The RA collection of cross-cultural works of art: a collector's vision

Abstract

Following in the tradition of the previous volumes of The RA Collection of Chinese Ceramics. A Collector's Vision, the exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2016, Global by Design Chinese Ceramics from the R. Albuquerque Collection, loans to other temporary exhibitions and conferences based on the collection, this volume is the result of Renato de Albuquerque's quest to continue to share his collection and the research undertaken on it with the wider public. The sixth volume of the RA Collection concludes a series of publications, the first five of which are dedicated to Chinese ceramics and enamelled copper, reflecting the extraordinary collection of works of art assembled by the collector Renato de Albuquerque. This final volume, The RA Collection of Cross-Cultural Works of Art: A Collector's Vision is dedicated to works of art other than porcelain and enamel on copper, which have resulted from the interaction between African, Asian and Western cultures. It includes pieces from ancient Sierra Leone, the Kingdom of Kongo, Sri Lanka, India, China, the Philippines and Japan; these hybrid works of art are of historical significance and were produced during a period when a new common worldwide cultural heritage had emerged. The 57 book entries illustrate and discuss some of the most iconic pieces of Renato Albuquerque's collection of cross-cultural works of art, written by six authors, each covering a particular field of expertise.