ISA Now: Register for our Asian Art Week Courses

The Appraisal of Japanese Prints
June 15-17, 2015

The “Japanese Prints” two-day class held in Naperville, Illinois introduces the periods, styles, schools, and major names of Japanese print-making from the 17th to 21st centuries. We will use the textbook “The Appraisal of Japanese Prints” and explore a variety of Japanese culture and print dealer websites. How should a beauty look? How can you differentiate heroes from villains? What are the types of perspective? Why is the foreign market important? Why Fuji? What’s with Hiroshige I, Hiroshige II, and Hiroshige III? What does a left-over leg tell you? These and many other issues will come up during class. The point of these two days is to not only equip appraisers with essential information about the history of Japanese prints but to also provide information about valuing prints. This will include a worksheet for on-site tasks and a myriad of cautions! Students are encouraged to bring a print or two (unframed) for in-class examination.

The downtown Chicago tour day, which follows the two-day class, will include a talk given especially for us at Floating World Gallery (www.floatingworld.com) on a topic which arises so often in appraisals, followed by a visit to the enormous warehouse of Asian art books at Paragon Book Gallery (www.paragonbook.com). Paragon not only accepts credit cards, it will also ship your purchases.

Instructor: Daphne Rosenzweig	Class is 2 Days with Field Trip on Third Day
PDC: 15 or 20 (With Exam)	Breakfast & Lunch Included in Fee

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Foundation Course in Asian Ceramics for Appraisers
June 18-20, 2015

Presented from the critical perspective of an appraiser, this comprehensive course will focus on Chinese ceramics and to a lesser extent, the ceramics of Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Its goal is to provide an overview of the most significant types of ceramics and their current values. Discussion of different forms, glazes, decoration, technology, and function will be examined. Practical information, including an analysis of the current Chinese art market, fakes, and identification and valuation techniques specific to the field of Asian ceramics will also be presented.

Who is the course for?
The course is appropriate for appraisers from a variety of backgrounds and experience. Both novices and those who have some knowledge of types of Asian ceramics will benefit from the presented information. The course should be considered an introductory guide to the most important types of Asian ceramics and issues related to their identification, cataloguing and valuation.

How will the course be presented?
There will be two days of in-class instruction and a field-trip, which will feature two handling sessions, in addition to a tour of the Asian ceramics collection at a major museum in Chicago. The course will be delivered in primarily a lecture, PowerPoint-based mode. Handouts will be provided with concise information on ceramic shapes, terminology, dynastic charts, decorative symbolism, Imperial reign marks, and the most useful websites and databases for research. There will also be handouts provided of current articles regarding issues related to the appraising of Chinese works of art and the Chinese art market. Most importantly, there will be cataloguing exercises. Images of ceramics will be shown, and the class will work on describing them as they would need to in an appraisal report or auction catalogue format. Emphasis will be put on employing the most concise and correct terminology in the field of Asian ceramics. Students are welcome to prepare and submit to the instructor a list of questions they wish to have addressed in class.

What are the objectives of the course?

to develop the ability to identify, analyse, and compare a wide range of Asian ceramics
to increase familiarity with the historical development of Chinese ceramics
to develop an awareness of the materials and themes, as well as strategies for identifying fakes and connoisseurship
to develop visual skills through the examination of objects in either an auction house, museum, and/or private collection, as well as in-class
to understand the key issues regarding appraising Chinese ceramics and the current art market
to encourage preparation for continued independent research on Asian ceramic topics through Internet resources, bibliographies, and other tools