From the Lands of Asia

When Americans Samuel and Myrna Myers visited Paris in the mid-1960s, they became so enamored with the city that they decided to make their home there. This was where they built an extraordinary collection that until now has never be exhibited publicly. Over the course of more than 40 years, the Myers assembled some 5,000 works of art that, together, offer a very personal vision of the world of Asian art. This exhibition will present over 400 objects selected from this remarkable collection, with works representing key periods in the history of the art of China, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Korea and Vietnam.

The exhibition revolves around a passion for Asia and covers a broad historical range, from the Neolithic era to modern times. The objects are also highly varied in nature, from porcelain, ivory, and precious stones such as jade and rock crystal to Buddhist art and textiles and stunning costumes from Central Asia, Tibet, China and Japan. Each treasure is exceptional in its shape, rarity, quality, function or inherent message.

The exhibition recounts fascinating historical events through themes such as the symbolism of Chinese jade, the trade in blue-and-white porcelain, Buddhism, Noh theater, the Japanese samurai, the tea ceremony, the art of writing and the place of women. The astonishing array of outstanding works of art in the Myers collection is testimony to Asia's rich cultural heritage and unique customs and offers a broad panorama of Asian history in all its beauty and diversity.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.       

Lion, China, Tang dynasty, 618–907, Marble. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection. Photo by Thierry Ollivier  

Bodhisattva, China. Song dynasty, c. 1125; Polychromed wood; The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection. Photo by Thierry Ollivier