Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures - Detroit Institute of Arts

06/15/2026

A special thank-you to everyone who joined and supported FAAC’s AAPI Heritage Month Celebration at the Detroit Institute of Arts this May.

We are honored that a Special Tribute from the State of Michigan was presented to the Detroit Institute of Arts and Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures in recognition of the 9th annual AAPI Heritage Month celebration and the continuing work to share Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, arts, and cultures with our broader Michigan community.

We are grateful to the DIA, FAAC members, performers, artists, volunteers, community partners, our long-valued member Sharon Dow for organizing this event, and Senator Stephanie Chang for helping make this meaningful recognition possible.

Thank you for being part of FAAC’s mission to celebrate and share the artistic cultures of Asia, the Islamic World, and the Ancient Middle East at the DIA.A special thank-you to everyone who joined and supported FAAC’s AAPI Heritage Month Celebration at the Detroit Institute of Arts this May.

We are honored that a Special Tribute from the State of Michigan was presented to the Detroit Institute of Arts and Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures in recognition of the 9th annual AAPI Heritage Month celebration and the continuing work to share Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, arts, and cultures with our broader Michigan community.

We are grateful to the DIA, FAAC members, performers, artists, volunteers, community partners, and Senator Stephanie Chang for helping make this meaningful recognition possible.

Thank you for being part of FAAC’s mission to celebrate and share the artistic cultures of Asia, the Islamic World, and the Ancient Middle East at the DIA.

06/10/2026

Artworks Highlight_ #01 ~ #03

From the Galleries of Asian & Islamic Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts:
In this series, we invite you to discover selected treasures from the Detroit Institute of Arts that reflect the rich artistic traditions of Asia and the Islamic world. Each work offers a glimpse into history, belief, craftsmanship, and cultural expression.
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1. Salt cellar inscribed with Poem about Salt(Mughal, Indian):
On View in Islamic, Level 1, North Wing

The excerpts from Persian poems inscribed on this lidded container from Mughal India reveal the purpose of the object: to hold salt. Its inscriptions also record the name of its owner, a government official named Muhammad Husayn, and its date, 1664 – 65.
Covered in floral imagery, the saltcellar would have been one of many luxury objects displayed and used during meals hosted by Muhammad Husayn. Its naturalistic flowers may have recalled a fragrant garden — a popular setting for dinner parties among the Mughal elite.
One of the inscribed verses — “A host places a saltcellar on the table first” — comes from a couplet by the Iranian poet Sa’ib Tabrizi, who lived in India from 1625 – 32. The authorship of the other lines is no longer known, but Muhammad Husayn and his dining companions must have identified the poets and relished their wordplay.

* Source: https://dia.org/collection/saltcellar-inscribed-poem-about-salt-93861

2. Dish (Turkish)
On View in Islamic, Level 1, North Wing
At first glance, this dish might appear to be blue-and-white porcelain from China, but in fact, it was created by ceramic artists in Iznik, Turkey.

During the Ottoman period in Turkey, members of the royal court avidly collected Chinese ceramics, which they acquired through both trade and diplomacy. In the late 1400s, Iznik potters began to produce local versions of these luxury imports. To re-create the smooth, white appearance of porcelain, they used fritware — a mixture of clay, ground quartz, and ground glass — covered in white slip (liquid clay). Painting designs on the vessels before glazing and firing, they initially replicated floral patterns from Chinese examples in the royal collection, using cobalt blue — as seen in this dish.
Valued for their artistic qualities and their functionality, Iznik wares were both commissioned by the Ottoman palace and produced for a broader market. The large size of this dish made it suitable for serving shared food at communal meals.

*Source: https://dia.org/collection/dish-96106

3. Ewer with Rooster Head(Islamic)
On View in Islamic, Level 1, North Wing

When a server poured drinks from this rooster-headed ewer, the effect must have delighted guests. As the pourer grasped the vessel’s tail-shaped handle, the beverage would have flowed from the opening in the beak.
To create the ewer, potters made a solid inner layer to hold the liquid contents and a decorative outer shell with carved openwork. Painting sphinxes, spotted deer, and harpies (birds with the heads of human women) amid a swirling background, they articulated details with black slip (liquid clay) before covering the vessel in a turquoise glaze. These specialized techniques, requiring great skill, made this work an expensive luxury object.

*Source: https://dia.org/collection/ewer-rooster-head-49382

06/06/2026

06/06/2026

06/03/2026

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06/02/2026

Sunday, June 7, from 2-3 PM.

The Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures (FAAC) is pleased to support this special DIA lecture by Chase Robinson, PhD, Director of the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian, exploring the remarkable vision of Charles Lang Freer and Detroit’s important connection to Asian art collecting and museum history.

Join this insightful program to learn how Freer’s passion for Asian art, American art, and cross-cultural understanding helped shape one of the most significant museum collections in the United States. The lecture also offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect on Detroit’s historical role in global art appreciation and cultural exchange.

To learn more about Charles Lang Freer and his extraordinary legacy, we also invite you to watch this short video:
Original Freer Gallery of Art(Source: YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZRhtodaps&t=8s

DIA Public Lecture details: Detroit and Charles Lang Freer’s Vision at the DIA
https://dia.org/events/detroit-and-charles-lang-freers-vision-national-museum

05/31/2026

FAAC Social Dining committee is beginning to imagine a special DIA Inside|Out Picnic gathering for 2027, and we would love your help.

As you visit parks, neighborhoods, libraries, community spaces, or outdoor places around Metro Detroit, please keep an eye out for DIA Inside|Out artworks, especially works connected to Asian, Islamic, and Middle Eastern art and cultures.
When you spot one, we invite you to capture the moment and share it with FAAC:

1) A photo or short video
2) The artwork location
3) The address, park, neighborhood, or nearby landmark
4) Any nearby restaurant, café, or picnic-friendly area you think FAAC members may enjoy

Your shared moments may help us choose a meaningful place for a future FAAC Summer or Fall Social Dining Picnic gathering, where art, culture, food, and community can come together outdoors.

Please tag FAAC or send us your photo, video, or location idea. We would love to discover these DIA artwork encounters through your eyes.

*Official Inside Out link at the DIA:

Now in its 16th year, the Inside|Out program brings high-quality reproductions of the DIA’s collection to outdoor venues throughout metro Detroit to increase...