Transcript South, East, and Southeast Asia

SOUTH, EAST &
SOUTHEAST ASIA
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Terra cotta warriors
Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first
Qin emperor of China. Qin Dynasty c. 221-209 BCE.
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta
sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang,
the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary
art buried with the emperor whose purpose was to
protect the him in his afterlife.
The figures, dating from approximately the late
third century BCE, were discovered in 1974 by
local farmers. The figures vary in height according
to their roles, with the tallest being the generals.
The figures include warriors, chariots and horses.
Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits
containing the Terracotta Army held more than
8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and
150 cavalry horses, the majority of which
remained buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi
Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military
figures were found in other pits, including officials,
acrobats, strongmen and musicians.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Terra cotta warriors
Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China.
Qin Dynasty c. 221-209 BCE.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Terra cotta warriors
Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China.
Qin Dynasty c. 221-209 BCE.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Terra cotta warriors
Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China.
Qin Dynasty c. 221-209 BCE.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Funeral banner
Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui). Han Dynasty
c. 180 BCE. Painted silk.
Xin Zhui was the wife of the Marquis of Dai. Discovered in
1972, Xin Zhui's body and tomb are considered one of the
most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
Besides having some of the best preserved human remains
ever discovered in China, the contents of Xin Zhui's tomb
revealed an incredible amount of information about life in the
Han Dynasty that was previously unknown. Lady Dai's painted
silk banner is a precious window into Han-dynasty legends
and funeral practice; it was carried in front of the funeral
procession, then draped upon her coffin. Banners like this
were employed to attract the spirit of the deceased to its
tomb, where it could be properly started on its afterlife journey
instead of remaining on earth to bother the living.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Funeral banner
Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui). Han Dynasty
c. 180 BCE. Painted silk.
The banner's design1 is divided vertically into Yin (left),
Mixture (center), and Yang (right); and horizontally into the
three realms of Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld. The
banner describes Lady Dai's journey to heaven; it is decorated
with grave goods, spirits, legends, and symbols of immortality
associated with Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Longmen Caves. Tang Dynasty,
493-1127 CE. Limestone.
The Longmen Caves are one of the finest
examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing
tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his
disciples, they are located 12 km (7.5 mi) south
of present day Luòyáng, China. The images,
many once painted, were carved into caves
excavated from the limestone cliffs of the
Xiangshan and Longmenshan mountains,
running east and west.
The grottos were planned and carved during
the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), when the
rulers relocated their capital at Luoyang near
the end of the 5th century. At that time
Buddhism was spreading east into China and
was venerated by the imperial court. The
Buddhists adopted the practice of carving rock
temples, dedicated to the Buddha.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Longmen Caves
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Longmen Caves. Tang Dynasty, 493-1127 CE. Limestone.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Longmen Caves
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Longmen Caves. Tang Dynasty, 493-1127 CE. Limestone.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Longmen Caves
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Longmen Caves
The Grottoes at Longmen Caves. Tang Dynasty, 493-1127 CE. Limestone.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Longmen Caves
The Grottoes at Longmen Caves. Tang Dynasty, 493-1127 CE. Limestone.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Gold and Jade Crown. Three Kingdoms Period,
Silla Kingdom, Korea. 5th to 6th Century CE.
Metalwork.
The crowns of Silla were made in the
Korean kingdom of Silla approximately in the
5th-7th centuries of the Common Era.
These crowns were excavated in Gyeongju,
the former capital of Silla, and are
designated National treasures of South
Korea.
The Silla crowns are very fragile and weigh
more than one kilogram (2.2 pounds). The
Silla kings probably did not wear the golden
crowns like hats. They were probably used
only for formal and ceremonial occasions.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Gold and Jade Crown. Three Kingdoms Period,
Silla Kingdom, Korea. 5th to 6th Century CE.
Metalwork.
This magnificent crown was found in the Silla
queen's tomb at the double-burial of
Hwangnam Daechong. The king, who had
been the reigning monarch, had crowns
made of silver and gilt bronze only. The
crown comprises a headband with five
vertical elements—three shaped like trees
and two like antlers—and six dangling
pendants.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Todai-ji
Todai-ji. Nara, Japan. 743 CE. Rebuilt c.1700.
Bronze and wood (sculpture); wood with ceramictile roofing (architecture).
Todaiji ("Great Eastern Temple") is one of
Japan's most famous and historically significant
temples and a landmark of Nara. The temple
was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all
provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew
so powerful that the capital was moved from
Nara to Nagaoka in 784 in order to lower the
temple's influence on government affairs.
Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big
Buddha Hall) is the world's largest wooden
building, despite the fact that the present
reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the
original temple hall's size. The massive building
houses one of Japan's largest bronze statues of
Buddha (Daibutsu). The 15 meters tall, seated
Buddha represents Vairocana and is flanked by
two Bodhisattvas.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Todai-ji
Daibutsu (The Great Buddha),
Todai-ji. Nara, Japan. 743 CE.
Rebuilt c.1700. Bronze and wood
(sculpture).
The size of his open hand is about the
length of an adult human!
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Todai-ji
Great South Gate, Todai-ji. Nara, Japan.
743 CE. Rebuilt in 962. Wood.
The impressive wooden Great Southern
Gate, called Nandaimon, leads to Todai-ji
temple main building, on the northern side
of the park. The original gate was
destroyed by a typhoon in 962 and rebuilt
in 1199 (Kamamura period), ih the very
same installment we see today.
As you enter, the gate, you see the temple
guards, known as the Nio, who are around
25 feet tall.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Great South Gate, Todai-ji. Nara, Japan. 743 CE. Rebuilt in 962. Wood.
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Todai-ji
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Todai-ji
Nio Guardian Statues,Todai-ji. Nara,
Japan. 1203 CE. Wood.
The Niō (“Benevolent Kings”) are a pair of
protectors who commonly stand guard
outside the temple gate at Japanese
Buddhist temples, one on either side of
the entrance. The open-mouth version is
commonly placed to the right of the
temple, the closed-mouth version to the
left. In Japan, the gate itself is often
called the Niō-mon. At Shintō shrines,
however, the Niō guardians are replaced
with a pair of koma-inu (shishi lion-dogs)
or with two foxes. These mythical and
magical shrine guardians are commonly
(but not always) depicted with similar
iconography -- one mouth open, one
closed. (Mouth open to scare off evil
spirits, closed to keep in the good ones!)
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Todai-ji
Nio Guardian Statues,Todai-ji. Nara,
Japan. 743 CE. Rebuilt c.1700. Wood.
The Niō (“Benevolent Kings”) are a pair of
protectors who commonly stand guard
outside the temple gate at Japanese
Buddhist temples, one on either side of
the entrance. The open-mouth version is
commonly placed to the right of the
temple, the closed-mouth version to the
left. In Japan, the gate itself is often
called the Niō-mon. At Shintō shrines,
however, the Niō guardians are replaced
with a pair of koma-inu (shishi lion-dogs)
or with two foxes. These mythical and
magical shrine guardians are commonly
(but not always) depicted with similar
iconography -- one mouth open, one
closed. (Mouth open to scare off evil
spirits, closed to keep in the good ones!)
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Borobudur Temple. Central Java,
Indonesia. Sailendra Dynasty. c. 750-842
CE. Volcanic stone masonry.
This famous Buddhist temple, dating from the
8th and 9th centuries, is located in central Java.
It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with
five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a
cone with three circular platforms and, at the
top, a monumental stupa. The walls and
balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs,
covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2.
Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork
stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Borobudur Temple. Central Java, Indonesia. c. 750-842 CE. Volcanic stone masonry.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Borobudur Temple. Central Java, Indonesia. c. 750-842 CE. Volcanic stone masonry.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Borobudur Temple. Central Java, Indonesia. c. 750-842 CE. Volcanic stone masonry.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Borobudur Temple. Central Java, Indonesia. c. 750-842 CE. Volcanic stone masonry.
Queen Maya riding horse carriage retreating to Lumbini to give birth to
Prince Siddhartha Gautama
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat. City of
Angkot Thom, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor
Dynasty, c800-1400 CE. Stone masonry,
sandstone.
Angkor Wat was first a Hindu, later a
Buddhist, temple complex in Cambodia and
the largest religious monument in the world.
The temple was built by the Khmer King
Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in
present-day Angkor, the capital of the
Khmer Empire, as his state temple and
eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the
Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor
Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As
the best-preserved temple at the site, it is
the only one to have remained a significant
religious center since its foundation. The
temple is at the top of the high classical
style of Khmer architecture.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat. City of Angkot Thom, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor
Dynasty, c800-1400 CE. Stone masonry, sandstone.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat. (Viewed from the rear).
Hindu, Angkor Dynasty, c800-1400 CE. Stone masonry, sandstone.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat. (Interior).
Hindu, Angkor Dynasty, c800-1400 CE. Stone masonry, sandstone.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat. (Interior).
Hindu, Angkor Dynasty, c800-1400 CE. Stone masonry, sandstone.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Angkor Thom (which literally means “Great
City”), is located in present day Cambodia,
and was the last and most enduring capital
city of the Khmer empire. It was established
in the late twelfth century by King
Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km²,
within which are located several monuments
from earlier eras as well as those established
by Jayavarman and his successors. At the
centre of the city is Jayavarman's state
temple, the Bayon, with the other major sites
clustered around the Victory Square
immediately to the north. The last temple
known to have been constructed in Angkor
Thom was Mangalartha, which was
dedicated in 1295.
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South Gate at Angkor Thom (Cambodia)
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Churning of the Ocean Milk, the temple of
Angkor Wat. (Interior). Hindu, c800-1400 CE.
Stone masonry, sandstone.
The myth of the Churning was very
popular in the Angkor era. It is depicted at
temples in Angkor and all over Cambodia.
Hindu mythology tells a story about the
churning of the Cosmic Ocean in order to
obtain Amrita - the nectar of immortal life.
At the suggestion of Vishnu the gods and
demons churn the primeval ocean in
order to obtain Amrita which will
guarantee them immortality. This wellknown bas-relief is seen on the southeast
wing of the temple.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Jayavarman VII as Buddah, the
temple of Angkor Wat. Hindu, c8001400 CE. Stone masonry, sandstone.
Jayavarman VII (1181–1215) was the
greatest of all Khmer Buddhist kings.
Jayavarman VII worked tirelessly to
establish Buddhism as the state religion of
Angkor. He was already an elderly man,
perhaps 60, when he ascended the throne.
Before becoming king, he had devoted his
long life to meditation and tantra. Sensing
his mortality, he worked feverishly to
accomplish his works in "saving" the Khmer
people and establishing a Buddhist empire
in a race against time. As a "bodhisattva
king" Jayavarman VII was considered to be
a living Buddha, or bodhisattva who turned
his back from the brink of enlightenment
to redeem or save his people from suffering;
he imagined himself in a role similar to
that of the present day Dalai Lama.
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Aerial view of Angkor Wat
South, East, and Southeast Asia
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Plan of Angkor Wat
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Lakshmana Temple. Khajuraho, India.
Chandella Dynasty. 930-950 CE.
Sandstone.
The Lakshmana temple, dedicated to the god
Vishnu, was built from 930-950 AD during the
reign of King Yasovarman of the Chandella
kingdom. It houses a sacred image of
Vaikuntha-Vishnu brought from Tibet. Though
the temple is one of the oldest in the
Khajuraho fields, it is also one of the most
exquisitely decorated, covered almost
completely with images of over 600 gods in the
Hindu Pantheon. The main shrine of the
temple, which faces east, is flanked by four
freestanding subsidiary shrines at the corners
of the temple platform. The temple is famous
for the explicitly sexual carvings on the
southern side of the temple, though these
make up only a small fraction of the total.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
The Lion and the Warrior, Lakshmana
Temple. Khajuraho, India. Chandella
Dynasty. 930-950 CE. Sandstone.
The temples are superb examples of
Indo-Aryan architecture, but it's their
liberally embellished carvings that have
made Khajuraho famous. Around the
temples are bands of exceedingly
artistic stonework showing a storyboard
of life a millennium ago – gods,
goddesses, warriors, musicians, and
real and mythological animals.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Lakshmana Temple. Khajuraho, India. Chandella Dynasty. 930-950 CE. Sandstone.
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Lakshmana Temple, layout plan. Khajuraho, India. Chandella Dynasty. 930-950 CE.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Travelers among Mountains and
Streams. Fan Kuan. c.1000 CE.
Ink on silk. 6.75 ft x 2.5 ft.
Fan Kuan was a Chinese landscape painter of the
Song Dynasty (960–1279) and considered among
the great masters of the tenth and eleventh
centuries. Travelers among Mountains and
Streams, a large hanging scroll, is Fan Kuan's best
known work and a seminal painting of the Northern
Song school. It establishes an ideal in monumental
landscape painting to which later painters were to
return time and again for inspiration. The classic
Chinese perspective of three planes is evident near, middle (represented by water and mist), and
far. Unlike earlier examples of Chinese landscape
art, the grandeur of nature is the main theme, rather
than merely providing a backdrop.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace.
Kamakura Period, Japan. c.1250-1300.
Handscroll (ink and color on paper).
The Siege of the Sanjō Palace is an
example of Japanese historical narrative
painting. It depicts some of the civil war of
the 1159 Heiji Rebellion between the
Minamoto and their rivals, the Taira. It all
started when Taira warriors abducted the
emperor in a nighttime attack. The viewer
can see the warriors on horseback, armed
with bow and arrow and dressed with an
array of armor and dressings compiled of a
tan, brown and black color. Flashes of color
beautifully capture the drama of the night
attack and burning of Emperor
Goshirakawa’s palace.
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Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace (detail). Kamakura Period, Japan.
c.1250-1300. Handscroll (ink and color on paper).
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
The David Vases. Yuan Dynasty, China.
1351 CE. White porcelain with cobalt-blue
underglaze.
Porcelain was first produced in China around 600
CE. Chinese ceramics, by far the most advanced
in the world, were made for the imperial court,
the domestic market, or for export.
The David Vases are the best-known porcelain
vases in the world because of the rare
inscriptions around their necks, dating them to
precisely 1351. When first discovered they were
believed to be the oldest dated example of blueand-white porcelain in the world. They are named
after their most famous owner, Sir Percival David
(1892-1964), who built-up one of the world's
greatest Chinese ceramic collections. They were
originally altar vases, commissioned by a man
called Zhang Wenjin, and presented as an
offering to a Daoist temple.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
The David Vases. Yuan Dynasty, China.
1351 CE. White porcelain with cobalt-blue
underglaze.
Aside from the inscriptions providing the earliest
date on blue and white porcelain, the
inscriptions offer information about the man who
commissioned them, where they were going,
and what purpose they served. The man
responsible for their creation, Zhang Wenjin
from Yushan county, commissioned the two
vases from a Jingdhezhen kiln to offer as a gift
to a Daoist temple in Wuyuan. The inscriptions
indicate that this took place on May 3, 1351.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
The David Vases. Yuan Dynasty, China. 1351 CE.
White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Portrait of Sin Sukju (1417-1475).
Imperial Bureau of Painting. c.15th century CE.
Hanging scroll (ink and color on silk)
Sin Sukju was one of the politicians who ruled in
this period. During his rule, this propagandistic
portrait of Sin Sukju was created. The importance
of this painting is represented in its location sat
the Imperial Bureau of Painting. Silk was one of
Asia's main trade goods during the time; the
popularity of this soft material was evident in the
formation of the Silk Road. The high demand and
value of this material indicates thus a high value
of this artwork. Traditional Asian art commonly
featured silk as a canvas. Sin Sukju is a powerful
leader during this time period, and this painting is
evidence of his dominance.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming
Dynasty. 15th century CE and later.
Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood,
and ceramic tile.
The Forbidden City was the Chinese
imperial palace from the Ming dynasty
to the end of the Qing dynasty.
Located in the center of Beijing, it
served as the home of emperors and
their households, as well as the
ceremonial and political center of
Chinese government, for almost 500
years. Built in 1406 to 1420, the
complex consists of 980 buildings and
covers 180 acres.
Since 1925, the Forbidden City has
been under the charge of the Palace
Museum, whose extensive collection
of artwork and artefacts were built
upon the imperial collections of the
Ming and Qing dynasties.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th
century CE and later. Stone masonry, marble, brick,
wood, and ceramic tile.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th
century CE and later. Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is
the largest hall within the Forbidden
City. It is located at its central axis,
behind the Gate of Supreme
Harmony. Built above three levels of
marble stone base, and surrounded
by bronze incense burners, the Hall
of Supreme Harmony is one of the
largest wooden structures within
China. It was the location where
Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty
Emperors hosted their enthronement
and wedding ceremonies within its
grand hypostyle hall. The original
hall was built by the Ming Dynasty in
1406 and was destroyed seven
times by fires during the Qing
Dynasty and last re-built in 1695–97.
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Throne Room, Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century CE and later.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century CE and later.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Hall of Supreme Harmony. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century CE and later.
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Palace of Tranquility and Longevity, Forbidden City. Beijing, China.
Ming Dynasty. 15th century CE and later.
The Palace of Tranquil Longevity is
located in the northeast corner of the
Inner Court of the Forbidden City.
Construction of the palace began on the
Qianlong Emperor's orders in 1771, in
preparation for his retirement, although
Qianlong never moved into the palace.
Its beautiful apartments, pavilions,
gates and gardens feature "some of the
most elegant spaces at a time widely
considered to be the pinnacle of
Chinese interior design.”
Throughout the Qing period, the palace
was almost never used, largely because
Qianlong continued to stay in power,
even though he gave himself “Retired
Emperor” status.
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Layout Plans, Forbidden City. Beijing, China.
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Ryoan-ji wet garden. Kyoto, Japan. c.1480 CE.
Ryoan-ji is a Zen temple located in
northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the
Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of
Zen Buddhism.
The grounds of Ryoan-ji contain a large
pond garden that must date back to the
period in which this site was occupied by a
noble estate. The largest of the pond's
three islands is in the center of the view.
The practice of propping up ancient trees
that are still alive but in danger of falling is
a reflection of both a general reverence for
nature and the more specific beliefs of
Shinto (the island is the site of a Shinto
shrine).
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Ryoan-ji wet garden. Kyoto, Japan. c.1480 CE.
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Ryoan-ji dry garden. Kyoto, Japan. c.1480 CE.
The temple's prime attraction is its fame
Karesansui ("dry landscape") garden. It
consists of a rectangular courtyard with 15
rocks set on patches of moss amidst a sea of
white gravel enclosed by a tawny earthen wall.
The dry landscape captures the essence of Zen
Buddhism's quiet meditation and is considered
a masterpiece of Japanese culture. However,
the 15th-century designer and its interpretation
remain unknown.
One particularity of the rocks' layout is that, no
matter where one sits, one can only see 14 of
them at a time. The garden also changes with
the seasons and the shadows brought by the
branches reaching over its walls. The longer
one stares at it and the more fascinating it
becomes. For example, the garden looks
perfectly level, but is actually inclined towards
the south-east corner to allow drainage. The
western wall is slightly higher on its northern
end to create an optical illusion of
depth and perspective.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Ryoan-ji dry garden. Kyoto, Japan. c.1480 CE.
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Ryoan-ji plan. Kyoto, Japan. c.1480 CE.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings. Bichitr.
c.1620 CE. Watercolor, gold and ink on paper.
When Akbar, the third Emperor of the Mughal
dynasty, had no living heir at age 28, he consulted
with a Sufi (an Islamic mystical saint), Shaikh Salim,
who assured him a son would come. Soon after,
when a male child was born, he was named Salim.
Upon his ascent to the throne in 1605, Prince Salim
decided to give himself the honorific title of Nur udDin (“Light of Faith”) and the name Jahangir (“Seizer
of the World”). The old Sufi sheikh gives Jahangir a
book with an inscription that says “although to all
appearances kings stand before him, Jahangir looks
inwardly toward the dervishes (Islamic holy men)”.
Bichitr's allegorical painting portrays his emperor in
both words and pictures as favoring spiritual over
wordly power.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings (detail), c.1620 CE.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Arabesques
The arabesque is an elaborative application
of repeating geometric forms that often echo
the forms of plants and animals. Arabesques
are an element of Islamic art usually found
decorating the walls of mosques.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
The Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1653.
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the
Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity,
was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz
Mahal, a Persian princess, died during the
birth of their 14th child. To celebrate her life (as
well as his love for her), he commissioned the
most grand mausoleum ever built in her honor.
Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632.
The principal mausoleum was completed in
1648 and the surrounding buildings and
garden were finished five years later. The main
chamber houses the false sarcophagi of
Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual
graves are at a lower level.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
The Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1653.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Writings from the Qur’an in Thuluth Script
Burial tombs for Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
White and Red Plum Blossoms, Ogata Korin.
Ogata’s best-known screen was Red and White Plum Blossoms (1712–1713). This was a
pair of screens with two trees, attractive separately but beautiful when unified. The silver
stream swirls between the two trees on a golden background. Points of red and white color
highlight the leaves and fruit on the plum trees; they break up the colors by allowing them to
bleed while partially wet. The twigs, stalks and tree trunks are detailed by the tarashikomi
technique. The imagery looks random, but is not (characteristic of the Rimpa school).
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
White and Red Plum Blossoms, c.1710-1716 CE.
White and Red Plum Blossoms, Ogata Korin. c.1710-1716 CE.
Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper.
The red plum tree contains
toughness and youth inside its thick
trunk. It also shows serious and
direct characteristics in the straight
branches. And we feel bright and
lively impressions from its brilliant red
flowers and bow-shaped powerful
figure. The red plum is thought to be
a mirror of the positive side of one’s
life. It might reflect Korin’s bold
younger days.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
White and Red Plum Blossoms, c.1710-1716 CE.
White and Red Plum Blossoms, Ogata Korin. c.1710-1716 CE.
Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper.
On the other hand, the white plum tree is
old and thin. It has delicate and beautiful
white flowers, suggesting a calm, selfpossessed, and stable mind inside. This
tree seems to imply his spirit as a mature
artist. The stream in the center of this
picture is at first broad, then suddenly
narrows. It is also dark and gently twisting.
It suggests the changes in Korin’s life. But
at the same time, the ripples are soft and
gentle. He might be saying, “This is what
life, real life, is all about.” He drew this
picture in his later years.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
White and Red Plum Blossoms, Ogata Korin. c.1710-1716 CE.
Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
The Great Wave off Kanagawa (from the
series 36 views of Mount Fuji).
Katsushika Hokusai. 1830-1833, woodblock print.
Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints
(or woodcuts) and paintings, principally produced
between the 17th and the 20th centuries and
featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history,
the theatre, and pleasure quarters.
It is Hokusai's most famous ukiyo-e work, and
one of the best recognized works of Japanese
woodblock art in the world. It depicts an
enormous wave threatening boats off the coast of
Kanagawa. While sometimes assumed to be a
tsunami, the wave is, as the picture's title
suggests, more likely to be a large rogue wave.
As in all the prints in the series, it depicts the
area around Mount Fuji under particular
conditions, and the mountain itself appears in the
background.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai. 1830-1833, woodblock print.
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South, East, and Southeast Asia
Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan.
Based on a oil painting b Liu Chunhua. c.1969
Color lithograph.
When Mao Zhedong first came to power in
1949, he encouraged artists to create “art
for the people” that would convey
Communist ideas in ways accessible to the
masses. Realistic oil paintings of workers,
soldiers, and peasants began to replace
traditionally popular ink paintings featuring
such natural subjects as landscapes, birds,
and flowers. This color lithograph of
Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan is based
on a well-known oil painting by Liu
Chunhua, which first appeared at the Beijing
Museum of the Revolution in 1967. The
portrait depicts the Chairman as a young
man walking to the Anyuan coal mine in the
western Jiangxi province.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
South, East, and Southeast Asia
Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan.
Based on a oil painting b Liu Chunhua. c.1969
Color lithograph.
The heroic pose and warm, almost glowing
tones used to depict the Chairman here are
characteristic of the many idealized Mao
portraits produced during this period.
Described by party officials as a “model
work,” Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan
became one of the most popular images of
the Cultural Revolution. It was published
widely in newspapers and journals, and
reproduced in the form of posters, statues,
and even on kitchenware. Some believe that
more than nine hundred million
reproductions of it were disseminated within
the decade.
SOUTH, EAST, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA