Main content
East Asian Art Department Records
Notifications
Held at: Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives [Contact Us]Philadelphia Museum of Art, PO Box 7646, Philadelphia, PA 19101-7646
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The Museum's first, formal recognition of Asian art came in 1900 when it established a Department of Oriental Pottery, with Mrs. Jones Wister serving as honorary curator. At that time all other specificed departments,which consisted of numismatics, Euorpean porcelain, arms and armor, and musical instruments also operated under the auspices of honorary curators with Dalton Dorr serving as the Museum's sole curator. The Museum began appointing curators to its different areas of study and collecting in 1923. Having come to the Museum as an assistant two years earlier, Horace H. F. Jayne received the 1923 appointment of Curator of Oriental Art. (Paintings, lace and old Pennsylvania pottery were the other curatorial positions.)
Over the next 70 years, the department's title changed, and its purview at certain periods included not only Chinese and Japanese objects, but Indian and Persian as well. In 1992, the department took on its current designation of "East Asian Art," with Felice Fischer serving as the Associate Curator. Ms. Fischer came to the Museum as a curatorial assistant in 1972 when the department was designated Far Eastern Art. In 1997 an endowment allowed the Museum to name Ms. Fischer as the Luther W. Brady Curator of Japanese Art and Curator of East Asian Art, a position she continues to hold. Other curatorial positions within the department concentrate on Chinese and Korean art.
A portion of the records documenting the activities of this department consist of correspondence and a set of files identified as "Institutional Literature." Both groups were maintained in alphabetical order and pertain to the years of 1991 to 1995. The earliest material, from 1991, was compiled when the department operated as the Far Eastern Art. Most of the material, nearly 8 linear feet, documents a seminal exhibition that opened in 1994 and presented modern Japanese design to audiences in America, Europe and Osaka, Japan. Entitled "Japanese design: a survey since 1950," the exhibition featured more than 250 objects such as furniture, housewares, electronics, packaging and clothing to demonstrate Japan's contribution to modern design. The exhibition later traveled to Milan, Dusseldorf, Paris and Osaka. Curators Felice Fischer of East Asian Art and Kathryn Bloom Hiesinger of European Decorative Arts after 1700 produced the exhibition, and the architect and theorist Dr. Kisho Kurokawa designed its installation. An index resides with the files, which are arranged alphabetically.
For earlier records of the department, created prior to its designation as "East Asian Art," see the Far Eastern Art Department Records. For additional records of the 1994 "Japanese design" exhibition, see European Decorative Arts after 1700 Department Records.
These materials were arranged and described by Bertha Adams, Leslie O'Neill and Susan Anderson. Funded by a grant from The Institute of Museum and Library Services and National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
These records have been designated as a separate manuscript collection. Louise Lux-Sions Records of "The Unsullied Dynasty and the K'ang-his Emperor."
Organization
- Publisher
- Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Bertha Adams, Leslie O'Neill and Susan Anderson
- Finding Aid Date
- ©2011
- Sponsor
- Funded by a grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services and National Historical Publications and Records Commission
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research. Access to institutional records less than 10 years old is at the discretion of the Archivist.
- Use Restrictions
-
The East Asian Art Department Records are the physical property of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Archives. The Museum holds literary rights only for material created by Museum personnel or given to the Museum with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission from rights holders for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
The exhibition "Japanese Design: A Survey Since 1950," was a stunning display of over 250 objects that opened at the PMA on September 25, 1994. Included were modern design objects such as furniture, electronics, housewares, packaging, clothing, and posters. Organized by Kathryn B. Hiesinger, Curator of European Decorative Arts after 1700, and Felice Fischer, Curator of Japanese Art, both of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the exhibition installation was designed by Dr. Kisho Kurokawa, the Japanese architect and theorist. A travelling exhibition, "Japanese Design: first opened at the PMA, then went on to the Galleria dell'Triennale in Milan, Stadtische Kunsthalle Dusseldorf, Centre Georges Pompidou, Musee National d'Art Moderne in Paris, and closed at the Suntory Museum Tempozan in Osaka, Japan. The records include administrative, catalogue, object, and research files. The bulk of the material dates from 1992 to 1996. Researchers should note that there are some records still remaining in the East Asian Art Department office.
European Decorative Arts after 1700 Department Records / I. Exhibition records / B. "Japanese Design: A Survey Since 1950." September 25, 1994 - November 20, 1994
The administrative files relate to the planning and administrative tasks of the curatorial department. The records include checklists, funding material, loan documentation, and other planning material. The bulk of the records date from 1992 to 1996.
The catalogue files extensively document the creation, planning, and publication of the exhibition catalogue. Included are essay drafts and entries, contributing author files, and outlines.
This sub-subseries contains files on objects featured in the exhibition and include images, research notes, articles, and object description.
The research files, arranged for the most part alphabetically, contain designer information, images, articles, biographies, and other material used for both research and reference.
Arranged in original order.
The exhibition, "The Arts of Hon'ami Koetsu, Japanese Renaissance Master," opened at the PMA on July 29, 2000. Curated by Felice Fischer, the Luther W. Brady Curator of Japanese Art and Acting Curator of East Asian Art, the exhibition featured more than 100 objects created by Hon'ami Koetsu, including ceramics, printed books, calligraphy, and lacquerwork. Objects were drawn from collections internationally, many of which had never been exhibited outside of Japan. The records for the exhibition consist of the administrative files, catalogue records, correspondence, and material regarding collections. The bulk of the records date from 1999 to 2000.
Adminstration records contain files related to the planning and administrative tasks of the exhibition. The records include budget files, installation documentation, exhibition program files,, and the records of the registrar which contain loan and indemnity material. The bulk of the records date from 1999 to 2000.
The making of the exhibition catalogue is documented here from its initial planning phases and early correspondence to thechapter essay drafts and final corrections. Also included is the catalogue lists, outline, and chronologies. While much of the material is undated, the bulk of the records date from 1999 to 2000.
The records are arranged in their original order.
The files contain correspondence between the PMA and other institutions and individuals. Included are images, research material, invoices, and other related material. The bulk of the records date from 1999 to 2000.
The "Correspondence" records are arranged in their original order.
This sub-subseries contains records for collections both in the United States and internationally. Also included are private collections, as well as image files.
Curated by Dr. Felice Fischer, the Luther W. Brady Curator of Japanese Art and Curator of East Asian Art, and John Ittmann, the Curator of Prints, the exhibition, "Munakata Shiko: Japanese Master of the Modern Print," opened at the PMA on July 27, 2002. The exhibition was a retrospective of artist Munakata Shiko's body of work, spanning many phases of his career. Included were 100 prints, as well as paintings, calligraphy, and ceramics. In 1959, Munakata visited Philadelphia during his first visit to the United States, and created his first series of lithographs, which were only shown in Philadelphia during this exhibition. After its run at the PMA, the exhibition closed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The records include planning, administrative, catalogue, and object files. The bulk of the records are from 2002.