Traveller's Eye

A collection of highlights from the Francisco Capelo Asia Collection in Lisbon, beautifully photographed and enriched by insightful accompanying texts from eminent art historians. This sumptuously illustrated book presents the most important works from an extraordinary collection of Asian art. For two decades Francisco Capelo has been collecting exquisite works in a range of media – from Japanese scroll paintings to Chinese ceramics, and from Indian religious sculpture to Indonesian woodcarvings. Housed in an 18th-century palace in Lisbon, the Francisco Capelo Asia Collection now comprises more than 1,200 artworks from all over Asia and spanning many centuries. Here, the highlights of this unique collection are beautifully photographed and enriched by insightful accompanying texts. The book serves as a lavish and informative introduction to the arts of Asia, from Korea and Tibet in the north to Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the south. More than 200 masterpieces are featured alongside articles by eminent art historians and scholars, enabling readers to share the excitement of their discoveries and to learn more about the abundance and breadth of Asia’s artistic traditions.Forewords Preface Francisco Capelo: A passion for museums Raquel Henriques da SilvaEthiopia The myth of Prester John: Early European imaginings of the Orient Manuel João Ramos Japan Japanese art: An introduction Alexandra Curvelo Japanese lacquer: An art for the senses Alexandra Curvelo The beauty of Japanese ceramics Alexandra Curvelo Rimpa aesthetics in the Edo period Francisco Capelo Economy and the floating world Francisco Capelo The origins of Noh theatre Francisco Capelo China Pleasures of colour, texture and form Regina Krahl Cosmopolitan Tang dynasty and funeral pottery David Priestley Painted pottery: A figure of a court lady David Priestley Sancai-glazed wares David Priestley Glaze experiment: A phosphatic-splashed jar David Priestley Secret colour: A Yueyao bowl David Priestley White-glazed wares David Priestley Magic blue glaze: Junyao wares David Priestley Green Yaozhou wares David Priestley A Cizhou-type wide-mouthed ribbed jar David Priestley A Cizhou-type ‘oil-spot’ bowl David Priestley Jianyao tea bowls David Priestley Jizhou painted wares David Priestley Longquan celadon wares David Priestley Korea Korean ceramics, another tradition David Priestley India and the Himalayas From the Mauryas to the Palas: The rise and fall of Buddhist art in India Sushma Jansari