HISTORY OF ART: South, East, and Southeast Asia I

  • Period: 300 BCE to Jan 1, 1500

    South, East, and South East Asian Art Image and Information Sources, cont.

  • 221

    Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China. Qin Dynasty. c. 221–209 B.C.E. Painted terra cotta.

    Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China. Qin Dynasty. c. 221–209 B.C.E. Painted terra cotta.
    The numerous, distinctly individualized, and well-armed Terracotta army were the permanent residents of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum. Along with the fact that a 13-year-old Qin requested construction of the tomb, the mausoleum's elaborate parallel of worldly society conveys the First Emperor's intense obsession with immortality past corporeal death. As is typical of Chinese burials, the vast chambers included numerous valuables signifying the occupant's high-rank and power to the afterlife.
  • 400

    Gold and jade crown. Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom, Korea. Fifth to sixth century C.E. Metalwork.

    Gold and jade crown. Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom, Korea. Fifth to sixth century C.E. Metalwork.
    The Gold and jade crown is a lavishly decorated work from the Korean Silla kingdom that conveys their once-shamanistic beliefs before the rise of Buddhism. The delicate work was used in Sillan ceremonial rites including coronations and memorial services of the elite, and the tree-like branches of the crown symbolize their shamanistic belief in the heavenly power of nature. Its style and inclusion in burial also denote the vast amount of different Eurasian influences on Korean customs.
  • Jan 1, 743

    Todai-ji. Nara, Japan. Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei, as well as the Kei School. 743 C.E

    Todai-ji. Nara, Japan. Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei, as well as the Kei School. 743 C.E
    The Buddhist temple was originally constructed as part of Emp. Shomu's spiritual and imperial unification of Japan, and was the largest Japanese building project of its time. After its unfortunate destruction in 1180, it repeated this feat under a new Shogun, albeit at a smaller scale due to the strain on Japan's ecological resources. The concentration of talent required in the reconstruction resulted in the Kei School, whose austere realism is widely considered the peak of Japanese sculpture.
  • Jan 1, 1000

    Travelers among Mountains and Streams. Fan Kuan. c. 1000 C.E. Ink and colors on silk.

    Travelers among Mountains and Streams. Fan Kuan. c. 1000 C.E. Ink and colors on silk.
    Fan Kuan's most famous work, Travelers among Mountains and Streams is a beautifully painted manifesto of Taoist philosophy. The monochromatic work consists of soaring cliff peaks and lush vegetation that serve to dwarf the titular travelers in the bottom-right corner. Kuan's vivid brushstrokes serve an attempt at understanding the underlying, absolute truth that underscores the harmonious relationship between mankind and nature, as well as the workings of the universe as a whole.
  • Jan 1, 1000

    Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja). Hindu; India (Tamil Nadu), Chola Dynasty. c. 11th century C.E. Cast bronze

    Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja). Hindu; India (Tamil Nadu), Chola Dynasty. c. 11th century C.E. Cast bronze
    The Nataraja is a religious Hindu work depicting a humanized form of Shiva, the "sagacious preserver" who, along with Brahma the creator and Vishnu the destroyer, maintains the continuous cycle of life. This cycle of life is symbolized by the ring of fire encircling Shiva, and turns to the rhythm of Shiva's drumming and dancing. In humanizing Shiva both in bronze and in ceremonies, the Hindu followers establish a connection between corporeal life and the eternal, righteous life of the deity.