Asian Pavilion

The collection of Jan Dees and René van der Star

Jan Dees and René van der Star share a long-held fascination for Japanese lacquer art. It all began in the 1970s, when they visited a shop on Amsterdam’s Spiegelgracht and bought an inro (a small portable medicine case) featuring an image of a raven. It was the start of what became a leading collection, and this year they will transfer part of it to the Rijksmuseum.

We are celebrating this donation at the Asian Pavilion by showing a selection of lacquer objects from the collection. One highlight is a tea caddy with a carnation decoration, made in 1927. This was the year in which lacquer objects, including this tea caddy, were admitted to Japan’s national art exhibition for the first time.

This display also includes 11 20th-century women’s kimonos. There are many different types of kimono, for all sorts of occasions. Some are worn to attend a wedding or visit a shrine for the first time, while others, known as susohiki , are worn by geishas to perform dances. The garments on show have been selected from the 150 kimonos that Jan Dees and René van der Star donated to the museum in 2009.

Once upon a time… the Netherlands and Taiwan

The Netherlands and Taiwan have a shared history that many people may be unaware of. From 1624 to 1662 and from 1664 to 1668, parts of Taiwan, or Formosa as it was known, was ruled by the Dutch East India Company. The display in the Asian Pavilion reflects on this period in history. Depending on our perspective, we might regard the characters on this historical stage as heroes or enemies; as martyrs or attackers. The prints and drawings shed light on this range of roles and perspectives. They include a portrait of Robert Junius, who spread the gospel among the local population, the ‘hero story’ of the priest Antonius Hambroek who was martyred on Formosa, and a portrait of the Chinese general Koxinga who succeeded in expelling the Dutch from Taiwan. This show invites visitors to reflect on the colonial history of the Netherlands in Taiwan.

Bronze in Asia

This Asian Pavilion display of bronze objects from the Royal Asian Art Society in the Netherlands (KVVAK) runs concurrently with the Asian Bronze temporary exhibition. The exhibition and this show both focus on the richness and versatility of bronze as a material. Bronze was an important symbol of authority and prestige, as demonstrated here by the ritual vessels from China (Shang Dynasty, c. 1600-1000 BCE and the ornaments from Thailand (600-100 BCE). We also explore the growing phenomenon in the first millennium of depicting gods in bronze, with sculptures depicting Shiva (Tamil Nadu, India, 1001-1100 CE) and the head of Buddha (Ayutthaya, Thailand, c. 1500-1600 CE) .