UNITED KINGDOM – TAASA Review March 2011

Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World British Museum, London 3 March ­ 3 July 2011 Will highlight some of the most important archaeological discoveries from ancient Afghanistan and display over 200 precious and unique pieces on loan from the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul. For more information go to: www.britishmuseum.org. FRANCE L’Orient des femmes vu par Christian Lacroix (Women in the Orient) Musee du quai Branly, Paris 8 February – 15 May 2011 Selected by fashion designer Christian Lacroix, the exhibition features 150 traditional costumes and accessories from Syria to the Sinaï Peninsula, dating mainly from the late 19th century to the present day.

Many of the items are from the renowned Widad Kamel Kawar collection in Jordan. For further information go to: www.quaibranly.fr/en. GERMANY Costumes for Noh Theatre Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 19 January – Sun 1 May 2011 Presents both old and modern costumes and fabric patterns held at the Sato Yoshihiko Memorial Yamaguchi Noh Costume Research Centre in Kyoto. For further information go to: www.smb.museum/smb. CANADA Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto 19 November 2010 ­ 3 April 2011 Previously at London’s V&A Museum, over 200 works spanning three centuries of history will be on view including the extraordinary Patiala necklace, the largest single commission in the House of Cartier’s history, containing 2,930 diamonds and weighing nearly 1,000 carats. For further information go to: www.ago.net. USA Bali ­ Art, Ritual, Performance Asian Art Museum, San Francisco 25 February ­ 11 September 2011 This first major exhibition of Balinese art in the United States will explore the history and religious beliefs of Bali and how performance and rituals are still integrated into daily life. For further information go to: www.asianart.org/Bali. Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan Freer Gallery of Art, Washington February 26­July 31 2011 Majestic Northern Qi (550-577CE) Chinese Buddhist sculpture is combined with 3D imaging technology in this recreation of some of the caves as they appeared before their tragic despoliation in the early 20th century. For further information go to: www.asia.si.edu. ...