Only two years ago, finding one’s way around the many Asia Week events was a rather hit or miss affair — literally a journey without a map. However, maps and brochures were in abundance this year, thanks to Asian Art Dealers New York (AADNY), an organization founded in 2009 that includes the 31 international dealers in all areas of Chinese, Indian, Southeast Asian, and Japanese art who are holding exhibitions in galleries and apartments all over town.

AADNY membership ranges from dealers with well-known galleries — like J.J. Lally, Guiseppe Eskenazi, Ralph M. Chait — to smaller private outlets that are less visible to the general public, like Keiko Coyle and Theresa McCullough. Together, they have worked to revitalize Asia Week as a leading destination for worldwide collectors and enthusiasts, scheduling a week packed full of activities that are complemented by auctions and museum exhibitions.

The AADNY dealers each held an open house on last week, giving collectors a first opportunity to view what was on display. But although many of the participating galleries are housed in midtown's Fuller Building, seeing everything takes more than two days. With that in mind, what follows is ARTINFO's guide to the most essential shows to see before the event concludes on Sunday.

“Last year was bad psychologically, even though business was happening,” said Arnold H. Lieberman, a dealer in Indian and Southeast Asian art. "This year the mood is much more positive.” Among the works being shown by the Upper East Side gallery this year is an 11th-century Indian stone sculpture of the monkey-headed deity Hanuman stepping on an ogress, priced at $350,000.

Nancy Wiener Gallery, of the Upper West Side, is showing classical Indian and Southeast Asian sculpture, silver, and gold. One of her most striking pieces is an enormous 19th–century ceremonial necklace from South India. Made of silver with colored beads, the necklace, with a price tag of $45,000, is made of 21 segments arranged in a sunburst circle, with each segment resembling a human face with bulging cheeks. Another standout piece is an 11th-century Khmer sandstone Buddha seated on a coiled naga, or serpent. The piece has been reserved for an undisclosed price.

John Eskenazis exhibition of “Ancient Asian Sculpture" is not to be missed. Judging from the comments heard around town, the most beloved object of the week is Eskenazi’s Buddha from Sri Lanka, which dates to the 8th-century Anuradhapura era. “It’s an absolutely classic piece from one of the best periods of Sri Lankan art,” said David Weldon, a consultant for Sotheby’s Indian and Southeast Asian department. “There is nothing like it in Western museum collections." Another showstopper is a large, 4th- to 5th-century terracotta head of a Bodhisattva, possibly Siddhartha, from the Greater Gandharan region.

In the Fuller Building, Sydney L. Moss Ltd. — which is celebrating its centenary year — is showing 60 paintings and calligraphic pieces ranging in price from $5,000 to more than $1 million. The highlight was a very large hand scroll that Lan Ying (1585-1644) made in the manner of Wu Chen (1280-1353), one of the four Yuan Masters. In addition, there are a number of Japanese netsuke (small, hand held sculptures), one of the gallery's specialties, together with inro and pipe cases, Japanese lacquer boxes, and Chinese literati objects.

J.J. Lally, also in the Fuller building, has a stunning exhibition of “Chinese Ceramics in Black and White” dating from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the 18th century, and ranging in price from $5,000 to $500,000. By last Sunday a great number of them had already sold, including a Neolithic burnished black pottery stemcup, a 7th-century molded white pottery “dancing monkey flask,” and a black Tang dynasty “phoenix head” ewer. A massive Imperial black-glazed stoneware storage jar, from the early Ming dynasty, has been reserved by a museum. Most of the pieces were sold to “aficionados,” according to James Lally. “We sold a couple of things to museums and a couple to new buyers from China,” he said, “but most went to old friends.”

The Fuller Building's Sue Ollemans Oriental Art, which specializes in Indian and Southeast Asian jewels, sold more than 20 pieces over the opening weekend. Among those sales were twelve 19th-century mamuli, or sacred gold ornaments, from East Sumba, Indonesia, which sold to a single collector.

The exhibition of early Japanese ceramics at Mika Gallery, also in the building, is also a must-see. Jomon pots and Janiwa figures are on view, with highlights including a Shakoki Dogu figure from the final Jomon period (between 1200 and 400 B.C.) that was snapped up by a lucky buyer shortly after the show opened, and a Haniwa horse with bells from the Kofun period, around 300 to 600 A.D.

In a departure from his usual showings of ancient bronzes and Ming pottery, the Ukrainian Institute's Eskenazi Ltd. is showing the recent work of Li Huayi, a contemporary Chinese artist. The exhibition “Trees, Rock, Mist and Mountains” contains large paintings in ink and color on paper and panels of paintings mounted together as screens, with one monumental 18-foot-long installation. The artist’s works are inspired by the landscapes of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127).

With glorious weather over the opening weekend, no one seemed to mind trekking all over town to see wonderful art, and this weekend promises more of the same. The citywide layout of the week's events, with displays in large, autonomous spaces rather than in crowded booths at an art fair, makes it more pleasurable to navigate. The dispersal also has the added benefit of allowing people to talk to dealers in a less frenzied environment. And now, thanks to AADNY's welcome guides, it is easier than ever to find them.