Detail: The two-bedroom New Jersey apartment of
psychiatrist-turned-collector and
scholar Paul Singer (1904–1997) was once
packed with more than 5,000 objects he
assembled over the course of seventy
years. Singer’s bequest to the Arthur M.
Sackler Gallery created one of the
largest and most significant Chinese
archaeological collections in the United
States. This exhibition of Singer’s gift
not only looks at the collector’s
legendary life, but also examines how
landmark archaeological discoveries have
shed new light on his acquisitions and
on life in ancient China. Highlights
include an early bronze plaque with
exquisite turquoise inlay; jade and
stone objects that closely resemble
those found in the tomb of the royal
consort Fu Hao dating to the 13th
century BCE; 2,000-year-old human
hairpieces; and a group of rare and
amusing figurines and miniature vessels.