Museum of Fine Arts with Louis Stewart

I called Louis Stewart up for lunch, and he was headed to the MFA and asked me to join him.  He was particularly interested in seeing some Asian (and particularly Buddhist) artwork.  Well, this is one of the great museums for that.  Louis and I were room mates at New England Conservatory, during our graduate years (1966-68).  He is a composer, pianist and conductor, and is a full professor at Berklee College.  Although  he is a conductor, we have remained friends.  And we have performed recitals together at Berklee, New England Conservatory, Old South Union Church, and at Oak Point. Our other roommate was George Monsieur, another conductor (!), who conducts the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic. 
Louis lives in the North End, has never owned a car, and is an expert on almost every type of cuisine, especially Asian and Middle Eastern. But he still asks my advice about wine. 


Zhan Wang
"Artificial Rock No. 85" (2005)
One of the major artworks in the new American Cafe

Dale Chihuly
"Lime Green Icicle Tower"  (2011)
Also in the American Cafe

Simone del Tintore
"Still life with Flowers, Vegetables, and Pigeons" (detail)

Oscar Heyman
Brooch (1928)
Platinum, Diamonds, 60-carat Emerald

Charles Joseph Sax (Belgium)
Omnitonic Horm (1833)

John A Kohler
Keyed Bugle (1835)

Joseph Mosca-Cavelli
Guitar (chitarra battente) 
(1725)

Thomas Ridgeway Gould
"Cleopatra" (1873)

Some of the Sargent Murals

Takeshiba Toshiteru
Katana and Wakizashi Swords
Edo Period (1850)

Yoshimasa
Netsuke: Seated Kirin
Edo Period

Igarashi Doho
Writing Box
17th. Century

Kato Yasukage
Shino-style Water Jar
(2003)

Yamaguchi Ryuun
Open-work Basket
(2000)

Bhairava
or
Mahakala
(Indonesia)

Box Panel
Northern India
(17th. Century)