The Asian Art Society in the Netherlands. A centennial celebration

The Asian Art Society in the Netherlands: A Centennial CelebrationTHE ASIAN Art Society in the Netherlands (VVAK) was founded on June 29th, 1918 by a handful of men, who were keen to stimulate interest in art from Asia and to bring together art lovers in that field.[i] Ten years later, the organisation decided to start its own museum, which opened in 1932. Now—100 years after its foundation—the objects assembled by the Asian Art Society form the mainstay of the Rijksmuseum’s Asian art collection, and its members form a large group of dedicated enthusiasts.[i] P. Lunsingh Scheurleer, “Asian Art in the Rijksmuseum”, in Asian Art (Rijksmuseum collection book), Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, 2014, pp. 8-23; M. Draak, “Chronicle of the Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst”, in P. Lunsingh Scheurleer, ed., Asiatic Art in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1985, pp. 9-27; M. Fitski, “Japanese Art in the Westendorp-Osieck Collection”, Arts of Asia, Vol. 38, no. 4, July-August 2008 issue, pp. 48-57.Modern and Contemporary Studie