MoAW presents
Spotlight:
ALL UNDER HEAVEN
Wonders of the East
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All Under Heaven represents a generous gift of antiquities that span the Han Dynasty of China to the Industrial Age of Japan. MOAW is providing a brief preview of some of the highlights of the collection which will be on display this year. MoAW is grateful to Marlene and Bruce Kantor, Heather James Fine Arts, and Michael H. Healy, donors of this generous, esteemed, and distinguished collection of antiquities seen for the first time together all under heaven.
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A pair of Temple Figures, known as the benevolent kings. |
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Tianxia (天下) or, All Under Heaven is one of the most ancient of Chinese phrases having been used more than three thousand years, it defines the ideal of a perfect and harmonious empire in the eyes of the people.
Pair of Temple figures, Nio
Japan, Late Muromachi to
Early Edo Period
Wood
(1467 - 1652 A.D.)
The Nio (benevolent kings) stand guard outside Japanese Buddhist temples. The fierce and threatening facial expressions ward off evil spirits, demons, and thieves.
The benevolent Nio are constructed in wood in the traditional multiblock design. Old works were repaired bit by bit, over time, as individual blocks shrank or were damaged by insects. Damaged blocks were replaced with exact copies. Some works, like these, have repairs spanning hundreds of years. This pair, standing 71 inches tall, is made of wood and was originally lacquered. Though no lacquer survives, the surfaces contain evidence of the gafuu (gesso-like layer).
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Figure of Maitreya
China, Ming Dynasty
painted wood
(1368 - 1644 A.D.)
Maitreya is the "happy Buddha" of the future, the harbinger of a new age. She is reborn in a period of decline and chaos to renew the doctrine of Buddhism. The figure sits in vajrasana, a dynamic pose meaning thunderbolt or diamond in Sanskrit, the left hand in varadamudra, and the right hand in vitarkamudra.
She rests 74 inches tall and is made of painted wood. Maitreya represents reasoning, argumentation, or explanation of a teaching. Adorned with jewelry, a high tiara, and elaborately draped garments, Maitreya exudes majesty and limitless endurance, tolerance, and generosity to achieve peace and tranquility in the world.
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Massive Figure of Jimmu
Signed, Japan, Meiji Period
Bronze
(October 23, 1868 - July 30, 1912)
This exquisitely cast bronze figure depicts the mythical first empower of Japan. It is not certain whether he actually existed or whether he may have been a composite figure. According to common belief, Jimmu founded the dynasty about 660 B.C. and died at well over 100 years of age.
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Modern historians consider that the legendary figure was in fact based on a successful local chieftain who probably lived about six hundred years later. He is thought to have established his capital at Kashiwabara, between present-day Osaka and Nara, and gave the name Yamato to what is now the nation Japan. |
MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities while establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
The last admission is taken one hour before closing.
Admission:
$15.00 Adults
$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military
$ 3.00 Discount available for Coachella Valley Residents
$10.00 Group Rate for 10 or more individuals.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the California Association of Museums.
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Next Week:
Do you have a favorite piece at MoAW you would like to see highlighted in our weekly email? You can visit www.moaw.org, see the collections tab, visit the catalogs, and view Spotlights From The Past.
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Members Perks
The newest perk of membership: Free admission to over 1,200 museums nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) Plus, discounts at their museum shops and restaurants (if given to their members). Local museums include the Palm Springs Art Museum and Cabot's Pueblo Museum, several museums in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, plus Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level ($125.00) or higher. Current members who qualify will be receiving new membership cards with the NARM logo to be used at participating museums.
Current members who would like to upgrade their membership to take advantage of this new benefit please give us a call, (442) 268-5004.
Click below for more information and to join.
THANK YOU
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CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY EXCLUSIVELY
AT THE
MUSEUM OF ANCIENT WONDERS
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FACES OF AFRICA:
A Mystical View of
Tribal Heritage
(38 Replica Masks and Sculptures
of African Antiquity)
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TUTANKHAMUN:
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
(124 Egyptian replicas)
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MESOZOICA:
The Age of Dinosaurs
(Approximately 100 fossil-cast dinosaur elements and fully-mounted skeletons from around the world.)
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LUCY:
The Story of Human Origins
(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and the National Museum of Ethiopia,
Addis Ababa)
On view exclusively at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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