The Collection at the BMA

Featured Works

Pair of gilt bronze firedogs of high quality, each comprised of a rearing horse draped with a tasseled and embroidered saddle cloth whose front legs rest of an upright foliate shield with central diaper pattern, possibly after a design by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) for an equestrian monument; the base is sarcophagus shaped with exaggerated, foliate scrolls at each corner, with a central cherub mask resting upon an ornate shield, the legs are likewise comprised of foliate scrolls resting on split, outwardly scrolling feet; with slight variations to the shield upon which the mask rests; the back open and the interior rough as expected.

Pair of Firedogs

Framed diptych, two separate 40X32 inch photographs

Mary Parker and Caela Cowan

The Collection

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Two interior walls, with mural paintings on both sides, from a Buddhist temple. One side of each wall has been conserved to reveal paintings. Opposite sides are on view to the public, but their paintings are obscured by smoke and fire damage. Scenes are two end panels from a larger composition of the Buddha of the three times, Past (Dipankara), Present (Shakyamuni [missing] and Future (Maitreya)

Buddhas of the Three Ages: Dipankara and Maitreya (front); The Miracles of Manjusri (back)

Wiley has diagonally bisected this composition into a heavily painted upper section of dense patterns, and a lower section in which he drew on the raw canvas in pencil, creating a vast network of doodles, notes, visual puns, and diagrams.

Remedial Archaeology and the Like

Figure of Harlequin seated on a white tree stump on small base, his left leg resting on side of stump while his right leg rests on the ground, his right arm is outstretched and he holds his upturned gray hat in his hand, in his left hand he holds a white and gilt open tankard, which rests on his upper thigh, this with the date "1740" in gold; he wears trousers in a checkered pattern in lilac, green, and black, and red shoes with blue bows, his tunic is incised in a checkered pattern, which the painter did not follow exactly, and is painted in red, yellow, and white with gilt buttons, he wears a half mask covering his upper face

Seated Harlequin with a Tankard

Large parlor sofa of laminated and carved rosewood in the so-called "Fountain Elms" pattern, with curved back of scrolling cornucopia leading to an urn with roses and other flowers at the center crest rail above a basket of flowers, scrolling foliage and birds with bunches of grapes at each side with similar basket of flowers, scrolled armrests and cabriole legs, the seat rail with carved flowers at center, on casters, with modern red silk damask upholstery.

Parlor Sofa

Cole created this monumental print by embedding the perforated surface of an ironing board and twelve iron faceplates into a plywood sheet, flush to its surface. He then applied black ink to the whole and transferred the resulting image onto a sheet of white kozo-shi paper. The silhouetted image of the ironing board's surface resembles a historic slave-ship diagram, and the faceplate designs recall the facial scarification patterns worn by some tribal Africans.

Stowage

Fledgling Western Bluebirds

Pair of gilt bronze firedogs of high quality, each comprised of a rearing horse draped with a tasseled and embroidered saddle cloth whose front legs rest of an upright foliate shield with central diaper pattern, possibly after a design by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) for an equestrian monument; the base is sarcophagus shaped with exaggerated, foliate scrolls at each corner, with a central cherub mask resting upon an ornate shield, the legs are likewise comprised of foliate scrolls resting on split, outwardly scrolling feet; with slight variations to the shield upon which the mask rests; the back open and the interior rough as expected.

Pair of Firedogs

Carved wood figure with beaded vest.

Twin Figure (ere ibeji)

Tall slender figure of a male with a high headdress and a small figure of seated Buddha in center of headdress, hands held in a delicate pose (probably once holding a lotus stalk), hips slightly akimbo. Figure wears a skirt with a knotted belt in front. Eyes are picked out in silver.

Standing Avalokitesvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion with Buddha Amitabha in Hair