|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recent Acquisitions Releases Press Release Archive |
Treasures of Heaven and Earth: The Dr. James R. and Ann Peltier Collection of Carved Chinese Jade August 5–September 26, 2004 Treasures of Heaven and Earth: The Dr. James R. and Ann Peltier Collection of Carved Chinese Jade opens at the Tyler Museum of Art on Thursday, August 5 and continues through Sunday, September 26, 2004. The exhibition is organized by the Tyler Museum of Art and curated by Kentaro Tomio. Major funding for this exhibition has been provided by Mary K. and Robert Peltier. The Corporate Member Sponsor for the exhibition is Dermatology Associates of Tyler. It is said that long ago a Chinese emperor offered fifteen cities for a jade carving he could hold in one hand. Aztec emperor Montezuma supposedly smiled when he heard that the Spanish conquistador Cortés was interested only in gold, for Montezuma's most precious possession was jade. Mayan kings donned jade ornaments as symbols of wealth and fertility and were sometimes buried in jade masks. The Russians carved an entire sarcophagus of jade for Czar Alexander III. Indeed, civilizations oceans and centuries apart have revered this beautiful and mysterious stone above all other precious treasures. The use of carved jade has been an integral part of Chinese society for more than 7,000 years, playing significant roles in Chinese politics, philosophy, and religion. No other culture has revered jade or any other material for such a length of time, nor accorded any material such literary and philosophical attention. Considered the sacred stone of China, it has been believed to possess near-magical properties, and its enduring and ageless surface texture came to be associated with immortality. Chinese jade carvers almost always included some form of symbolism in their designs: real or imaginary animals, flowers and plants, and stylized designs signifying some idyllic state - connubial bliss, fertility, health, long life, prosperity. The Chinese symbol for jade, yu, not only means jade and gems, but also represents the five virtues as well: modesty, charity, courage, justice, and wisdom. Produced by the earth's natural forces and found in deposits in mountains and riverbeds, there are two distinct types of jade: nephrite and jadeite. Both nephrite and jadeite may be white or colorless. The range of shades of color is mainly due to the presence of other elements such as iron, chromium, and manganese. Some seventy or more colors, from white, the purest form, to black, are recognized. Nephrite is a silicate of magnesium - fibrous, hard to fracture, almost soapy in appearance. Jadeite is a silicate of aluminum, microcrystalline, more readily broken, and, when polished, far more brilliant. The toughness of jade is remarkable. It has a strength greater than steel and was utilized by many early civilizations for axes, knives, and weapons. These ancient jade implements had practical as well as ceremonial and ritual uses. The use of the term "carved jade" is commonly accepted but misleading, for jade cannot actually be carved. Because of its hardness, it can rarely be shaped by chiseling or chipping. It must be worn away by abrasion with tools and hard sand pastes. This is a process that requires immense patience - even with modern machinery equipped with diamond-tipped burs that grind out intricate designs, it remains laborious. Yet jade appeared in Chinese cultures several thousand years before metal tools existed. Neolithic jade artisans worked with bamboo, bone, and stone tools, using a drilling or bow action to abrade the jade with sand. Because the process was so labor intensive and time consuming, jade reflected the ability of a ruling elite to command resources, and therefore came to symbolize power, status, and prestige. Nephrite's fibrous nature makes it a great challenge to the craftsman. Its toughness, however, makes possible the rendering of plates, bowls, and vases paper-thin, as well as the fabricating of chains from solid blocks of stone. Nephrite is the better material, in general, for such elaborate work, but the superb craftsmen of China have successfully wrought the more sensitive jadeite in similar fashion. Jade in China is still seen as containing properties that promote good health, good luck, and protection. Carved ritualistic and ornamental objects continue to play an indispensable role in many aspects of Chinese life. They are an eternal symbol of an ancient civilization and expensive decorative ornaments of the new age. Dr. James R. Peltier is a retired banker and maxillofacial surgeon living in Thibodeaux, Louisiana. Dr. Peltier started collecting jade in the mid-70s. He favors pieces from the Qianlong reign (1736-1795) in the Qing dynasty when jade production flourished with advances made in carving skills and technical innovations. He also has pieces from the earlier Ming dynasties (1368-1644). In the thirty-odd years since acquiring the first piece, Dr. Peltier and his wife Ann have built a jade collection of incomparable beauty, rivaling the best in the country. This exhibition, which is free and open to the public, is comprised of more than sixty-five exquisite jade pieces on loan from Dr. and Mrs. Peltier and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Masterfully carved jade objects in the shape of vessels and animals as well as ritual, decorative, and scholar's objects will be on view. The Tyler Museum of Art is very grateful to Dr. and Mrs. Peltier for allowing their collection to be displayed in Tyler. The Museum also wishes to thank Robert and Mary K. Peltier of Tyler for directing us to this marvelous collection. There will be a First Friday Art Tour in conjunction with the exhibition on August 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The tour is free for TMA members plus one guest. Non-member price is $3 and reservations are required for all attending. There will be a special reception honoring Dr. and Mrs. Peltier on Sunday, August 8 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by calling the Museum at 903-595-1001. Wu Tung, Matsutaro Shoriki Curator Emeritus of Asiatic Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will present a lecture on Chinese jade on Thursday, September 23 at 5:30 p.m. The lecture and reception to follow are also free and open to the public. |