Over Fall break Benny Ko was kind enough to take James, Cameron, and I to Newfields to walk around and explore the museum in general but also to obtain a deeper meaning into Asian history (especially Chinese). We started the trip by walking through the beautiful landscape surrounding Newfields. There was a very interesting tree in the middle of the front yard of the mansion, it’s base was shaped almost like a pyramid and had the distinctive red bark of a redwood. Benny explained to us how the tree was a Dawn Redwood, a tree that’s native to mainland China and not the US! The tree’s were brought over to the US during the late 19th and early 20th century as trade between the west and the US started to ramp up.
After walking the gardens we got to experience all of the exhibits that Newfields had on display, taking extra time on the Asian sections. We learned how a lot of design in the US was inspired by China and Japan. Starting in the early 20th century art pieces and even items such as silver bowls and houseware had incorporated oriental design elements including patterns and lines. In particular one of the sculptures we saw was very intriguing. There was a sculpture of a camel being ridden by a caucasian rider. The sculpture was produced during the Tang dynasty around 700AD. The caucasian rider had both European and Asian features, indicating that the people trading along the silk road were mixing cultures. This just goes to show how people of different cultures have been interwoven for thousands of years.
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