Welcome to Cynthia Shaver Asian Art Appraiser newsletter May 2025,
My laptop decided it was too tired, or abused, and stopped working a few days ago. Of course I thought it was something simple so not to worry. So now my newsletter is composed on my smartphone. And my laptop into the garage for fixing.
I’ve been delighted by the diversity of inquiries recently. One particularly interesting one was an inquiry as to kinds of material traded between Japan and San Francisco at the turn of 20th century. The inquiry came from a writer and one of his characters owned an antique shop in San Francisco, specializing in Japanese, by the port, pat the turn of the century. He had a group of artifacts, acquired by the character (who in fact was great grandfather), and wanted further discussion related to origin age and function. The discussions made me think of other writers researching the origins of their characters.
Another wonderful onsite visit last month was a slice of bliss. A Chiura Obata painting at the front entrance to welcome you, beautiful views out every window, with all Japanese material inside museum quality. It helped make the chaos outside less important. I learned about Japanese early glass at this appointment and came away with a beautiful memory of a glass lamp.
I’m continuing work on the skeleton themed kimono collection. The motif is rare on textiles. There is no Day of the Dead tradition in Japan. The impressions are lasting, whether a skull among grasses or articulated skeletons playing card games. For me, they’re threads of destiny.
Regards,
Cynthia