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 in the Frist’s Ingram Gallery 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 guests 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, but they will also 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.
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 will also be available on a touch screen in the gallery.
You are invited to a Free Public Program on Thursday, October 6 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. A Curators’ Perspectives: Textile Treasures from Asia in Weaving Splendor in the Auditorium is 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, guests 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.
At this lecture, attendees 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.
