Description

The Albert Bender Collection of Asian Art in the National Museum of Ireland is a richly illustrated reference work by Dr Audrey Whitty, published in 2011 by Wordwell in association with the National Museum of Ireland. The book documents one of the museum’s most important international collections and provides the first comprehensive study of the Asian artworks donated by Albert Maurice Bender (1866–1941), a Dublin-born philanthropist who became a celebrated patron of the arts in San Francisco.

Albert Bender emigrated from Dublin to California as a young man, where he built a successful career and developed a lifelong passion for collecting art and supporting artists. Between 1931 and 1936, he donated approximately 260 objects of Asian art to the National Museum of Ireland in memory of his mother, Augusta Bender. These gifts included masterpieces of Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan art that remain among the museum’s most treasured holdings.

The book explores the history of the collection while presenting detailed descriptions and high-quality photographs of many outstanding objects, including:

• Chinese ceramics, jade, enamel, and carved ivory
• Japanese woodblock prints and lacquerware
• Tibetan Buddhist thangkas and religious sculptures
• Decorative metalwork, textiles, robes, and ritual objects
• Rare carvings, snuff bottles, and religious artefacts

Beyond cataloguing the artworks, Whitty examines Bender’s close connections with Ireland’s cultural revival. Through correspondence with leading Irish literary and artistic figures—including W. B. Yeats, Jack B. Yeats, George Russell (Æ), and Walter Starkie—Bender maintained strong ties to his homeland and was encouraged to donate his collection to the National Museum of Ireland.

The book also explains how the collection fits within the wider history of the National Museum’s Asian holdings and discusses the artistic traditions, symbolism, craftsmanship, and cultural significance of the featured objects. It serves as both an exhibition catalogue and an accessible introduction to the history of Asian decorative arts.

Key Themes

• The Albert Bender Collection at the National Museum of Ireland
• Asian art and decorative arts
• Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan artistic traditions
• Collecting, philanthropy, and museum history
• Irish-American cultural connections
• Buddhist religious art and iconography
• Japanese woodblock prints and Chinese ceramics
• Museum conservation and art history

Combining scholarly research with stunning photography, The Albert Bender Collection of Asian Art in the National Museum of Ireland is an invaluable resource for readers interested in Asian art, museum collections, Irish cultural history, and the legacy of one of Ireland’s greatest art benefactors. It offers a fascinating account of how an extraordinary collection travelled from East Asia to San Francisco and ultimately found its permanent home in Dublin.