
permeates From the Hands of Our Ancestors.
Together with interactive media featuring
other collections of Timor-Leste material
culture in Europe, these remind the viewer
that the marks of Timors cultures, although
scattered, endure as a lasting reminder of a
distinguished Timorese past.
From the Hands of Our Ancestors: Husi Bei
Ala Timor Sira Nia Liman continues until 12
July 2009 at the Museum and Art Gallery of the
Northern Territory, Conacher St, Bullocky Point,
Darwin.
Maryellen Hargreaves is a post graduate student,
Also housed in the exhibitions inner chamber

is a selection of Timorese body adornment.
Traditionally worn for ceremonies, gold and
silver jewellery articulates the cosmic world
of complementary opposites. The kai bauk
headdress represents the feminine waning
moon whilst the belak breastplate denotes the
masculine sun. A side chamber presents aspects
of enmity protection, including an array of
wooden face masks and a female warrior.
Upon exiting the blue chamber, the visitor
returns to the mundane sphere to view vessels
of sustenance, consisting of earthenware pots
and woven fibre containers. A selection of
contemporary art illustrates the emergence of
a distinctive visual art movement by Timors
youth. They provide a personal insight into
the mayhem of Timors recent past with titles
such as Santa Cruz Massacre; Leaving Dili;
undertaking an Honours degree in Creative

Arts and Industries at Charles Darwin University,
Northern Territory.
REFERENCES
Barrkman, J. 2008. Husi Bei Ala Timor Sira Nia Liman From
the Hands of Our Ancestors, Museum and Art Gallery Northern
Territory, Darwin, p. 92.
Gusmo, X. 2008. Husi Bei Ala Timor Sira Nia Liman From
the Hands of Our Ancestors, Museum and Art Gallery Northern
Territory, Darwin. p.11.
Hicks, D. 1976. Tetum Ghosts and Kin, Waveland Press Inc. Illinois,
p.107.
Rothwell, N. 2008. Our neighbours heirlooms, The Australian, 21
November 2008.
Personal communication with V. Simith, 22 November 2008,
Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Darwin.
Traube, E. 1986. Cosmology and Social Life, Ritual Exchange among
the Mambai of East Timor, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago
and London.
B O O K R E V I E W: T H E A N C I E N T TA L E O F A J A V A N E S E B U D D H A - P R I N C E
Pamela Gutman
Sutasoma The
Ancient Tale Of A
Buddha-Prince From
14th Century Java
by Kate OBrien
Orchid Press, Bangkok
time many variations have evolved. In this

epic version the poet has elaborated on the
original story and added new characters and
episodes, setting the tale in a Javanese milieu
and imbuing it with a uniquely Javanese
world-view.
2008.
Available from The Asia
Bookroom, Canberra.
rrp A$64.95
Kate OBrien is well-known for her scholarly

yet accessible elucidation of Tantric themes in
the literature, art and architecture of Java and
Tibet. Many will recall her lectures on Candi
Jago as an illustration of the theory of the
union of means and wisdom in the attainment
of enlightenment. Her latest work relates the
story of Sutasoma as told in Mpu Tantulars
epic Old Javanese Buddhist kakawin or poem,
written in the 14th century at the height of the
Majapahit empire, and discovers, again, the
underlying theme of means and wisdom.
The poem follows Prince Sutasoma, born an
incarnation of the Jina-Buddha Wairocana, on
both his spiritual journey to enlightenment
and his temporal journey through marriage,
kingship and eventual victory over the
mighty, world-threatening demon Porusada.
Sutasomas subduing of the demon is wellknown throughout Buddhist Asia and over
Apart from being a journey to enlightenment,

this is also a love story and a moral story telling
of the fight of righteous kingship against evil.
A series of minor wars leads to an eventual
showdown, a world-threatening conflict and
conflagration that would do justice to many
a movie epic. OBrien presents an updated
and complete translation which presents
the reader with a highly approachable and
lively rendition of this epic, comparable in
complexity and scale to that of the Ramayana,
yet significantly less known or understood.
the key to his success as a World Protector

and Universal Monarch.
Today the Sutasoma is still studied by masaban
groups as it has been for many generations.
It continues to be a popular subject in the
art of Bali. OBrien has selected her profuse
illustrations from those adorning the ceiling of
the Bale Kambang of the Taman Gili, the water
garden of the palace at Klungkung in Bali, as
well as from the modern repertoire of Balinese
painting. The Tantric aspects of the text are
explained through diagrams and illustrations
of mandalas in Tibet and Ladakh. Sutasoma is
recommended reading not only for specialists
but for those who wish to better understand
the literary and religious background to Balis
incomparable culture.
Pamela Gutman is an Honorary Associate, School of
OBriens accompanying analysis reveals a

fascinating aspect of the poem, until now
not fully explored. Aside from its function to
elucidate the compatibility of Buddhahood
and kingship, it also reveals what amounts
to a literary mandala, as complex and as
philosophically rich as the beautiful mandala
images of Tibetan Buddhism, yet firmly
rooted in the Javanese milieu of the Majapahit
polity which gave rise to this version of the
ancient tale. It is this literary mandala that is
the path to Sutasomas enlightenment, in turn
Letters, Art & Media, University of Sydney.
E X H I B I T I O N R E V I E W: N A M B A N G !
Ann Proctor
There is still a chance to catch Nam Bang!, an
intelligent and visually engaging look at the
post- Vietnam war era. The exhibition continues
at Casula Powerhouse until June 21.
Vietnam War and ultimately create a space

for reconciliation and healing. The key note
speaker at the conference was Lucy Lippard,
the renowned USA writer, activist and curator.
Nam Bang! includes 25 artists from Vietnam,

Australia, North America, Europe and other
Pacific and Asian nations. In the words of
the curator, Dr Boitran Beattie-Huynh, the
exhibition sets out to explore the aftermath of
the Vietnam War from global and generational
perspectives. Using a wide variety of media,
the artists address a range of issues from
traumatic stories, a critique of the post-Vietnam
War policies, to the positive aspects of a more
tolerant, multicultural world. The exhibition,
and two-day conference held at the Casula
Powerhouse on April 17-18, investigate the
complex representation of the aftermath of the
Works in the exhibition include a documentary

project, Memories of the American War by William
Short b. 1940, who served in Vietnam in 1969 and
who now lives in Los Angeles. This collaborative
work presents a heart-broken review of the war.
Another outstanding work is the installation by the
French based Vietnamese artist Tran Trong Vu (b.
1964) who uses layers of suspended plastic sheets
painted with vibrant images to cleverly expose the
absurdity of all wars.
Ann Proctor is a Lecturer in Asian Art at the National

Art School, Sydney.
23
THE 2ND ASEAN TRADITIONAL TEXTILE SYMPOSIUM

Gill Green
Participants to the symposium on the steps of the National Museum of the Philippines. Photo Gill Green
1-3 February 2009, Manila, Philippines.
The National Museum of the Philippines was

the venue for this symposium, co-hosted with
the Museum Foundation of the Philippines.
The ASEAN Foundation/Japan ASEAN
Solidarity Fund provided primary funding
supported by Himpunan Wastraprema
(Indonesia), the symposiums founding
organization and host of the first symposium
in Djakarta in 2005.
The theme, Habi: Sustaining Traditional Textiles
of the ASEAN, discussed ways of promoting,
preserving and maintaining sustainability of
plant fibre production, weaving and dyeing
methods deeply rooted in the cultures of
ASEAN communities. Invited speakers
from the 10 ASEAN nations - Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore
Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
and Vietnam (Cham and highlands) - shared

their knowledge and possibly frustrations
in keeping traditional fibre production and
use alive. Speakers from Iran, Guam and
Australia also participated.
The variety of plant fibres used in these
traditions - cotton, abaca (banana leaf fibre), pina
(pineapple leaf fibre), and even fibres stripped
from hibiscus plants and rattan canes are a
testament to the ingenuity of traditional peoples
in the ASEAN community in utilising materials
to hand. Lengths of cloth woven from these
fibres were offered for sale in the Marketplace
held over the three days of the event. A group
of Bagoba women from south central Mindanao
wearing their traditional wrap round skirts
of woven abaca fibre patterned in warp ikat
were welcomed and performed traditional
dance providing a context for appreciating
their costume and traditions. A number of
demonstrations of traditional handweaving
were arranged. A backstrap loom weaver from
Myanmar and a Cham weaver demonstrating
the unusual Cham frameloom - operated from
the side rather than from one end - exhibited
their skills.
A fashion show of modern designs using
only pina cloth rounded off the symposium.
Invited modern designers demonstrated
that this exquisite, fine cloth, painstakingly
made by hand could be transformed into
supermodel clothing for the modern day.
24
Their skill emphasized continuity with

their predecessors who, using pina, created
Spanish-style gowns in past centuries as well
as the long sleeved shirt barong tagalog which
remains the formal garment for Philippino
men today.
The concluding activity was the signing
of an Agreement on the Establishment,
Organization and Management of the
ASEAN Traditional Textile Art Community.
This agreement commits the signatories to
recognise that the continuity of traditional
Southeast Asian textiles lies in the reintegration
of textiles back into the life and culture
of the people. Integral with these aims is
recognition of Living National Treasures
in weaving; monitoring ethical practice in
entrepreneurial schemes and identifying
textile areas in danger of extinction.
The next symposium is planned for
2011 with Malaysia the host nation. The
organisers plan to publish the papers from
the 2009 symposium on the HABI website
in the near future. http://aseantextiles09.
museumfoundationph.org/
Gill Green was an invited speaker at the
Symposium. She is Vice President of TAASA and
convenor of TAASAs Textile Study Group.
RECENT TAASA ACTIVITIES
TA A S A M E M B E R S D I A R Y
JUNE AUGUST 2009
TAASA NSW
Textile Study Group
At our April meeting we had the

opportunity to view the antique Uzbeki silk
embroidered wedding bed cover purchased
by Textile Study Group members in memory
of Dee Court. This textile has been donated
to the Powerhouse Museum collection.
Nicky Court, Dee and Peter Courts eldest
daughter told of her trip to India with her
husband and son, and spoke movingly of
their journey to scatter Dees ashes in the
Ganges.
TAASA book launch - 26 February
Around 50 people gathered in Barbara

Rogers Gurner St Paddington gallery for the
launch of Gill Greens latest book Pictorial
Cambodian Textiles. Gill, introduced by
TAASA President Judith Rutherford, gave
an interesting overview of her research
for this book, and described her visit to
Phnom Penh, where the National Museum of
Cambodiapresented the first exhibition of its
textile collection, and provided the venue for
the Cambodian launch of her book, hosted by
the Australian Embassy.
TAASA QUEENSLAND
On 9 May, TAASA Committee member

Philip Courtenay organised a half day
Seminar at the Queensland Art Gallery in
conjunction with ACAPA (Australian Centre

for Asian and Pacific Art). Dr Baoping Li ,
Bob Maher (collector) and Ruth McDougall
(ACAPA) participated in the program. A
report follows in the next TAASA Review.
TAASA VICTORIA
TAASA members walkthrough: Dressed
to Rule: Imperial Robes of China,
National Gallery of Victoria International,
26 April 2009
Ruth Clemens, collector of Chinese Imperial

costume and textiles, took TAASA members
through the NGVs current Asian art exhibition
Dressed to Rule: Imperial Robes of China. Ruth
revealed the layers of meaning encoded
in the robes on display, through symbols
embroidered and woven into the sumptuous
fabrics, the structure of the garments, and the
use of colour and composition in the robes
decoration. She explained how costume
and accessories, including rank badges,
shoes and hats, designated the status and
cultural identity of the wearer, and how
this differentiation blurred at the end of the
Qing dynasty. It was a fascinating discussion
that enhanced members enjoyment and
understanding of the exhibition, curated by
Dr Mae Anna Pang, Senior Curator of Asian
Art. The exhibition runs to 6 September.
TAASA VICTORIA EVENTS
Other worlds: Tai textiles - 13 June 2009

Speaker: Russell Howard
Venue: Behruz Studio, 1509 Malvern Road,
Glen Iris, Phone: 95102282
Russell Howard, collector of Tai textiles
from Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
and Burma, will discuss the textiles he has
collected from his most recent trip to the
region. The textiles will be on display in the
exhibition Other Worlds, at Behruz Studio
11 27 June.
Traditional arts of Uzbekistan: Cities
and museums of the Silk Road - 7 July
Speaker: Laura Jocic
Venue: To be confirmed
Laura Jocic is Curator, Australian Fashion
and Textiles, at the National Gallery of
Victoria. She is also a collector of and
specialist in Central Asian textiles and
costumes. She takes annual tours to
Uzbekistan and in this talk will discuss
the museums, markets and textiles she has
encountered on her journeys. Enquiries:
Carol Cains 03 8620 2288
TAASA NSW EVENTS
TAASA NSW Textile Study Group

All meetings 6-8 pm, Briefing Room,
Powerhouse Museum. Forthcoming program:
10 June: Show and Tell bring a piece
of Asian jewellery with a story.
29 July: Liz Williamson The Significance
of Shawls and Scarves.
No meeting in August.
All enquiries contact: Gill Green 9331 1810.
TAASA Symposium on Jewellery
and Adornment of Asia - 25 July,
Art Gallery of NSW
This full day seminar will explore a range of
tantalising topics: ritual SE Asian ornaments,
Central Asian nomadic adornment,
sumptuous Indian jewellery, Kingfisher
feather ornaments in the Chinese Imperial
court and more. Includes free entry to the
AGNSW Silk Ikats of Central Asia exhibition.
Brochure is included in this issue.
Cities of the Silk Road - 5 September,
Powerhouse Museum
This one day event is the next in TAASAs
series Great Cities of Asia. Five speakers
will present views of Central Asian cities,
long celebrated for their role as trading
centres along the Silk Road.
Examining the textile donated to the Powerhouse Museum. L-R: Melanie Pitkin, Assistant Curator, Society
and Design, Powerhouse Museum, Cilla Warre, Peter and Nicky Court, Roz Cheney. Photo: Gill Green.
25
WHATS ON IN AUSTRALIA AND OVERSEAS : JUNE AUGUST 2009

A SELECTIVE ROUNDUP OF EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS
Compiled by Tina Burge
AUSTRALIA
NEW SOUTH WALES
Littoral Drift
University Technology Sydney Gallery, Sydney
2 June 3 July 2009
Brings together artists based in India,

Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia who
use photography and video to explore how
coastal areas, shores and rivers have been the
settings for human exchange for centuries.
Curated by Matt Cox, artists featured include
Nadiah Bamadhaj, Tejal Shah, Krisna Murti,
Yee I-Lann, Ricky Maynard and Simryn Gill.
For more details go to: www.utsgallery.uts.
edu.au/gallery
Silk Ikats of Central Asia. From the collection
of the Islamic Arts Museum Kuala Lumpur
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2 July - 11 October 2009
Robes, tunics and textile panels from the

late 19th century display the remarkable
artistic achievement and technical virtuosity
of Ikat silk designers, dyers and weavers
of Central Asia. For more details go to:
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Arts of Asia - Decoding Dress
Tuesdays 1-2pm, Term 2 from 28 July 2009
The second term of the Arts of Asia 2009 series

focuses on modern Asian dress and begins
on 28 July with Antonia Finnanes lecture,
Barbarian and Chinese: dress as difference
in Chinese art. For a full listing go to www.
artgallery.nsw.gov.au/events/courses where
course bookings can also be made.
Japan Studies of Australia forum - Japan,
China, Elsewhere: Literary and Cultural
Interplay in Pre-modern and Early Modern
Japan
13 July 2009 from 1 - 5pm
In this Japan Studies of Australia Association

pre-conference event, six scholars in the
fields of art history, literature, intellectual
history and theatre, explore the ways in
which the Japanese imported, appreciated,
and interpreted an imagined Other over the
course of a millennium.
See: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/events/
26
SANAA: Kazuya Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa

- an architectural intervention
Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation
3 July 26 September 2009
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The contemporary Japanese architects

Kazuya Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa will give
Sydneysiders a first-hand glimpse of their
architectural aesthetic at the Foundations
gallery in July.
For further information go to:
www.sherman-scaf.org.au
This ongoing exhibition features paintings,

sculpture and decorative arts dating from
around the 12th century to the modern era,
made possible through the loan of 15 rare
works from the private Tibetan art collection
of Alan Myren and Lee Grafton. The highlight
of the display is eight Buddhist religious
paintings (tangka).
www.artgallery.sa.gov.au
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Husi Bei Ala Timor Sira Nia Liman
From the Hands of our Ancestors
The Traditional and Contemporary Art
and Craft of Timor-Leste
Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Darwin
22 November 2008 - 12 July 2009
Features 138 works from the National

Collection of Timor-Leste, presented
internationally for the first time since the
nations independence in 2002, complemented
by the Timor-Leste collection of the Museum
and Art Gallery Northern Territory and loans
from other public and private collections.
www.nt.gov.au/nreta/museums
Tibetan Buddhist Art

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
VICTORIA
Dressed to Rule: Imperial Robes of China
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
17 April 6 September 2009
Exhibits imperial robes of China from the Qing

Dynasty (16441911). Mostly drawn from
the NGV Asian Art Collection, the exhibition
features robes as well as accessories worn by the
Qing Emperors and members of the imperial
court, combining Chinese elegance with the
nomadic barbaric splendour of the Manchu.
A series of lectures to complement the
exhibition include:
QUEENSLAND
Frame by Frame: Asia Pacific Artists on Tour
A travelling exhibition from the Queensland
Art Gallery
Gold Coast City Art Gallery from
16 May 28 June 2009
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery from
15 July 23 August 2009
Showcases 50 photographic and moving

image art works by leading contemporary
Asian and Pacific artists from the Queensland
Art Gallerys Asia Pacific Collection. See:
www.gcac.com.au and www.bundaberg.qld.
gov.au.
Small acts
Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art
25 July 15 November 2009
Features artists videos, including early works

by Nam June Paik and Yoko Ono as well as
contemporary works by artists including Tsui
Kuang-yu, Ghazel, Kimsooja and Song Dong.
www.qag.qld.gov.au
21 June at 2.30pm, Ruth Clemens: Beauty,

Pain and Pleasure The History of Foot
Binding In China.
3 July at 12.30pm, Leslie Uren: Silk and Metal
Thread in Traditional Chinese Embroidery.
31 July at 12.30pm, Alan Black: Silk -Trade
& Emperors.
21 August at 12.30pm, Mae Anna Pang: Cosmic
Symbols and the Emperors Robes.
For more information about programs
associated with the exhibition, go to:
www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvinternational.
Five Elements Water
National Gallery of Victoria, International
15 May 26 July 2009
Master Tetsunori Kawana is an internationally

renowned practitioner of contemporary
Japanese bamboo sculpture, whose bamboo
installations are of a spectacular scale unseen
in the related traditional practice of Ikebana.
He will transform the Grollo - Equiset Garden
with his creation Five Elements Water.
www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvinternational.
Ancient Hampi: A Hindu Kingdom

brought to life
Immigration Museum, Melbourne
13 November 2008 - January 2010
now on view. For further information go to:

www.smb.museum/smb
This interactive exhibition offers visitors the

opportunity to immerse themselves in the
stunning World Heritage site of Hampi in
southern India. Using state of the art digital
technologies the visitor can travel back to
14th century Hampi and visit the seat of the
Vijayanagara Empire. For more information
go to www.museumvictoria.com.au
Go to http://place-hampi.museum for more
information about the international digital
project.
Fascination of Europe: Western-style

Paintings in Modern Japan
National Museum of Korea, Seoul
13 November 2008 11 October 2009
INTERNATIONAL
UNITED KINGDOM
GERMANY
Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings

of Jodhpur
British Museum, London
28 May 23 August 2009
KOREA
Highlights a group of western-style paintings

by modern Japanese artists collected and
displayed in the Yi Royal Museum from
1933 to 1943. For further information go to:
www.museum.go.kr
Cultural Exchange on the Northern Silk Road

Kulturaustausch auf der nrdlichen Seidenstrae
Museen Dahlem, Berlin
1 April - 1 September 2009
The newly opened Chinese Cultural Centre,

in Berlins Tiergarten district, focuses on the
art of the world-renowned Mogao Caves
in Dunhuang at the eastern hub of the Silk
Road. Copies of two of the rock-cut temples
have been recreated to original size and are
A rare chance to see 56 paintings from the

17th to 19th centuries, from miniatures to
monumental artworks, loaned from the royal
collection of the Mehrangarh Museum Trust,
Jodhpur (modern day Rajasthan).
www.britishmuseum.org
USA
Beyond Golden Clouds: Japanese
Screens from the Art Institute of Chicago
and the Saint Louis Art Museum
June 26September 27, 2009
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
This exhibition, shown at both museums,

includes 32 screens dating from the 16th
century to contemporary. Go to: www.artic.
edu/aic
Brilliant Warriors. Artistic Masters
12 June 20 September 2009
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
Features more than 160 works from the

Hosokawa family collection housed in the
Eisei-Bunko Museum in Tokyo, the Kumamoto
Castle, and the Kumamoto Municipal
Museum in Kyushu. These include suits of
armor, armaments (including swords and
guns), formal attire, calligraphy, paintings,
teaware, lacquerware, masks, and musical
instruments. For further information go to:
www.asianart.org/Samurai
BURMA: THE ESSENTIAL

EXPERIENCE
CAMBODIA: ANGKOR
WAT AND BEYOND
BACKROADS
OF BURMA
LAOS: LAND OF
THE LOTUS-EATERS
30 October
18 November 2009
08 November
25 November 2009
Angkors grandeur is unmissable.
But Cambodia offers a host of other
travel experiences: outstanding
ancient, vernacular and French colonial
architecture; spectacular riverine
environments; a revitalizing urban
capital; and beautiful countryside. Join
Gill Green, art historian, author and
Vice President of TAASA and Australian
expatriate university and museum
lecturer Darryl Collins on a repeat of
our successful 2008 program.
17 November
03 December 2009
28 January
10 February 2010
One trip to Burma is simply never

enough. Backroads of Burma is ideal
for the second-time visitor or travellers
who enjoy remote and bucolic locations.
Starting and finishing in Yangon, our
schedule wends south into Mon State,
visiting Kyaiktiyo and Moulmein before
heading north to Sri Ksetra, the ancient
Pyu capital. Mystical Mount Popa,
Bagan, Monywa and the spectacular
cave temples of Po Win Taung, Sagaing
and Mandalay follow. Dr Bob Hudson is
program leader.
Enigmatic and relatively undeveloped,

landlocked Laos offers travellers
an intimate glimpse of traditional
Southeast Asian life. Gradually
emerging from its tumultuous recent
history, Laos is a gem of Indochina
with interesting art, architecture,
French and Lao cuisine, intricate river
systems, and rugged highlands. Darryl
Collins, long term Southeast Asian
resident, has designed and will guide
a comprehensive tour of Laos which
includes wonderful Luang Prabang,
the historic royal city and Wat Phu
Champasak.
TAASA contributor Dr Bob Hudson

guides our annual program which
contains extended stays in medieval
Mrauk U, capital of the lost ancient
kingdom of Arakan (now Rakhine
State) and Bagan, rivalling Angkor
Wat as Southeast Asias richest
archaeological precinct. Experiences
in Yangon, Inle Lake, Mandalay and
a private cruise down the mighty
Ayeyarwady are also included.
Land Only cost per person
ex Yangon from $4450

ex Phnom Penh from $4500

ex Yangon from $3900

ex Vientiane from $4100
For a brochure or further information phone Ray Boniface at Heritage Destinations

on (02) 9267 0129 or email heritagedest@bigpond.com
HERITAGE DESTINATIONS
N AT U R E B U I L D I N G S P E O P L E T R AV E L L E R S
Suite 102, 379 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia, PO Box K1042 Haymarket NSW 1240 Australia
Phone: +61 2 9267 0129 Fax: +61 2 9267 2899
ABN 93 086 748 834 LIC NO 2TA004916
27

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VO LU M E 1 8 N O.

ED ITOR IAL : EAR TH

THE EVOLUTION O F IKEBANA : KAWANA TETSU NO R IS I N S TA L L AT I ON AT T H E N G V

MOTHER IND IA : TH E TR ANSMU TING P O WER O F EAR TH

SKETC HIN G MOU NT NAMSAN

THE ASIAN ARTS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC.

e di torI A L email: editorial@taasa.org.au

General editor, Josefa Green

Josefa Green (convenor) Tina Burge

BEIJIN G S ALTAR O F EAR TH AND ITS R ITUAL CER AMICS

IN SP IR ATION A ND INTER CH ANGE : TH E J APANESE -AU S T RA L I A N POT T E RY C ON N E C T I ON

TR AN SFOR MATI O N: TH E WO R K O F TAKAH IR O KO ND O

IN THE P UBLIC D O MAIN: A N I Z N I K T I LE I N T HE PO WE R HO U S E M U S E U M

ON C E UP ON A MID NIGH T: TH E O Z ASIA R O CK MU SICAL

EXHIBITION R EVIEW: F R O M T HE HA N DS O F O UR A N CE S TOR S

No claim for loss or damage will be acknowledged by TAASA

BOOK R EVIEW: T HE A N CI E N T TA LE O F A J AVA N E S E BUDDH A - P R IN C E

EXHIBITION R EVIEW: N A M BA N G! AT T HE CA S ULA PO W E R H OU S E

The 2nd ASEAN TR AD ITIO NAL TEXTIL E SYMP O SIU M

TAASA MEMBERS D IAR Y

WHAT S ON: june august 2009

Ingo Voss, VossDesign

John Fisher Printing

Published by The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc.

Review as a result of material published within its pages or

TAASA Review welcomes advertisements from

A full Index of articles published in TAASA R e vi e w since its beginnings

For further information re advertising, including

Judith Ruther for d President

Collector and specialist in Chinese textiles

Art historian specialising in Cambodian culture

Former Director of the Embroiders Guild (UK)

Intellectual property lawyer with

Visiting Professor, Department of Chinese Studies,

Study Room Co-ordinator, Art Gallery of New South

Former Professor and Rector of the Cairns Campus,

Curator of Asian art, National Gallery of Australia

Editorial consultant with long-standing interest

General editor of TAASA Review. Collector of Chinese

What a wonderful scope this topic offers, the

Iain Clarke provides a fascinating account

G E RALD INE HAR D MAN

Collector of Chinese furniture and Burmese lacquerware

Lecturer in Asian Art, Sydney University

Art consultant specialising in Chinese

Has a long association with the Art Gallery of New

Principal Curator, Design and Society,

Rosenfeld Kant and Co

Visiting Fellow in Art History, ANU;

Curator of Southeast Asian Art and Material Culture,

Head of Asian and Pacific Art, Queensland Art Gallery

Jim Masselos thoughtful article explores the

Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia

Curator Asian Art, National Gallery of Victoria International

Detailed instructions on the ritual worship

Trevor Fleming explores the inspiration

Lecturer in Asian History, School of History and Classics,

rom ancient roots to contemporary art,

Fully versed in the aesthetics of Ikebana,

Sydney on his return to Australia, he became

Classical peony basket and nageire arrangement of

combination of technique, tradition and