Live Long and Prosper: Auspicious Motifs in East Asian Art September 3, 2011

This installation from the permanent collection features works from the Chinese, Japanese and Korean collections, including paintings, lacquerware, jades, textiles and porcelain. The selected objects denote something auspicious either through their surface motifs or by taking the shape of fortune-bearing plants or animals. The exhibition places particular focus on motifs related to longevity and prosperity, from wishes for a happy marriage to symbols of wealth. Of particular interest is the way in which certain motifs are carried through all three East Asian cultures while other symbols are unique to one country.