Visiting the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (CA) with Juilliard Graduate Florence Paget and Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Visiting the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (CA) with Juilliard Graduate Florence Paget and Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

About every two or three months while Florence was growing up, my husband Laurent and I would go to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco to show Florence the artwork from Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia that was linked with the literature and oral storytelling she was learning in her charter Waldorf School.

Florence was studying mythology and philosophy from such works as the Shahmaneh from Iran, Zarathustra’s Zend-Avesta from Iran, the Bhagavad Gita from India, Buddhist Jataka Tales from India, and Panchantranta Tales from Kashmir at school.  The children heard these stories told in oral form and acted them out with classmates.  In this way, they learned to inhere motives, behaviors, and their lines easily.

Florence also studied Japanese and Spanish language and culture at school.  I thought her Japanese teacher was doing a wonderful job and just supplemented the work she did at school with some activities at home.  I knew her teacher had taught the children about the Japanese tea ceremony and had brought in the utensils for the children to handle.

The Asian Art Museum has a real teahouse on display, and Florence always peeked through both sides that are open as if it were a dollhouse.  (I will write another blog on how I taught Florence about Japanese culture.)

The permanent collection of the Asian Art Museum is designed so that you start at the top floor with Hindu art from India.  Then, you work your way down the floors to Buddhism, which is an offshoot of Hinduism.  Buddha was a prince from the Ksatriya caste before he became Buddha.

Guan Yin, the Chinese earth goddess made into a Buddhist bhoddisatva, leads one into the art of China and East Asia.  She is sometimes portrayed as a man.  The Mahayana Buddhist Art (called “greater vehicle”) of China, Japan, and Korea is displayed first followed by the Theravada Buddhist art of Southeast Asia.  (Theravada is the preferred name of Hinayana Buddhism, which means “lesser vehicle.”)

There is not as much Vajrayana Buddhist art of Tibet here, but they do have some scary-faced protective deities to growl back at with kids.

I would always make sure that Florence, Laurent, and I would look at a statue of an Earth Touching Buddha, an iconographical statue mostly associated with Thailand.  The Buddha in this pose is captured at the moment where he acknowledges his enlightenment.

Mara, the demon of illusion, tried to keep Buddha from achieving enlightenment, but Buddha meditated and overcame Mara. 

I would show Florence various parts of the Buddha in the Earth Touching pose and say, “The bun of hair on top of his head, his elongated ears from wearing heavy jewelry, and his lovely, yet simple clothing all show that he was from the Ksatriya caste of kings and soldiers.  His hand touching the ground is a mudra, or hand position, showing that Buddha has defeated Mara, representing the illusory world.”

We all loved admiring the jade-green porcelain ware from Korea.

In the Southeast Asian section, Florence was most interested in the Javanese puppets from the wayang kulit, Javanese puppet theatre.  Traders in Java knew a top-dollar novelty when they saw one and took this art form around the world.  I had studied puppets when I was studying early children’s education and French children’s culture in Wisconsin.

I learned from my readings and interviews that there were puppet shows performed for the aristocracy and the common people.  Aristocratic stories revolved around teaching royal etiquette, royal prerogative, and fashion.  Royals could communicate with the populace through puppet shows.

Blurted comments in response to the puppet show might alert a sovereign to a fomenting revolution.  Family members who paid for these performances might be wishing to show their new ranking in a family, for instance, or their admission into the ranks of the local elite (i.e. aristocratic and royal overseers).

Basically, puppets were a kind of interactive television of their time.  Children set up a fourth wall between them and performers very easily, especially when you hold conversations between puppets and change voices.  I have tested this with dolls, teddy bears, paper bag puppets, and Barbie dolls; children just watch the dialog and forget that the puppeteer is there.

While Florence was looking at the Javanese puppets, I told her, “Their big eyes make it easy to see them in the back of an audience.  Their eyes also seem to glow, because the Javanese puppet performances went on all night long.

Make-up for the theatre is also done, so people in the back rows can see you.  People with small features, especially need to know how to use make-up for the theatre.

“In some cultures like Japan, the bunraku puppet theatre plays were turned into kabuki theatre for adults,” I told Florence.  “So, remember, puppets really are not child’s play alone.”

One of the most interesting exhibits we went to at the Asian Art Museum was devoted to the royal art of Afghanistan.  The art on display was called Ghandaran, because it uses Graeco-Roman style to portray Buddhist figures and concepts.  Florence laughed about the Buddhas and figures with moustaches and bulging muscles.

Outside the exhibit, there was an example of an archaeological dig set up for children.  Strings divided a sandbox where “artifacts” were buried in the sand.  Florence spent about 45 minutes digging up urns, bowls, necklaces, and swords.

“Now you have to be a real archaeologists and write a story about the kinds of people who made these things,” I said to Florence.

We always leave this museum happy and enlightened.

I recommend the teacher resources website for activities and information:

Education.asianart.org

(120 Lessons and Activities, 302 Artworks, 514 videos, and 190 Background Information Sheets)

By Ruth Paget - Author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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