Welcome to Cynthia Shaver Asian Art Appraiser Newsletter June 2022.

May was a busy month, lots of virtual discussions. 

The month began with a virtual presentation on Japanese woodblock prints, “Compare and Contrast: A Case Study of the Japanese Woodblock print given by NorCal chapter of American Society of Appraisers.  I also attended an ASA two-day class on Charitable Contribution updates for appraisers.  Being an active member of my local chapter is important to my growth as an appraiser and keeps my network alive.  Remember, the worth of an appraiser is their network.

Enjoy this posting,
Cynthia.

Shared by JAHF, I have not been.

If you find yourself in the Bay Area before the end of the month I would like to invite you to the exhibition Japanese Functional Objects at the Stanford East Asia Library.

This exhibit revolves around premodern ceramic and wood crafts, and stems from a recently completed course co-taught by EALC and Mechanical Engineering. You can find information on the course here.

On display are traditional Japanese woodworking tools, as well as ensembles of hand-built ceramic flower vessels and hand-joined wood platforms made by the students. Ikebana master Momoyo Lowdermilk has augmented the installations with flower arrangements.

The course was designed to help students explore the material affordances of clay, grapple with the demanding technical heritage embodied by traditional Japanese hand tools for woodworking, and reflect upon how that knowledge can deepen their appreciation for craft, traditional aesthetics, and premodern technology.

The course and exhibition were inspired in great part by this wonderful institution: Takenaka Museum

Japanese Functional Objects was made possible by the Product Realization Lab, Center for East Asian Studies, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, East Asia Library, and a generous gift from the Halpern Family Foundation.