Today I’m writing about ancient Chinese jade and a small, splendid show of the best examples at Throckmorton, the specialist dealer on East 57th Street. I’ve written a lot about art fairs but never about a single dealer and a specific show at his or her gallery. Some of the best exhibitions and scholarship come these days from dealers, so I’ve been remiss.
The show at Throckmorton, Jade: The Stone of Heaven, considers 7,000 years of carved and polished Chinese jade. Jade has always been a luxury staple in China, but in antiquity it was the decoration of choice to accompany the rich and the dead as they communed with eternity. The show is beautifully, cozily done. The objects aren’t big, making them seem like both sculpture and jewelry. Galleries are arranged to make people comfortable as well as to preserve and protect art. The Stone of Heaven is a delight, aesthetically and intellectually.
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