What a grand day this turned out to be, starting with a healthy raw breakfast from Cafe Gratitude before trekking over to the Asian Art Museum for a few hours of browsing.
Maybe because of the overall wealth in this corner of California or possibly the large Asian population helps play a role but what’s immediately evident is that this is a well-presented and large collection.
These types of exhibits are what can draw us out of Phoenix as we are suckers for history, and how better to connect with the craft and passion of distant peoples than through what they made with their hands and imaginations?
Hindu treasures from India are only one part of what the museum offers.
While it’s great to witness these pieces with my own eyes, the corresponding lack of historical information in my head doesn’t allow me to quite appreciate these works as much as I could. Reading the accompanying placards isn’t always expedient when a sense of needing to race through the museum is nagging at you. This is especially true when we don’t know the size of the museum when we’ll be back, or if in a corner somewhere is that one piece that will bring us to tears.
Why, oh, why did I not photograph the entirety of this sculpted piece? I do know why: it’s because when shooting with limited megapixels and intending to see details in the images years later, one better shoot what can be adequately resolved.
I’m only guessing, but I think this is the golden face of the Buddha.
Why don’t more American museums feature the works of Asian artists across history? I find this as appealing as any white marble sculpture from Rome or Athens.
Learning about pieces from this collection, I found out that not only is this one of the largest in the United States, but that the Freer and Sackler Museums in D.C., part of the Smithsonian, also has an extensive collection. Put them on the list of future visits!
While I’ve never really considered traveling to Asia (sad but true), for no other reason than the art I should work on changing my mind and learn about which museums in Japan, China, and Korea are must-visits.
This is exactly how I look right now as I ponder the idea of visiting museums in Asia.
Incredibly beautiful handwork.
If you are going to live in ornate places, wearing ornate clothes, you should probably be eating from ornate tableware too.
Closeup example of needlework on what must have been some seriously expensive clothes.
After a lot of searching, I think I’ve eliminated this article of clothing possibly being a Chinese Hanfu or Japanese Kimono, and I’m settling on it being a Korean Hanbok.
Keeping those pesky demons underfoot seems to have been a popular motif just as early Europeans planted their evil forces into the depths of hell under the control of Satan.
“Books bear the messages of the wisest of mankind to all the generations of men.” Quote by Edward Robeson Taylor, who was the 28th Mayor of San Francisco.
After all the walking around, we grabbed a quick lunch at House of Nanking in Chinatown, which very well may be the best Chinese cooking in the Western United States. Our food was accompanied by cups with eight treasures tea.
So maybe the best in the entire Western United States is a big exaggeration as truth be known, we’ve not tried every Chinese restaurant, but today, this is the one we chose, the best ever.
Our reservations at the War Memorial Opera House were for a live performance of The Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor featuring Maria Muldaur that was set to start broadcasting on NPR at 3:00 p.m. We were not late or disappointed.
San Francisco might just have the most beautiful city hall out west.
Dinner was at Greens Restaurant on the bay. We tried the Prix Fix menu, but after the wonderful meals at Millennium and House of Nanking, Greens hardly measured up. Mind you, Greens is an acclaimed and highly regarded vegetarian place, but after the vegan gourmet meal at Millennium, we were able to compare what it is to not be able to rely on butter to enhance food in order to make it yummy or umami. But enough of that, I’m not a restaurant reviewer; I’m just a sights critic. The sights of San Francisco from yesterday’s exquisite walk out on the Golden Gate Bridge featuring perfect weather as an accompaniment combined with today’s great art, food, entertainment, and walks along these streets has me wholeheartedly recommending to anyone with the means, get to San Francisco and craft a perfect visit for yourself.
