Bring the diverse cultures of Asia into your home or classroom with themed activities and storytelling videos.
Do you love the sweet Indian treat ladoo as much as Ganesha? Ganesha will never waste a good ladoo. Learn how this Hindu deity’s love for these sphere-shaped desserts influenced the moon to wane.
Story: Why the Moon Wanes
Activity: Moon Journals
Image credit: The Hindu deity Ganesha, approx. 1200–1300. India; Karnataka state. Schist. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B62S14+. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
On his way to a religious festival, Tsukahara Bokuden, a famous two-sword samurai, resolves a conflict between a younger samurai and a farmer in an unexpected way.
Story: Winning Without Hands
Activity: Create Your Own Sword Guard Tsuba
Image credit: Sword guard (tsuba) with design of dragons, sacred jewel, and peonies, 1700–1868. Japan, Edo period (1615–1868). Copper alloy with various metal inlays. Asian Art Museum, Transfer from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, B87W11. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
GECK-o! One night, Gecko keeps waking up the village head, Elephant. On a mission to help Gecko fall asleep, Elephant talks with the other neighboring animals to find a solution, which becomes more complicated than it first appeared.
Story: Gecko: A Balinese Folktale
Activity: Are There Geckos in Your Garden?
Image credit: Three generations of turtles piled on top of one another, approx. 1800–1900. Japan. Boxwood with detail staining; inlaid horn. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B70Y143. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
Yip, yip! The story “Tiger and Puppy” is about a village with five families, where a mischievous tiger would eat all the food. An unlikely hero, a small puppy, comes to the rescue and helps the villagers capture the tiger.
Story: Tiger and the Puppy
Activity: Tiger and Puppy Paper Plate Animals
Image credit: Jar with tiger and magpie design, approx. 1700–1800. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Porcelain with cobalt decoration under glaze. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Namkoong Ryun, 2001.9. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
Discover how even the littlest of animals can overcome a giant in this story from the Philippines.
Story: Odon the Giant
Activity: Guided Drawing
Image credit: Palace door, approx. 1800-1900. Indonesia; Bali. Wood with carved decorations. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Jerry Janssen, 2001.19. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
In “The Dragon’s Pearl,” a boy wanders the hills looking for food and finds a pearl in a large patch of the most luscious green grass. He discovers that this pearl is magic and can increase and multiply anything it touches.
Story: The Dragon’s Pearl
Activity: Grow Your Own Strawberries
Image credit: Spherical jar with dragon chasing a pearl. China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Reign of the Wanli emperor (1573–1620). Porcelain with multicolor decoration. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P1616. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
In this Jataka Tale, a bird, rabbit, monkey, and elephant work together to harvest fruits from a growing tree.
Story: The Four Harmonious Friends (Coming soon)
Activity: Friendship Bracelets
Image credit: The Buddha Shakyamuni with sixteen Buddhist elders, 1800-1900. Tibet. Colors on cotton. Asian Art Museum, Transfer from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Gift of Katherine Ball, B72D43. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
In a race around the world with his brother, Ganesha thinks of a clever strategy to win that impresses his parents.
Story: Ganesha Around the World
Activity: Interview with Your Whole World
Image credit: The Hindu deity Ganesha, approx. 1200–1300. India; Karnataka state. Schist. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B62S14+. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
This Japanese folktale tells a story about a magical raccoon-dog, or tanuki, who uses its shape-shifting powers to reward its rescuer for his kindness. “Bunbuku chagama” roughly translates to “happiness bubbling over like a tea kettle.”
Story: The Magic Tea Kettle (Bunbuku Chagama)
Activity: Origami Teapot
Image credit: Tanuki (raccoon dog) that turned into a tea kettle (from the folktale Bunbuku Chagama), 1850–1950, by Mitsuyuki (Japanese). Ivory with detail staining. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B70Y78. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
This Chinese Lunar New Year tale explains why the rat comes first in the zodiac.
Story: Why the Rat Comes First
Activity: Lunar New Year Zodiac Animals: Coloring Pages
Image credit: White rat, 1800–1962. China. Hide with pigments. Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B62D48.37. Photograph © Asian Art Museum.
Be sure to check back, as this list will be updated periodically.
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