Journal for Art Market Studies – Guest-Edited Issue on the Circulation of Asian Art (1930–1945 and Aftermath).

We invite scholarly contributions for an upcoming issue of the Journal for Art Market Studies dedicated to examining the trade, circulation, and market dynamics of Asian art and cultural objects during the broader World War II era (1930–1950). This volume aims to deepen understanding of the art market stemming from the historical circulation of Asian art and its entanglement with geopolitical events, market forces, and collecting practices during a critical period in global history. We particularly encourage contributions with an international scope and those that examine the Asian art market within Asia. Case studies are welcomed.

Scope and Themes

We welcome original research articles (approx. 5,000 words) that address, among others:
• Market demand and collecting trends: Who were the buyers, and what drove demand for Asian art internationally and within Asia?
• Authorized seizures and dispersal of collections: How did wartime laws and measures disrupt and disperse collections globally?
• Patterns of circulation: How Asian art moved through markets, dealers, collectors, and institutions during the WWII era, particularly across national lines.
• Art market structures: Auction houses, dealers, and networks facilitating the trade of Asian art.
• Impact of geopolitical events: How war, colonialism, and post-war restitution shaped the Asian art trade in Asia and beyond.
• Collecting and theft by armed forces in Asia: collections formed licitly and illicitly across Asian by servicemen and -women serving temporarily in a given region.
• Postwar restitutions and repatriations: How objects of Asian art and culture made their ways back to their rightful owners, or not, and the legal instruments created to facilitate these restitutions.
• Methodologies: Innovative approaches for investigating the movement, trade, provenance, and restitution of Asian art during the WWII era, including digital humanities tools other and interdisciplinary frameworks.

Submission Guidelines

• Abstracts: 250–300 words
• Deadline for abstracts: January 12, 2026; notice of acceptance by January 30.
• Full articles: Approximately 5,000 words
• Deadline for articles: June 30, 2026
• Submission email: karrelsnsi.edu