Courtesy of the St. Louis Art Museum.
An 11th or 12th century prunus vase is one of the oldest pieces featured in the new exhibit.
The Saint Louis Art Museum will display its newest free exhibit, "The Monochrome Mode in East Asian Art," beginning Friday.
Curated by Philip Hu, the exhibit will include ceramics and paintings whose origins span 900 years. Pieces from China, Korea, and Japan are included. The oldest objects are two prunus vases, one of which dates to as early as the 11th century.
Monochromes are an important part of East Asian art, formed because of the use of ink for both calligraphy and painting. Stoneware and porcelain were also often decorated using single colors. The museum points to a landscape by Chinese artist Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) as a piece that exemplifies "the subtlety of ink monochrome paintings of the Ming dynasty."
The exhibit is opening amid new protocols due to the coronavirus pandemic, put in place when the museum reopened in June. The building's capacity has been reduced by 50 percent, and all visitors ages 9 and older will be required to wear masks.
Visitors can see this exhibit until February 21, 2021.
