VOLUME 18 VOLUME NO. 3 SEPTEMBER 2009 THE JOURNAL OF THE ASIAN ARTS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA TAASA Review ADORNMENT CONTENTS Volume 18 No.3 September 2009 3 EDITORIAL: ADORNMENT TAASA REVIEW THE ASIAN ARTS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC. Josefa Green Abn 64093697537 • Vol. 18 No. 3, September 2009 ISSN 1037.6674 4 MAGIC, MYTH & MICROCOSMS IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN JEWELLERY Registered by Australia Post. Publication No. NBQ 4134 Anne Richter editoriAL • email: [email protected] 7 NOMAD CULTURE, GREEK STYLE: STEPPES JEWELLERY AND ADORNMENT General editor, Josefa Green Heleanor Feltham publications COMMITTEE 10 GIFT OF THE GODS: JEWELLERY TRADITIONS FROM BOROBUDUR, THE BAYON & BALI Josefa Green (convenor) • Tina burge Melanie Eastburn • Sandra Forbes • Ann MacArthur Wendy Parker Jim Masselos • Ann Proctor • Susan Scollay Sabrina Snow • Christina Sumner 13 INDIA’S INSATIABLE PASSION FOR JEWELLERY DESIGN/layout Anne Schofield Ingo Voss, VossDesign PRINTING 15 HALCYON DAYS: KINGFISHER FEATHER JEWELLERY & ORNAMENTS OF CHINA John Fisher Printing Sheena Burnell Published by The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc. 18 ALL THAT GLITTERS: A LOOK AT STRAITS CHINESE BEADWORK AND EMBROIDERY PO Box 996 Potts Point NSW 2011 www.taasa.org.au Hwei-F’en Cheah Enquiries: [email protected] 20 A HERITAGE PRESERVED: CHINESE REGALIA AT THE GOLDEN DRAGON MUSEUM, BENDIGO TAASA Review is published quarterly and is distributed to members Ben Langan of The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc. TAASA Review welcomes submissions of articles, notes and reviews on Asian visual and 22 IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN: A MONGOLIAN ‘QUEEN OF GREAT BLISS’ AT THE NGA performing arts. All articles are refereed. Additional copies and subscription to TAASA Review are available on request. Christopher Haskett No opinion or point of view is to be construed as the opinion of 24 ‘ILLUMINATIONS OF THE HEART’: MUSIC FROM THE OTTOMAN COURT The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc., its staff, servants or agents. No claim for loss or damage will be acknowledged by TAASA Susan Scollay Review as a result of material published within its pages or in other material published by it. We reserve the right to alter 25 RED CLIFF: RE-imagining AN EPIC or omit any article or advertisements submitted and require John Millbank indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. 26 BOOK REVIEW: KHMER GOLD. GIFTS FOR THE GODS All reasonable efforts have been made to trace copyright holders. Gill Green TAASA MEMBERSHIP RATES 27 CITO CESSNA (1945-2009) – AN ADVENTUROUS LIFE $60 Single $90 Dual Ray Tregaskis $90 Single overseas (includes postage) $30 Concession (students/pensioners with ID) 28 RECENT TAASA ACTIVITIES $95 Libraries (overseas, $95 + $20 postage) $195 Corporate/institutional (up to 10 employees) 29 TAASA MEMBERS’ DIARY $425 Corporate/institutional (more than 10 employees) $650 Life membership (free admission all events) 30 WHAT’S ON SEPTEMBER - November 2009 advertising RATES TAASA Review welcomes advertisements from appropriate companies, institutions and individuals. Rates below are GST inclusive. Back page $850 Full inner page $725 Half page horizontal $484 Third page (vertical or horizontal) $364 Half column $265 Insert $300 COVER For further information re advertising, including COLLAR, CHINA, 1880, HAND EMBROIDERED SILK WITH COTTON LINING. BENDIGO CHINESE discounts for regular quarterly advertising, please contact ASSOCIATION COLLECTION, GOLDEN DRAGON MUSEUM, BENDIGO. SEE ARTICLE ON THE [email protected] BENDIGO MUSEUM’S COLLECTION OF CHINESE REGALIA ON PAGES 20-21. THE DEADLINE FOR ALL ARTICLES FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE IS 15 SEPTEMBER 2009 A FULL INDEX OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN TAASA REVIEW since its beginnings THE DEADLINE FOR ALL ADVERTISING IN 1991 IS available ON THE TAASA WEB SITE, WWW.taasa.ORG.au FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE IS 1 NOVEMBER 2009 2 TAASA COMMITTEE EDITORIAL: ADORNMENT Judith rutherford • PRESIDENT Josefa Green, Editor Collector and specialist in Chinese textiles GiLL Green • VICE PRESIDENT Art historian specialising in Cambodian culture Ann GuiLd • TREASURER This September issue of the TAASA Review Anne Schofield’s talk focused on the rich Former Director of the Embroiders Guild (UK) focuses on the ever popular topic of jewellery jewellery legacies of the South Asian continent, KAte JohnSTON • SECRETARY and accessories, and sets out to publish covering two aspects. One is traditional gold Intellectual property lawyer with papers presented at a packed one day or silver jewellery that, as in other traditional an interest in Asian textiles TAASA seminar on “Jewellery & Adornment societies, represents portable wealth but also HWEI-FE’N CHEAH of Asia”, held at the Art Gallery of NSW carries strong symbolic and ritual value. The Lecturer, Art History, Australian National University, with an interest in needlework on 25 July 2009. Six experts covered topics second is the elaborate and luxurious gem JOCELYN CHEY ranging from traditional to sophisticated studded jewellery of the Mughal court, a Visiting Professor, Department of Chinese Studies, court ornaments, geographically straddling hybrid of Hindu and Iranian designs that also University of Sydney; former diplomat East, Central, South and Southeast Asia. drew on western enamelling techniques. Matt COX Study Room Co-ordinator, Art Gallery of New South Yet despite the variety of subjects presented, Sheena Burnell shared her passion for Chinese Wales, with a particular interest in Islamic Art of some common themes emerged from the jewellery, mainly hair ornaments, which Southeast Asia seminar, testifying both to common beliefs and incorporate the brilliant, iridescent feather of PHILIP Courtenay preoccupations found in traditional societies, the kingfisher bird. This form of decoration Former Professor and Rector of the Cairns Campus, James Cook University, with a special interest in and the cultural cross-fertilisation that has reached its peak in the Qing period (1644 – Southeast Asian ceramics always occurred through immigration, trade 1911) and particularly featured in the elaborate SANDRA FORBES and territorial expansion. coiffures of Manchu court ladies. Editorial consultant with long-standing interest in South and Southeast Asian art Anne Richter set the scene by convincingly Personal adornment in the form of beaded Josefa GREEN arguing that, in the traditional societies of and embroidered accessories produced General editor of TAASA Review. Collector of Chinese ceramics, with long-standing interest in East Asian Southeast Asia, jewellery (particularly gold) domestically by Peranakan Chinese women art as student and traveller are not only items of value and decorative born in the Straits Settlements was the topic GERALDINE HARDMAN appeal, but can possibly be viewed as of the final paper of this seminar by Hwei- Collector of Chinese furniture and Burmese lacquerware sacred art - potent and rich with symbolism F’en Cheah. She painted a charming picture ANN PROCTOR connected to religious beliefs and traditions. of women grappling with modernity at the Lecturer in Asian Art, Sydney University Such jewellery could represent a microcosm turn of the 20th century, while producing this and the National Art School, Sydney of the universe, often combining female and very traditional domestic handicraft. ANN ROBERTS male related symbolism in a unified cosmos, Art consultant specialising in Chinese and the conversion of precious metals into The adornment theme has been carried through ceramics and works of art jewellery may have been seen as mirroring to most of the remaining articles in this issue. SABRINA SNOW the very act of creation, conferring power on TAASA Review is delighted to feature the Has a long association with the Art Gallery of New South Wales and a particular interest in the arts of China both creator and wearer. Chinese regalia collection at the Golden Dragon CHRISTINA SUMNER Museum in Bendigo. It represents one of the Principal Curator, Design and Society, Wendy Parker further explores these ideas, largest Chinese textile ensembles on display in Powerhouse Museum, Sydney examining common decorative motifs and any museum in the world and demonstrates SPECIALIST ADVISOR ON NE ASIA forms in the jewellery sculpted in stone on the rich collections which exist in Australia’s Min-Jung Kim the marvellous statuary found on the great regional museums, which we hope to feature HON. Auditor temple complexes of Borobudur in Indonesia more in future issues. Rosenfeld Kant and Co and later at Angkor in Cambodia. Traditions state representatives involving the making and wearing of highly Other items that should interest readers AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY symbolic jewellery survive to this day, as include our regular item “In the Public ROBYN MAXWELL testified by contemporary ritual ceremonies Domain”, featuring a description of a Visiting Fellow in Art History, ANU; held, for example, at Tenganan, Bali. charming Mongolian thangka at the NGA by Senior Curator of Asian Art, National Gallery of Australia Christopher Haskett. Gill Green provides a NORTHERN TERRITORY In a masterly presentation, Heleanor Feltham review of a recently published book on Khmer Joanna Barrkman provided an overview of Central Asian societies jewellery. TAASA Review’s commitment Curator of Southeast Asian Art and Material Culture, as they evolved from 3000 BCE to the present. to featuring performing arts is evident in Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Cultural cross fertilisation through