Frist Art Museum Presents Rarely Seen Textiles From Renowned Collection Of Asian Art

The Frist Art Museum presents Weaving Splendor: Treasures of Asian Textiles from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, an exhibition of Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Persian, and Turkish textiles drawn from one of the most significant collections of Asian art in the United States. Organized by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, the exhibition will be on view at the Frist from October 7 through December 31, 2022.

Made with precious materials, innovative techniques, and stunning artistry, Asian textiles have been integral to global trade for centuries. Whether woven from cotton, linen, silk, or wool, each textile in Weaving Splendor tells a complex and fascinating story that leads visitors on a journey along trade routes across continents, and through time, from the 15th century to today.

"This exhibition provides a rare opportunity for our audiences, since these extraordinary treasures are not often displayed due to their fragile and light-sensitive nature," says Frist Art Museum senior curator Trinita Kennedy. "Not only will our guests gain a deeper understanding of the diverse historical textiles on view, they will learn about how Asian traditions are being practiced and kept alive today, including by artists in our own community through in-gallery demonstrations."

With more than 65 objects organized thematically into five sections, Weaving Splendor explores the various purposes for which Asian textiles have been created, including for use as garments, furnishings, gifts, and trade goods. Formal court robes made in imperial China and Japan signified rank and status within the governmental hierarchy, while striking costumes from Japanese theater traditions and Chinese operas brought characters from illusionary worlds to life on stage. Textured velvets and exquisite furniture coverings defined and transformed interior spaces. In a recreation of a royal 16th-century Persian tent, guests are enveloped by magnificent silk velvet ornamented with flowers and scenes of a royal hunt.

A section devoted to the major role Asian textiles played in diplomatic exchange and global trade features Indian pashmina shawls and chintzes and Persian carpets, including one commissioned as gift by a shah to a pope around 1600. "Carpets woven in the Islamic world were highly prized in Renaissance Europe. This spectacular example remains in excellent condition, which suggests that it might have been displayed on a wall or table rather than walked upon," explains Kennedy.

The exhibition concludes with modern and contemporary textiles from China, Japan, India, Pakistan, and Turkey. In some areas, traditions have been revived by nongovernmental agencies and dedicated patrons and artists, while art forms such as carpet weaving have continued in other regions without interruption. In the twenty-first century, Asia has regained its position as the world's largest textile producer.

In addition to experiential learning activities in the Martin ArtQuest Gallery, Weaving Splendor is complemented by an education gallery with illustrated reference books, a place for guests to reflect and respond, and an area where contemporary fiber artists will talk about and show their processes. A schedule of live demonstrations will be updated at FristArtMuseum.org and also available on a touch screen in the gallery.

Programs

Curators' Perspectives: Textile Treasures from Asia in Weaving Splendor

Thursday, October 6

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Auditorium

Free; first come, first seated

Presented by Ling-en Lu, curator of Chinese art; Kimberly Masteller, Jean McCray Beals Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art; and Yayoi Shinoda, assistant curator of Japanese art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The world has always turned to Asia for luxurious textiles. In this special presentation about fine textiles and garments from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, you will have an opportunity to see why. Join Nelson-Atkins curators Ling-en Lu, Kimberly Masteller, and Yayoi Shinoda for a close examination of some of the sumptuous textile treasures from across Asia featured in Weaving Splendor.

You will be introduced to works ranging from intimate objects worn on the body to objects that define and enliven interior spaces, to dynamic costumes that support narratives in performances, to symbol-laden objects that communicate power and wealth. Each one of these works reveals a fascinating story, including a golden robe made for a Chinese prince of the Qing dynasty, a silk carpet created by the ruler of Persia as a gift to the pope in Rome, and monumental Japanese tapestries produced for Western consumption around the turn of the twentieth century.