Bridging the Divide is a unique cooperation between Dutch and Japanese scholars commemorating the anniversary of four centuries of Dutch-Japanese bilateral relations. A sound, lavishly illustrated academic work, targeting a general but well-informed audience, this book is the most complete overview to date of the history shared by these two nations. The publication is divided into fifteen chapters, written by eight Dutch and ten Japanese authors, with approximately 50 vignettes contributed by specialists in the field.

Acquisition of 25 paintings from the collection of C.C. Wang.

In this book the leading authority on Japanese art history sheds light on how Japan has nurtured distinctive aesthetics, prominent artists, and movements that have achieved global influence and popularity. The History of Art in Japan discusses works ranging from earthenware figurines in 13,000 BCE to manga, anime, and modern subcultures.

This Bulletin and the exhibition it accompanies, "The Nelson A. Rockefeller Vision: In Pursuit of the Best in Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas," reflect on an extraordinary act of philanthropy that was also a catalyst for momentous change in the art world. In establishing the Museum of Primitive Art (MPA) in 1956—the precursor to what is today the Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas (AAOA) at the Metropolitan Museum—Nelson Rockefeller was a true pioneer, assembling what remains the greatest collection of fine art from these disparate fields. Perhaps even more important than this singular achievement, however, was Rockefeller's long campaign to place his collection at the Metropolitan Museum as a gift to the city and to the world, which he finally achieved in 1969 after nearly forty years of effort. Rockefeller's gift carried the unequivocal message that artists from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas are equal in every respect to those of their peers across the globe and throughout history. Yet until that time there was, famously, skepticism in the Western art world on this point as well as resistance from earlier generations of Metropolitan directors in viewing non-Western art as part of the institution's mission. Relying on his formidable powers of persuasion, Rockefeller eventually brokered an agreement to transfer the collections, staff, and library of the of the MPA to the Metropolitan, an astounding triumph that fundamentally changed the character of the museum, making the collections truly encyclopedic.

For first-time bidders mystified and intimidated by the auction process, Best Bids spells it all out -- from the preview to the bidding and from small country auctions to giant internationals like Sotheby's and Christie's to bidding on the Internet. Readers will learn how to bid, how to consign an object for sale, how to evaluate an item, and how to recognize a fake. Best Bids is filled with illustrated examples and advice from experts in the field and covers twenty-five categories of collecting from Chinese Ceramics, Paintings, Silver, and Rugs to American Furniture, Books and Manuscripts, American Folk Art, European Ceramics, and Collectibles. Best Bids is a complete and long-needed guide for enthusiasts and for the avid viewers of PBS's Antiques Roadshow.