MAY 2005

VOLUME 36 -NUMBER 4

The activities of individuals have formed the foundation of many great museumf of Asian art - the Baur Collection in Geneva is no exception. However, evolving with the passage of time, many such institutions no longer reflect the imprint of their founders. By comparison, Alfred Baur's museum stands out for the way in which it has maintianed its original integrity withouth losing its contemporary relevance.

As Baur regarded his collection as a completed work, the museum is a reflection of the man adn his aesthetic preferences. In their articles, Monique Crick, Helen Loveday and Jan Dees demonstrate that the value of the Baur Collection lies not only in its exquisite objects but also in the richness of its archives. Highlighted in this issue are Chinese monochrome ceramics, Japanese altar cloths and the lacquer work of Uzawa Shogetsu.

T. June Li introduces Paintings of Shikan by Seven Masters, a recent gift to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and discusses its potential for further study. As part of our continuing debate on the conservation and restoration of Himalayan paintings, Mary Slusser offers her views on two Nepalese works.

The variety of fairs in London and the increasing importance of Brussels as a destination for dealers and collectors are highlighted in our previews of summer events in Europe.

FEATURES
T. June Li. A Legendary 18th Century Residence: Fa Shishan’s Shikan
Jan Dees. The Ethereal World of Uzawa Shogetsu
Helen Loveday. Tokens of Faith: Japanese Altar Cloths of the Edo Period
Monique Crick. A Collector's Taste: The Baur Collection's Monochrome Chinese Ceramics
Monique Crick. Alfred Baur: The Life and Career of a Collector
PREVIEWS & REVIEWS
Summer Fairs in London - Preview Highlights
Annette Juliano L. Book Review: Luce Boulnois: Silk Road: Monks, Warriors & Merchants on the Silk Road, Translated by Helen Loveday from the original French edition, with additional material by Brdley Mayhew and Angela Sheng, Odyssey Books and Guides, Hong Kong, 2004
Kira Samosyuk. Book Review: Chhaya Bhattacharya-Haesner: Central Asian Temple Banners in the Turfan Collection of the Museum fur Indische Kunst, Berlin (Painted Textiles from the Northern Silk Route), Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin, 2003
Elizabeth ten Grotenhuis. Exhibition Review: 'The Silk Road: Trade, Travel, War and Faith', The British Library, London
Exhibition Preview: 'Celadon: Ceramic Treasures of China (11th c. BC - 14th c. AD)', Baur Collection - Museum of Far Eastern Art, Geneva
COMMENTARY
Mary Shepherd Slusser. Commentary: More on 'Turning a Blind Eye'