Chapman Art Historian, Ed Fosmire, and four Chapman Art History students, Lauren Moritz, Areni Nuyujukian, Elise Pertusati, and Jessica Yi, are currently researching works of art for a catalogue essay Mr. Fosmire is writing and an exhibition he’s overseeing this summer at the Bowers Museum to commemorate the Asian calendar, Year of the Horse.

The research started in February 2014 and each student is taking on the task of researching 3-5 unique, and sometimes unusual works of art, depicting horses from China and Japan from the last 2,000 years. Their findings will help provide a clearer picture of the historical importance of the horse in Chinese and Japanese culture, how the horse was represented, and what for what purpose these objects were created.

The exhibition, “HEAVENLY HORSES: TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF CHINESE AND JAPANESE EQUESTRIAN ART” will be at the Bowers Museum June 14-November 14, 2014. A catalogue is being published which includes Mr. Fosmire’s writing of the main essay.

Check out the research.