Learn about samurai armor by exploring artworks in the Asian Art Museum's collection.

A guardian king, Heian period (794–1185), approx. 900–1000. Japan. Wood. The Avery Brundage Collection, B67S1.

A pair of rectangular blue flags depicting a dragon chasing a black pearl, 1800–1962. China. Shadow puppet; pigments on donkey hide. The Avery Brundage Collection, B62D48.32.1-.2.

A True Picture of the Steamship Powhatan; A Ship Generally Called a Steam Frigate..., from the Black Ship Scroll, Edo period (1615-1868); approx. 1854. Japan. Handscroll segment mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper. Museum purchase with assistance from the Japan Society of Northern California, 2012.60.2.

In Chinese brushpainting, the artist can achieve a multitude of effects by varying such factors as the speed and pressure applied to a brush, the size and type of brush, the amount of moisture, the manner in which different shades of ink or colors are loaded onto the brush, the angle at which the brush is held, and the type of paper or silk used for painting.These examples, drawn from the museum’s collection, represent some of the more common techniques.

A woman disguised as a man holding a parrot, 618–906. China; Shaanxi province. Glazed low-fired ceramic. The Avery Brundage Collection, B65P52.

Students will use map resources to label a map of Afghanistan with its current bordering countries, current key cities, and ancient sites/cities: Students will learn the geographical placement of Afghanistan in Asia and its neighboring countries. This knowledge will bring a heightened awareness of the influence and exchange among nearby countries with Afghanistan—culturally, politically, and militarily. They will also become familiar with the names of ancient sites and their location in present-day Afghanistan. 

America: Depiction of an American Ship and Portraits of the First Ambassador Perry and the Deputy Ambassador Adams, by, Shinsei (Japanese, 1850's), 1854. Ink and colors on paper. Bequest of Marshall Dill, F2001.23.1.

Amir Hamzah, uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, spreader of Islam, and hero of the Serat Menak, by dalang Otong Rasta. Indonesia; Bandung, West Java. Wood, cloth, and mixed media. From the Mimi and John Herbert Collection, F2000.86.62.

With simple beginnings in the pre-Islamic period, Arabic script developed rapidly after the rise of Islam into not only a writing system but also an art form. Includes audio by Assistant Curator of South Asian Art, Qamar Adamjee.

Buddhism was officially transmitted to Japan in 525, when the monarch of the Korean kingdom of Baekje sent a mission to Japan with gifts, including an image of the Buddha, several ritual objects, and sacred texts. Buddhism's journey from India to China, Korea, and Japan had taken about a thousand years.

In China, painting and writing developed hand in hand, sharing the same tools and techniques.

Islam is one of the world’s major religions. It shares with Judaism and Christianity a belief in a single god. The Arabic name for God is Allah. The word Islam means “surrender (to God).” The followers of Islam are called Muslims, which in Arabic means “one who surrenders to God.”

Kabuki was one of the three most popular dramatic forms of Japan, the other two being Noh drama and puppet theater (bunraku)...

Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, was a distinct tradition within Islam that aimed to cultivate inner spiritual life. Sufism probably derives from the word suf, meaning wool, a reference to the woolen clothing worn by early Sufi mystics. The focus of Sufism changed over the centuries as Islam grew and expanded. Initially moved by the fear of God, Sufism eventually adopted an affirming doctrine of love, and later the concept of the spiritual journey of the individual towards God. 

Much of China, a country slightly larger than the continental United States, is hilly or mountainous. To its east lies the Pacific Ocean; to its south thick jungles. Learn more.

Korea is a mountainous peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides. It shares its northern borders with China and Russia, and its closest southern neighbor is Japan, which lies across a narrow strait. Learn more.

Only in the past sixty years has “Southeast Asia” been used to refer to the region comprising modern-day Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines. Learn more.

Iran's rich history stretches back to about 8000 BCE, when the first settlements appeared in western Iran and the Caspian sea. 

The Han Dynasty is one of the great dynasties in Chinese history, encompassing nearly four hundred years of expansion and consolidation which coincided with the period of the Roman republic and empire in the West. The period is usually broken down into three stages . . .

The Ming dynasty  (1368–1644) arose following a series of natural disasters that had hit China during the early and middle 1300s, adding to the misery of a people under the harsh rule of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)...

The Qin empire(221–206 BCE) of China lasted only fifteen years, but the rise of the state of Qin began several decades earlier, and Qin’s defeat of all the other rival states brought a definative conclusion to the Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Ying Zheng, the future First Emperor, ascended the throne of Qin in the year 247 BCE at age thirteen, and only a few years later launched a series of military campaigns against the neighboring states of Han, Zhou, Wei, Chu, Yan and Qi, defeating the last in 221 BCE, ‘as a silkworm devours a mulberry leaf ’ according to the Han historian Sima Qian.

The Tang (618–906) and Song (960–1279) dynasties were periods of dynamic religious transformation and revival in China, as well as profound philosophical inquiry. The religious landscape was varied and colorful.

The Shang dynasty extends from roughly 1500 to 1050 BCE. According to various histories and traditions, the Shang people originated along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow river. They defeated the Xia under the king Chengtang and established a number of city states. The Shang have been known in the archaeological record from around 1898‒99, when oracle bones drew attention to the site of Anyang, revealing the last capital of the Shang, and confirming the existence of the dynasty. Since then, the period has been divided into two main stages known as Erligang and Anyang. It is believed the Shang moved their capital at least five times, and several dozen Shang sites have been identified. At this point, however, the best known sites are at Anyang and Zhengzhou.

Buddhism was introduced into Tibet from India and China beginning in the 600s. Over the succeeding centuries, Buddhism became the dominant cultural form in Tibet, exerting a powerful influence not only over religion, but also over politics, the arts, and other aspects of society. Tibetan Buddhism eventually spread into Mongolia and Nepal, as well as into China, where it received imperial patronage especially during the Yuan (1260–1368) and Qing (1368–1644) dynasties.

Explore the ancient kingdom of Angkor, which was one of the most powerful states in Southeast Asia from the 800s to the 1300s. A succession of kings built huge temples that remain in Cambodia today as some of the world's greatest religious monuments.

A comprehensive, short documentary on the art of Chinese calligraphy.

To expose students to terminology used by archaeologists and to heighten awareness of the rich discoveries in Afghanistan. Students make visual observations, write clear, succinct descriptions, form hypothesis on the function of the artwork, and investigate the influences of different cultures on art found along the Silk Road in Afghanistan.

Arhat (Chinese: luohan), dated 1180. China; Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Marble. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60S208.

Arjuna’s Meditation: An excerpt from the Mahabharata, performed by Shadowmaster I Wayan Nartha.

Asian Art Museum Art Speak teaching artist, Adrienne Skye Roberts, discusses the inspiration behind her work with the Art Speak interns and her own art.

Students gain an appreciation and understanding of art and culture, and build language skills by reading; developing scripts; making choices about gesture, voice, and expression; and performing traditional stories alongside art objects in the Asian Art Museum’s collection galleries.

Learn about the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

Prior to the Edo period (1615–1868), many painters and sculptors remained anonymous, occupying relatively equal status to carpenters and other artisans. The position of the artist during the Edo period changed, as artists became more successful financially, and better educated. Some of them began to be seen as celebrities, arbiters of taste with eccentric personalities. Although many still worked for low wages in obscurity, the Edo period marks the emergence of the artist as individual, as the genius creator in Japan. Learn more.

The Islamic world is and always has been more diverse and complex than most outsiders have thought...

Observe the time, love and labor that goes into the costumes and makeup required in one of the most important traditional Balinese dances, the condong ("divine nymph"). See examples of other Balinese customary ritual clothing and learn how to outfit yourself in a sarong and sash. Dancers will perform a segment of the majestic condong in their full regalia.

This video depicts a cremation ceremony for members of the Balinese royal family. There are dozens of steps in the Balinese cremation process which can take many months depending on the wealth and status of the deceased. Wealthy people often have extremely elaborate pavilions and other implements that are part of this process. When the body finally makes it to the cremation grounds, there is a pavilion built there under which stands an animal-shaped coffin. The shape of the coffin is related to the caste of the person who has died.

There are many performing arts in Bali, and one of the most famous today is a type of dance called Legong dancing which involves mostly young girls who are trained from a very young age. The Bali: Art, Ritual Performance exhibition is on view at the Asian Art Museum from February 25--September 11, 2011.

Watch Pak Wayan Sira carve a mask at his home in Gianyar, Bali. The Bali: Art, Ritual Performance exhibition is on view at the Asian Art Museum from February 25--September 11, 2011.

The painting of the temple offering at the start of this video, on view at the Asian Art Museum during the Bali exhibition, is by Miguel Covarrubias. It is among the many offerings he must have seen as he traveled around the island of Bali. Offerings such as these are still an important part of ceremonial life in Bali to this day. Miguel Covarrubias, a Mexican artist famous in 1920s and 30s New York City for illustrating the covers of magazines like Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, made his first trip to Bali in 1930 with his wife Rose.

Just as beautiful calligraphy is a reflection of a pure soul, the training to become a master Islamic calligrapher (hattats) symbolizes a religious pilgrimage. The pursuit to acquire exquisite penmanship brought one closer to spiritual perfection and to God. This is evident in the tradition of passing down knowledge from teacher to pupil. Following the structure set by the spiritual teaching of Sufism, it is appropriately called the “chain of transmission.” It is through this training process that individual styles have been preserved and may be traced back through the centuries from a long lineage of calligraphers.

Qamar Adamjee, Assistant Curator of South Asian Art, gives a quick behind-the-scenes tour of the Maharaja exhibition.

China’s emperors believed that Heaven bestowed upon them a divine mandate to rule — thus their title “Son of Heaven.” This mandate was hereditary but could be withdrawn at any time and bestowed upon another family if Heaven deemed it appropriate...

Members of the Bay Area Indian community describe the context of Hindu arts in South Asia. Included are clips of temples, festivals, and worship at various sites in India. Part one of a two part series.

Bhima (Bima), second of the Pandava (Pandawa) brothers, approx. 1960. Indonesia; West Java. Wood, cloth, and mixed media. From the Mimi and John Herbert Collection, F2000.86.157.

Part two of the introductory film about the special exhibition, The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Art of Bhutan on view at the Asian Art Museum fron February 20–May 10, 2009. Film and exhibition produced by the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Learn about Bodh Gaya, one of several sights in India associated with the birth of Buddhism.

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Chinese: Guanyin), approx. 1100-1200. China; Song dynasty (960–1279). Wood. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60S24+.

The Bodhisattva Maitreya, 100–300. Pakistan; ancient region of Gandhara. Schist. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60S597.

In all lacquer objects, regardless of when they were produced, a resinous sap coating preserves the core material and allows for decoration. The material for lacquering is extracted from lacquer trees (Toxicodendron vernicifluum; formerly Rhus verniciflua), which is the same genus as poison oak. Learn more in this award winning documentary on Japanese lacquer.

Asian Art Museum Art Speak interns create books (from the paper to the binding to the content) based on their perspectives on place and identity.

Bottle with mouth in the shape of a mushroom, 5000–3000 BCE. China; Shaanxi province. Yangshao; Banpo phase. Low-fired ceramic with painted decoration. Gift of Hanni Forester, 1992.2.

Bowl with plum blossoms, approx. 1100–1300. Song dynasty (960-1279). China; Jiangxi province. Jizhou ware; glazed high fired ceramic. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P1731.

Create your own brush-painted masterpiece.