The Cofrin Asian Art Wing contains four main gallery spaces. These are made up of three exhibitions and three installations in the central gallery, as well as a showcase of contemporary Japanese ceramics. Combined, this area features more than 700 works from the Harn Museum’s collections in Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and South and Southeast Asian art. Exhibitions include Japanese Abstraction: Highlights from the Jerry and Anne Godsey Collection, Everyday to the Extraordinary: Highlights from the Korean Collection and Ceramics: Avenues of Exchange.
Installations include:
Visions of the Divine: Hindu and Buddhist Deities
Metal, stone and clay from China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Tibet feature the relationship and distinctive roles of Hindu deities, as well as showcase the evolution of the visual representation of the Buddha across the Asian continent throughout history.
The Art of Incense: Japanese Kogo
Small containers, known as kogo 香合, are used to store pieces of incense wood, such as agarwood and sandalwood, or incense balls of aromatic mixtures. Both functional utensils and representations of artistic expressions, kogo come in various materials, shapes, and designs. The variety of glazes, textures and decorations of these kogo works showcase the rich history of Japanese ceramics and give these incense containers a universal appeal still attractive to contemporary viewers.
Excelling Nature: Materials, Craftsmanship and Symbolism of Chinese Carvings
Chinese jades and glass works from the Neolithic period (ca. 2400 – 1900 BCE) to the Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1911) dynasties are featured in this exhibition. Intricate carvings of landscapes and animals, as well as vessels, demonstrate the importance of jade to China’s artistic traditions and creative imaginations.
Installations in the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing are made possible through the generosity of the AEC Trust with additional support from the Londono Family Endowment.
