Southeast Asia

The most famous region for the manufacture and trade of golden jewelry lay in Sumatra’s northernmost province of Aceh, where these finely worked bracelets were produced. Make your own bracelets inspired by Indonesian jewelry.

The Chinese Zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle and each year is linked to an animal. Find your birth year and color in your zodiac animal.

Islam has been an important cultural force in much of Asia for more than five hundred years, and in some parts for more than a thousand. Today, far more Muslims live in other parts of Asia than in the Arab areas of Asia such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

Asian Art Museum Storyteller, Miriam Mills, tells the story of Rangda, the Balinese witch.

Carlos Villa Biography and Lesson Plans

Monica Desai tells a story about Narasimha, an incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu.

Discover how even little guys can overcome a giant in this Philippine story told by Asian Art Museum storyteller, Ann Riley.

Asian Art Museum Storyteller Leta Bushyhead tells a scene from from the Rama epic (Ramayana) with the use of artworks in the museum’s collection.

An introduction to the Rama epic produced for the Asian Art Museum by filmmaker and cultural historian Benoy K. Behl, featuring performances from across South and Southeast Asia.

A batik lower garment can be wrapped in many ways. People of varying ages, diverse regional backgrounds, or different marital statuses might wrap their long cloths (kain panjang) in different manners. These textiles often are pleated more intricately for ceremonial occasions. The sarong or tube skirt is a less formal mode of dress, which can be worn by both men and women. In this video Alice Adeboi, with the assistance of Peggy Adeboi, demonstrates a formal and less formal way of wearing a kain panjang, methods taught to her by her Javanese mother. Michael Ogi shows how a kain panjang would be worn by a man on a formal occasion and how a sarong is worn informally.