Secret of Japan hidden in Kingston, NJ
Annual Open House October 8 thru 23
daily 11:00 to 06:00
Jay Evans Harris, M.D,
Ty & Kiyoko Heineken's "Studio Japan"
I approached him with simple questions about the origin of some pieces. He was not put off by my naiveté: he treated my questions as authentic aesthetic observations. I found myself learning, and I actually felt proud of my capacity to make associations about my last visit to the oriental wing of the Metropolitan Museum and my trip to Korea. Many pieces were from other East Asian countries. I wondered how he acquired them. He had a story to tell in response to each question. Then, I explored upstairs.
More imposing objects were there, real treasures that were centuries old. Many had a humorous side; objects that I wished could dress up my house. The tea room in the back conveyed a sense of decorum in space; on that occasion there was a special exhibition of kimonos. Mr. Heineken told me that his Japanese wife, Kiyoko, presided over tea ceremony instruction. On my next yearly visit, I felt like I was communing with a friend who was freely sharing his knowledge and pleasure about Asian art and history. He had taken other objects out of storage and the new display was intriguing. He was so devoted to the works that I, as a psychoanalyst, could see that he took them as the fabric of his life, while treating each one as having its own life.
I first visited the Heineken’s Museum three years ago, when I heard about it from a good friend who went there every year in early October. I had no special interest in Japanese art more than any other kind of art, but I valued my own opinion about what would please my eyes and my feelings. Their unpretentious, Japanese studio was a revelation, so close to home, but so authentic than it felt a little like a dream place. The simple Japanese garden that led my approach was calming. I looked through the first floor, which held antiques from the early twentieth and the nineteenth century, wooden chests that surprised me with their simplicity, and cartoon art imagery with symbols that begged interpretation. I saw pictures, different from what I was used to, and collections of small artifacts each one interesting. There were bowls with unusual glazes that invited scrutiny. Each piece had a brief description of its source. There were so many objects displayed so tastefully, that I found myself with many questions—and that was before I went upstairs. As curator, Mr. Heineken made no attempt to engage me, but he looked friendly.
Studio Japan is a US Museum based in Franklin Township, New Jersey. Studio Japan is located at 4505 NJ-27, Kingston, NJ 08528, USA.
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