All Essays
Asian Art
The arts of the Himalayan region, extending from Kashmir in the west, across the central Tibetan plateau to eastern Tibet and Nepal, embody a rich fabric of traditions drawn from the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, West Asia, and China.
John Guy
May 1, 2021
For the devout, the veneration of these five [celestial] Buddhas offered a direct path to breaking free of the cycle of rebirth, a goal facilitated by their innumerable manifestations that make up the Himalayan Buddhist pantheon.
Kurt Behrendt
June 1, 2017
In addition to illustrating the appeal of new and foreign items in Joseon society, munbangdo paintings represent three significant aesthetic trends of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: illusionism; antiquarianism and empiricism; and auspicious symbolism.
Eleanor Soo-ah Hyun
December 1, 2016
The strong religious associations of tiger and dragon motifs contributed to their popularity in the fine and decorative arts throughout China, Japan, and Korea.
Kim Hae Yeun
October 1, 2016
The arts of music, dance, and poetry, especially as they related to courtly life, began to take center stage, as military exploits had little place during this time of peace.
Kurt Behrendt
October 1, 2016
With exceptional artistic sensibility and intimate knowledge of the material, [a master craftsman] is able to visualize the completed product in an unworked rock.
Jason Sun
June 1, 2016
While writing boxes are designed for the practical function of housing writing implements such as the inkstone, they are also often consummate examples of lacquer art.
Monika Bincsik
January 1, 2014
Wrathful in countenance, the Kings of Brightness are staunch protectors of the Buddhist Law, as well as masters of channeling unruly passions toward constructive ends.
Sinéad Vilbar
October 1, 2013
Like a book, a handscroll is an intimate object that is held in the hands and is ideally viewed by only a few people at a time.
Anna Willmann
November 1, 2012
Although today we think of bathing as a private activity, the public bath, or hammam, was a vital social institution in any Middle Eastern city for centuries before the advent of modern plumbing.
Elizabeth Williams
October 1, 2012