MAY 2013

VOLUME 44 - NUMBER 4

Articles in our May issue cover art from across the breadth of Asia, beginning in India, traversing the ancient trade route of the Silk Road, and ending in China, Japan and Korea. Rob Linrothe considers what the east wall murals of Tipu Sultan’s palace in Karnataka reveal about 18th century Indian society. Rachel Parikh shares her research into Indian composite painting that started with her identification of Shiva in a recently discovered image.

Marking ‘The Year of Dunhuang’ at China Institute is an exhibition featuring re-creations of Caves 432 and 45. Susan Beningson guides us on a ‘virtual pilgrimage’ through the caves and the artworks on view. Taking another approach to this concept, Sarah Kenderdine introduces two digital visualizations of Dunhuang’s Cave 220, made possible by technology developed by ALiVE at CityU Hong Kong. Contemporary bamboo and rattan sculpture of Cambodian artist Sopheap Pich, on view at the Met, is the focus of John Guy’s article. Meanwhile, Li Jian introduces highlights from the newly reinstalled East Asian galleries at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, some on permanent display for the first time. Rosalien van der Poel presents her findings on a group of Chinese export paintings depicting winter views in Tartary, from the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden.

In other features, Joyce Beckenstein interviews Robert Oxnam, former director of Asia Society, and in her commentary, Joanie Meharry reflects on the challenges faced in building a new national museum in Afghanistan.

FEATURES
Rob Linrothe. Keys to Victory: Letters, Liaisons and Chaise Longues in Tipu Sultan’s Murals
Rachel Parikh. Shiva Riding a Composite Bull: Comprehending Indian Composite Illustrations
Susan L. Beningson. Buddhist Art at the Gateway of the Silk Road
Sarah Kenderdine. Preservation and Interpretation: Digital Representations of the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang
John Guy. Cambodian Rattan: Memory and Place in the Art of Sopheap Pich
Li Jian. The Reopening of the East Asian Galleries at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Rosalien van der Poel. Travels in Tartary: Decoding Ten Export Winter Landscapes
PREVIEWS & REVIEWS
Kevin McLoughlin. Book Review: Original Intentions: Essays on Production, Reproduction, and Interpretation in the Arts of China edited by Nicholas Pearce and Jason Steuber
Raphael Wong. Exhibition Preview: 'Radiant Legacy: Ancient Chinese Gold from the Mengdiexuan Collection'
Natsu Oyobe. Exhibition Preview: 'Isamu Noguchi and Qi Baishi: Beijing 1930s'
INTERVIEWS
Joyce Beckenstein. An Interview with Robert Oxnam
COMMENTARY
Joanie Meharry. The Museum of Kabul: A Revival