Touring Through Centuries of Asian History

A group of a dozen or so reporters, bloggers, and designers got a sneak peak at the collections presented during Asia Week.

An idyllic villa print by Katsushika Hokusai, 1760-1849, part of the Scholten Japanese Art collection. The poem is by Fujiwara no Tadahira (880-949), was commissioned as an eloquent invitation to the Emperor Daigo to visit his father at Mount Ogura in autumn. Value: $16,000. Courtesy of Scholten Japanese Art

Ogura yama
Mine no momiji-ba
Kokoro araba
abi no
Miyuki matanan

If the maple leaves
On the ridge of Ogura
Have the gift of mind,
They will longingly await
One more august pilgrimage

NEW YORK—A whirlwind tour through 12 Asia Week galleries on March 14; traversing Chelsea to the Upper East Side, roused ancient Japanese heartache, delved into Korean genealogy, and evoked the aura of Tibetan monasteries.

A group of a dozen or so reporters, bloggers, and designers got a sneak peak at the collections presented during Asia Week, which began on March 16 and will end on March 24. Each collector highlighted his or her prized pieces in about 15 minutes, before it was off to the next gallery.