This special JASA live webinar presented on September 11, 2023, and focuses on The Montgomery Collection, widely regarded as the largest and finest collection of mingei (Japanese folk art) outside of Japan. Luigi Zeni, guest curator for the Dallas-based Crow Museum of Asian Art, will discuss the collection with Swiss collector Jeffrey Montgomery, who has spent over 40 years acquiring approximately 1,100 works of mingei in various media.
The conversation focuses on the exhibition Japan Form & Function: The Montgomery Collection, on view at the Crow Museum until April 14, 2024. This exhibition offers a glimpse of the larger collection and reflects Mr. Montgomery’s passion and interest in the purpose (i.e., function) of the objects as well as their sculptural qualities (form). The exhibition spans 5,000 years of Japanese history, from the middle Jōmon period (3500–2500 B.C.E.) to the end of the twentieth century. The discussion will be moderated by JASA board member and distinguished mingei collector David M. Kahn.