Susi Johnston Bali Blog

Asian and tribal art dealer Joe Loux offers a piece of pure form among new acquisitions just posted on his site. This Han period gold torque from Southwest China, mounted on a metal stand, weighs 169 grams and is priced at $15,000.  Image © 2008 Joe Loux

We are serious about ancient beads, and have a large collection which my partner, Bruno uses to compose striking necklaces which are eminently wearable. We study bead history, and often comb the web looking for images and information. Today I found an extraordinary ancient natron-etched  Dzi bead that has just been added to the Asianart.com space of Art Tibet. Not only is it remarkably beautiful, it is remarkably large as well, at 13 cm. This is more than just a bead; it’s a powerful and iconic work of art.

This is a dazzling travelling exhibition not to be missed. Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul is touring US museums until September of next year. The show includes over 200 pieces dating from 2200 BC to 200 AD, which were thought to have been looted from the National Museum in Kabul during recent years of ongoing conflict in the country. In August 2003 Afghan president Hamid Karzai announced that the treasures had been found in a presidential palace bank vault. Gold ornaments from the Bactrian hoard excavated at Tillya Tepe are the real show-stoppers of the touring treasures. Wear a headscarf when you go to see the exhibition – - not as a gesture of respect for the predominantly Muslim culture of Afghanistan, but to keep your jaw from dropping to the floor.

Find complete information on National Geographic’s special site dedicated to the exhibition, including exhibition dates in Washington DC, San Francisco, Houston and New York.

Images, National Museum of Afghanistan, ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet

The “Jade Circle” of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum visited Macan Tidur last week during a cultural tour of Bali. Accompanied by chief curator, Forrest McGill, they arrived dressed in Balinese adat clothing, looking elegant. It wasn’t “fancy dress day” for the Jade Circle, they were dressed to attend the royal cremation ceremony taking place in Ubud later that day.

During the morning, I delivered a lecture on diversity in Balinese textile traditions, which was followed by a lively discussion and some hands-on study of textiles. I had put up an entire wall of traditional Balinese textiles from my collection, which looked a bit like a souk, but certainly illustrated the tremendous diversity of Balinese textiles. From prada to ider-ider with talismanic drawings, the variety of weavings draped on the gallery hanging bars was dizzying.

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The Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore has an impressive collection of ancient ornament from South and Southeast Asia. Early Javanese pieces like this large Sri ring (7th-9th century), are one of the collection’s strengths. Many of the most beautiful gold ornaments exhibited, including this ring, were part of a substantial gift by Mr and Mrs Andy Ng in the late nineties. When I visit Singapore I always make time to visit the museum to ogle the gold. 

It’s no longer necessary to visit in person, though. Go to SGCool (Singapore Collections Online), where you can browse a large online repository of art and artefacts in the collections of numerous Singapore museums. We love online collections, they are a rich source of inspiration and information.

Image © 2007 National Heritage Board, Singapore

The Pyu Empire was a network of  city-states which held power in what is now Burma, from the 3rd to the 9th century AD. The Pyu were Buddhists, and had a rich material culture which left behind, among other things, a wealth of gold beads and jewelry. The armlet above is among the more remarkable Pyu pieces on the market. Its flower and seed forms (characteristic Pyu motifs), are beautifully formed and the overall effect of the piece is graceful and elegant despite its hefty weight.

Ancient jewelry like this is so beyond bling. Today’s big-name statement jewelry seems soulless in comparison to excavated masterpieces with over a millenium of history. This Pyu armlet was featured in the catalog of the Brussels Oriental Art Fair (BOAF) in June, offered by Bruno Piazza, who deals in ancient ornament with a particular penchant for Pyu gold. (He’s my partner, by the way, and yes, I did get a chance to wear this bracelet once and it felt divine.)

The Brussels Oriental Art Fair (BOAF) is an annual event that takes place in early June, concurrent with the Brussels Non-European Art Fair (BRUNEAF) and the Brussels Ancient Art Fair (BAAF). All three fairs are centred on the Sablon district of Brussels, which is a divine place to spend a day, or a lifetime, even.

My partner Bruno and I have been exhibitors in the fair together for a few years, but this year he was on his own, as I was too busy in Bali with building projects. He reported that the weather was dreary and the sales rather dreary also.  Except for the auction at Berger, across the Place du Grand Sablon from Bruno’s gallery space for the fair. Read more…