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Kyoto Journal now publishes both in print and digitally

Touched deeply by the spiritual and cultural heritage of this ancient capital, a small community of journalists, poets and artists founded Kyoto Journal in 1987 to share their discoveries with the world.

Today their “heartwork” continues: Kyoto Journal is now a non-profit, online magazine serving as a gateway to Asia, featuring insightful writing, photography, art and translations.

The magazine engages with subjects as diverse as the history of tea, sacred mountains, Japanese garden design, anti-nuclear art, engaged Buddhism, HIV-Aids in Cambodia, Kyoto crafts, satoyama landscapes and much more.

The new website offers regular online features, a rich collection of KJ classics, listings of the 75 print issues and practical information about Kyoto.

Please visit the website: KyotoJournal.org

Pictures courtesy of Kyoto Journal.

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London specialist for Asian and Islamic arts

The new gallery incorporates an extensive library, display rooms and photographic studio facilities.

The traditional gallery sector relies on people like Mr. Backmann, who undertake a great effort to create a new space for antique Asian arts in London. This is highly appreciated and we wish him all the best and good luck.

For more information or appointments please directly contact Michael Backmann or visit the gallery´s website:
Michael Backmann Ltd.

Pictures courtesy of Michael Backman Ltd.

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Votive stele of Bodhisattva Padmāpani

Possibly transported and newly consecrated with a Tibetan inscription on the reverse

India Pāla-Dynasty, 8th. – 12th. century
height: 7cm; width: 4cm; depth: 2cm
black chlorit stone
traces of red colour,
patina and wear due to age
Tibetan inscription on reverse
good condition

Read full object description:
Votive stele of Bodhisattva Padmāpani

Asianartblog Collectors
inquire about this object

Bodhisattva Padmāpani – personification of compassion looking gracefully down on all beings

Emanation of Dhyānī Buddha Amitābha

India Pāla-Dynasty, 8th. – 12th. century
height: 7,5cm; width: 5,5cm; depth: 4cm
Brass-bronze alloy
old patina
very good condition

Read full object description:
Bodhisattva Padmāpani – personification of compassion looking gracefully down on all beings

Asianartblog Collectors
inquire about this object

Mahārājalīlā Mañjuśrī – Bodhisattva of transcendental wisdom

India Pāla-Dynasty, 8th – 12th century
Height: 8,5cm; Width: 5cm; Depth: 4cm
patinated bronze, complex composition
of figure and throne
Good condition

Read full object description:
Mahārājalīlā Mañjuśrī – Bodhisattva of transcendental wisdom

Asianartblog Collectors
inquire about this object

Fine and antique Asian arts are considered as long term investments. And whether or not profits are gained in the long run, is still not garanteed for any objects.

But on the contrary, there are tremendous wins for some Asian art objects. Gilt Buddhist bronzes acquired in the 80ies or 90ies might be sold for prices considerably higher today. Price ranges from ten to sixty thousand Euros for the same object are even possible within one year in two different auctions.

Objects with highly increasing prices are highlights

within masses of collectables and antiques thrown on the market in recent years.

Here are some examples of how art experts and collectors anticipate price developments in order to gain profits from their investments:

- An expert aquires and deepens knowledge about a specific area of expertise. This enables him or her to consider any buying or selling activity on a wider basis of experience and knowledge. He or she can decide about achievable prices for art objects and therefore predict price races in auctions. Such an expert is able to gain profits from his or her advanced knowledge about objects and prices.

- Collectors focus on special groups of objects. It is easy to find any good looking single piece. But it is hard to find a collection of quality objects. Some collectors try to anticipate trends and to be the first one to collect specific groups of objects. In some cases, collectors even publish catalogues about their collection or lend pieces to museums. But beware, defining a new field of collection is a costly process in terms of times and money.

- Another strategy is to collect art objects at a specific quality and price level. This was successfully shown by the British Rail Pension Fund, who reached an average rate of return of 11,8% p.a. in a timespan of 23 years. The investment strategy was defined by a simple rule: Get the very top level objects available on the market – if they are the best today, they will certainly rise in future. But even for small investors, this strategy is fairly attractive: Get the best object, which you can get for the amount of money you´d want to spend.

- Acquire a collection at once. This strategy can be very successful, but it requires patience and market knowledge. The buyer looks for opportunities, in which complete collections are offered at one time, for example at auctions. The normal market reaction would be a selective buying of the best pieces out of the collection. If a buyer acquires every single pieces of the collection, the good quality ones as well as the lower quality ones, an increasing of prices is psychologically stimulated. The fact that the collection was completely sold, will stimulate marked demand. If the same collection is offered again at a later point, maybe in another setting at another place, it will be considered as highly desireable.

- Go with economic development. This simple rule emphasises on the fact, that people from economically rising countries increasingly spend money for their cultural relics. Japan and China are the best examples for this. At times, when Japanese economy was on top, Japanese arts and antiques were sold for considerably high prices all over the world. But since Japan is faced with economic threads, Japanese collectors stopped investing in their art objects. Therefore, prices for Japanese antiques decreased. On the contrary, Chinese art prices increased as much as Chinese economy rose and made more and more people rich, who naturally started to spread their investments.

Pictures courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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The finest of Asian art

together with interesting lectures.

Please take a closer look at the exhibitors´ list. There are many renowned galleries and dealers from all over the world, who will show exciting exhibits this year:

Michael Woerner, Oriental arts
Wei Asian Arts, Oriental Art and Antiques
John Siudmak Asian Art, Indian and Himalayan art
Renaud Montméat Art d’Asie, Arts of India, China, the Himalayas and Southeast Asia
Mingei Arts Gallery, Japanese antique & contemporary arts
Galerie Lamy, Oriental arts
Kyoto Gallery – Tony Cammaert Antiquair, Japanese art
Kitsune Japanese Art, Japanese art & antiques
Jacques How-Choong, Oriental Art
Nayef Homsi, Ancient Art of Asia
Antiquair K. Grusenmeyer n.v., Exquisite sculpture & objects
Carlos Cruañas, Art of India, Himalaya and South East Asia
Gisèle Croës, Arts d’Extrême-Orient s.a.
Asian Arts Company – Carlo Cristi, Arte Orientale Tessili
Buddhist Art, Khmer, Himalayan and South East Asian Art
Astamangala, Ancient Art from Tibet, Nepal and India

Moreover, on June 6th and 7th there will be some additional lectures held by François Picard, Max Rutherston, Irka Hajdas, David Pritzker and Pratapaditya Pal.

Please visit the official website of the fair and also save the date:
Asian Art in Brussels 2013

Pictures courtesy of Asian Art in Brussels.

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