ASIAN ARTS

BY:
Kristine Angela C. Albino
Rutchelle Ann Surio
ANCIENT NEAR- EASTERN
AND ISLAMIC ART
During the ancient periods, artists
crafted fine objects and architects
designed movements with distinctive
religious and political associations. In
the early times of West Asia (the area
of present-day Iraq, Iran, Syria
Lebanon, Jordan), a number of
civilization emerged, producing
impressively palace and temple
structures and decorative-art objects.
ANCIENT OBJECTS FOUND IN
THE NEAR EAST

1. Plaster-covered skulls from Jericho,

Jordan dated 7000 BC

2. “Ziggurats of the Summerians”

(3500-2340) Oldest monumental
building.
The Persian empire (539-331)
covering Mesopotamia,
reached its apex under Darius
I and Xeres the I. Their palace
at Persepolis sets on a tall
platform whose walls feature
relief scences of emperial
audiences, attesting to the
great building project of
Persians.
• Islamic art was influenced by local
traditions.
• It includes work with religious
subject matter.
• It is present in countries where
Islam became a dominant force.
• Islamic religious art is largely
aniconic. The Holy Book of Islam (Koran)
Condemns the worship of idols, and refers
to Allah (God) as the single creator of all.
• The design of prayer was codified in
early Islamic history.
• Muhammad’s home became the
typical plan for mosques.
• Calyphs of the first dynasty of the
Arab empire, the Umayyads (661-
750) sponsored religious and secular
architecture.
• The purely aniconic mosaic
decoration in the Philippines was
meant to proclaim Islam ascendency
in the region.
The independent dynasties in the in
the western region of the Islamic
world produced monumental
architectural form which is Great
Mosque of Kaironan built between
800-900 BC.
The Mongols, founders of the II-
Khanid dynasty were renowed for
their destructive forces. Mongol
khans were also great patrons.
 Indian Art

• The art of Indian subcontinent can be tracked back as early as the

Indus Valley civilization (3000-1500 BC), an Urban Culture that grew
up around Harappa (Pakistan) and other sites of Western India
• Only a few artifacts had survived since the time of their dominance,
the Vedic Peiord (1200-500 BC).
• After the fall of II-Khanids, Central Asia and Persia were unified by
Timur, who was an important artist from across his kingdom to work on
building projects.
• Manuscript illustration is considered the greatest art of the Timurid
dynasty.
Hindu Art
Hinduism a religious tradition
associated with the Vedic text
and Brahmanic practitioners.
Worshippers tend to focus their
prayers either on Lord Vishnu or
Shiva.

Vishnu (the preserver) Shiva ( the destroyer)

• Elements associated with fertility are
frequently emphasized in Hindu figural
sculpture, whose sexual anatomical features
are the focus of their artworks.

• Hindu architectural styles are well-

documented in structures cut from granite
boulders.
Buddhist Art
Buddhism is the second major religion in
India that antedates Hindu arts.

Stupa (burial mound)

Chaityn hall (nave with a stupa in the apse)

Vihara (monastic cell and refractory)
Under the Kushan dynasty (50-320
AD), artists began to depict divinity
in human form.
Standard iconography emerged in
early Buddhist imagery.

Sacred signs of Buddha:

• Urna (third eye on forehead)
• Chakra (wheel)
• Lotus symbols on feet
• Webbed fingers
• Elongated earlobes
Positions of Buddha
• Seated in meditation
• Preaching the first sermon
• Standing

The gesture of his hands (mudra) conveys particular meaning.

The most important repository of early Buddhist painting is Ajanta, a
pilgrimage site with 29 cave temples in central India.
East Asian Art
Art forms of China, Korea, and Japan share many
cultural philosophical and religious associations.
CHINA
During the Neolithic phase (5000-1766 BC), much
pottery was made. Bronze ritual vessels are the most
impressive ancient. Chinese art form.

 In the Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 BC) Zhou bronzes

gives way to a gentler, more domestic form in Zhou
ritual wares. Late Zhou art is imaginative and
refined. Bronzes are usually simple in shape and
inlaid with gold, silver and semiprecious stone to
form abstract curvilinear patterns of figures in
landscape.
 During the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), the
Great Wall was constructed including a
tomb for the emperor. With the introduction
of Buddhism, artist began to stress the
human form. Emperors of the Northern Wei
dynasty initiated major temple- building
campaigns.
 The culmination of Buddhist art occurred
early in the Tang dynasty (618-906 BC)
when artist created many classical forms,
notably figure painting. Tang artists
worked in naturalistic modes, producing
vital but elegant images. The leading
figure painter was Wu Daozu and the
leading landscape painter was Wang Wei.
 Korea and Japan
 The various artists in Korean and Japan were strongly inspired by
eminent cultural models of Chinese artists and architects focused
much energy on Buddhist sculpture and temple construction;
painters worked in brush and ink; and ceramic and lacquer artists
excelled. On the other hand, Korean and Japanese artists created
their own approaches.
 Korean art during the Neolithic phase
(4000-1000 BC) consists mainly of “Comb
Pattern” pottery. Bronze age (600-100 BC)
objects include bells, mirrors, and other
ceremonial objects found in tomb.
 Rules of the Yi dynasty encouraged
Confucianism, and secular arts flourished.
Scholar Amateurs, inspired by Chinese
literates, painted plant and animal themes
as well as landscape.

 A renowned example of early Yi pottery

is punch-ong (powder green), sturdy
stoneware covered with white slip, a blue-
green glaze, and sometimes freely
ornamented in iron brown using the
sgraffito technique.

Tiger and Dragon, Korean Art

 Japanese prehistory is divided into three
periods: Joman (800-300 BC): Yayoi (350-
300 AD); and Kofun (300-352 AD).

 Johun people made ritual ceramic spots,

often with cord patterns and sculptural
elaboration at the top.

 Yayoi bronzes, inspired by mainland

traditions, replaces ceramics as ceremonial
ware. Aspects of spirituality are embodied
in the Shinto shrine of the sun goddess at
Ise.
Buddhism reached Japan in the 6th
century and with it came recent cultural
achievements of Korea and China.
Imperial sponsorship of Buddhist temples
evolved from individual projects during
the asaka period to massive state-
sponsored projects in the Nara period.
That’s
all,
thank
you