1.   For Hassam, coming from the strait-laced culture of Boston, Impressionism and Oriental art must have offered a liberating frankness that high academic art simply could not fathom.

2.   His incessant traveling facilitated his passion for collecting rare antiques and modern sculpture, especially Oriental art.

3.   Patterning the collection on those of Boston and Cleveland, Sickman assembled treasures of Oriental art, especially Chinese, to rival theirs.

4.   Some of the dealers in Oriental art have deserted Maastricht this year for the Asian Art Fair to be held in New York later this month.

5.   Miro foundation director Pablo Rico said the items on show had been greatly influenced by oriental art.