Everything about Eastern Art History totally explained
Eastern art history is devoted to the arts of the
Far East and includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions.
Buddhist art
Buddhist art originated in the
Indian subcontinent in the centuries following the life of the historical
Gautama Buddha in the
6th to
5th century BCE, before evolving through its contact with other cultures and its diffusion through the rest of
Asia and the world. Buddhist art traveled with believers as the dharma spread, adapted, and evolved in each new host country. It developed to the north through
Central Asia and into
Eastern Asia to form the Northern branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as
Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. In India, Buddhist art flourished and even influenced the development of
Hindu art, until Buddhism nearly disappeared in India around the 10th century due in part to the vigorous expansion of
Islam alongside
Hinduism.
In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a
sacred space and as an aid to
meditation and
trance induction. Its symbolic nature can help one "to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises." The
psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as
"a representation of the unconscious self," and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality.
Cambodian art
The culture of
Cambodia has had a rich and varied history dating back many centuries and has been heavily influenced by
India. In turn, Cambodia greatly influenced
Thailand,
Laos and vice versa. Throughout
Cambodia's long history, a major source of inspiration was from religion. Throughout nearly two millennium, a Cambodians developed a unique
Khmer belief from the syncreticism of indigenous
animistic beliefs and the Indian religions of
Buddhism and
Hinduism. Indian culture and civilization, including its language and arts reached mainland
Southeast Asia around the 1st century A.D. Its is generally believed that seafaring merchants brought Indian customs and culture to ports along the gulf of
Thailand and the Pacific while trading with China. The first state to benefit from this was
Funan. At various times, Cambodia culture also absorbed elements from
Javanese,
Chinese,
Lao, and
Thai cultures.
Visual arts of Cambodia
The history of
Visual arts of Cambodia stretches back centuries to ancient crafts; Khmer art reached its peak during the
Angkor period. Traditional Cambodian arts and crafts include
textiles, non-textile
weaving,
silversmithing,
stone carving,
lacquerware,
ceramics,
wat murals, and
kite-making. Beginning in the mid-20th century, a tradition of modern art began in Cambodia, though in the later 20th century both traditional and modern arts declined for several reasons, including the killing of artists by the
Khmer Rouge. The country has experienced a recent artistic revival due to increased support from governments, NGOs, and foreign tourists.
Chinese art
Chinese art (
Chinese: 中國藝術/中国艺术) has varied throughout its
ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling
dynasties of China and changing technology. Different forms of art have been influenced by great philosophers, teachers, religious figures and even political leaders. Chinese art encompasses
fine arts,
folk arts and
performance arts. Chinese art is
art, whether modern or ancient, that originated in or is practiced in
China or by Chinese artists or performers.
In the
Song Dynasty, poetry was marked by a lyric poetry known as
Ci (詞) which expressed feelings of desire, often in an adopted persona. Also in the Song dynasty, paintings of more subtle expression of landscapes appeared, with blurred outlines and mountain contours which conveyed distance through an impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena. It was during this period that in painting, emphasis was placed on spiritual rather than emotional elements, as in the previous period.
Kunqu, the oldest extant form of Chinese opera developed during the Song Dynasty in
Kunshan, near present-day
Shanghai. In the
Yuan dynasty, painting by the Chinese painter
Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫) greatly influenced later Chinese landscape painting, and the Yuan dynasty opera became a variant of Chinese opera which continues today as
Cantonese opera.
Indian art
Indian art can be classified into specific periods each reflecting certain religious, political and cultural developments. The earliest examples of are the
petroglyphs such as found in
Bhimbetka, some of them being older than
5500 BC. The production of such works continued for several millennia with later examples, from the
7th century being the carved pillars of
Ellora,
Maharashtra state. Other examples are the frescoes of
Ajanta and
Ellora Caves.
Specific periods:
- Hinduism and Buddhism of the ancient period (3500 BCE-present)
- Islamic ascendancy (712-1757 CE)
- The colonial period (1757-1947)
- Independence and the postcolonial period (Post-1947)
- Modern and Postmodern art in India
One of the most popular art forms in
India is called
Rangoli. It is a form of
sandpainting decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and is used commonly outside homes in India.
he visual arts (sculpture, painting and architecture) are tightly interrelated with the non-visual arts. According to
Kapila Vatsyayan, "Classical Indian architecture, sculpture, painting, literature (kaavya), music and dancing evolved their own rules conditioned by their respective media, but they shared with one another not only the underlying spiritual beliefs of the Indian religio-philosophic mind, but also the procedures by which the relationships of the symbol and the spiritual states were worked out in detail."
Insight into the unique qualities of Indian art is best achieved through an understanding of the philosophical thought, the broad cultural history, social, religious and political background of the artworks.
Indonesian art
Indonesian culture has been shaped by long
interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences.
Indonesia is central along ancient
trading routes between the
Far East and the
Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of
religions, including
Hinduism,
Buddhism,
Confucianism and
Islam, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures.
Indonesia isn't generally known for paintings, aside from the intricate and expressive
Balinese paintings, which often express natural scenes and themes from the traditional dances.
Other exceptions include indigenous
Kenyah paint designs based on, as commonly found among
Austronesian cultures, endemic natural motifs such as ferns, trees, dogs, hornbills and human figures. These are still to be found decorating the walls of Kenyah Dayak
longhouses in
East Kalimantan's Apo Kayan region.
Calligraphy, mostly based on the
Qur'an, is often used as decoration as
Islam forbids naturalistic depictions. Some foreign painters have also settled in
Indonesia. Modern Indonesian painters use a wide variety of styles and themes.
Indonesia has a long-he
Bronze and
Iron Ages, but the art-form particularly flourished from the
8th century to
10th century, both as stand-alone works of art, and also incorporated into temples.
Most notable are the hundreds of meters of relief sculpture at the temple of
Borobodur in central
Java. Approximately two miles of exquisite relief sculpture tell the story of the life of
Buddha and illustrate his teachings. The temple was originally home to 504 statues of the seated Buddha. This site, as with others in central Java, show a clear Indian influence.
Japanese art
Japanese art and architecture is works of art produced in
Japan from the beginnings of human habitation there, sometime in the 10th millennium BC, to the present. Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and paper, and a myriad of other types of works of art; from ancient times until the contemporary 21st century.
Ukiyo, meaning "floating world", refers to the impetuous young culture that bloomed in the urban centers of
Edo (modern-day
Tokyo),
Osaka, and
Kyoto that were a world unto themselves. It is an ironic allusion to the
homophone term "Sorrowful World" (憂き世), the earthly plane of death and rebirth from which Buddhists sought release.
The art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of
Edo (
Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century, originating with the single-color works of
Hishikawa Moronobu in the
1670s. At first, only
India ink was used, then some prints were manually colored with a brush, but in the
18th century Suzuki Harunobu developed the technique of polychrome printing to produce
nishiki-e.
is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the
Japanese arts, encompassing a wide variety of genre and styles. As with the history of Japanese arts in general, the history Japanese painting is a long history of synthesis and competition between native
Japanese aesthetics and adaptation of imported ideas.
The origins of painting in Japan date well back into
Japan's prehistoric period. Simple stick figures and geometric designs can be found on
Jōmon period pottery and
Yayoi period (300 BC – 300 AD)
dotaku bronze bells.
Mural paintings with both geometric and figurative designs have been found in numerous
tumulus from the
Kofun period (300-700 AD).
Ancient
Japanese sculpture was mostly derived from the
idol worship in
Buddhism or animistic rites of
Shinto deity. In particular, sculpture among all the arts came to be most firmly centered around Buddhism. Materials traditionally used were metal—especially
bronze—and, more commonly, wood, often
lacquered,
gilded, or brightly painted. By the end of the
Tokugawa period, such traditional sculpture - except for miniaturized works - had largely disappeared because of the loss of patronage by Buddhist temples and the nobility.
Korean Art
Korean art is noted for its traditions in pottery, music, calligraphy, painting, sculpture, and other genres, often marked by the use of bold color, natural forms, precise shape and scale, and surface decoration.
While there are clear and distinguishing differences between three independent cultures, there are significant and historical similarities and interactions between the arts of
Korea,
China and
Japan.
The study and appreciation of
Korean art is still at a formative stage in the West. Because of
Korea’s position between
China and
Japan, Korea was seen as a mere conduit of Chinese culture to Japan. However, recent scholars have begun to acknowledge Korea’s own unique art, culture and important role in not only transmitting Chinese culture but assimilating it and creating a unique culture of its own.
An art given birth to and developed by a nation is its own art.
Generally the history of
Korean painting is dated to approximately
108 C.E., when it first appears as an independent form. Between that time and the paintings and frescoes that appear on the
Goryeo dynasty tombs, there has been little research. Suffice to say that til the
Joseon dynasty the primary influence was
Chinese painting though done with Korean landscapes, facial features, Buddhist topics, and an emphasis on celestial observation in keeping with the rapid development of Korean astronomy.
Throughout the history of Korean painting, there has been a constant separation of monochromatic works of black brushwork on very often mulberry paper or silk; and the colourful folk art or
min-hwa, ritual arts, tomb paintings, and festival arts which had extensive use of colour.
This distinction was often class-based: scholars, particularly in
Confucian art felt that one could see colour in monochromatic paintings within the gradations and felt that the actual use of colour coarsened the paintings, and restricted the imagination. Korean folk art, and painting of architectural frames was seen as brightening certain outside wood frames, and again within the tradition of Chinese architecture, and the early Buddhist influences of profuse rich thalo and primary colours inspired by
Art of India.
Laotian art
Laotian art includes
ceramics,
Buddhist sculpture, and
music.
Many beautiful
Lao Buddhist sculptures are carved right into the
Pak Ou caves. Near
Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou river) the
Tham Ting (lower cave) and the
Tham Theung (upper cave) are not too far from
Luang Prabang,
Laos. They are a magnificent group of caves that are only accessible by boat, about two hours upstream from the center of
Luang Prabang, and have recently become more well known and frequented by
tourists.The caves are noted for their impressive
Buddhist and
Lao style sculptures carved into the cave walls, and hundreds of discarded
Buddhist figures laid out over the floors and wall shelves. They were put there as their owners didn't wish to destroy them, so a difficult journey is made to the caves to place their unwanted statue there.
Thai art
Thai art and
visual art was traditionally and primarily
Buddhist.
Sculpture was almost exclusively of
Buddha images, while
painting was confined to
illustration of
books and decoration of buildings, primarily
palaces and
temples. Thai
Buddha images from different periods have a number of distinctive styles. Contemporary Thai art often combines traditional Thai elements with
modern techniques.
Tibetan art
Tibetan art refers to the art of
Tibet and other present and former
Himalayan kingdoms (
Bhutan,
Ladakh,
Nepal, and
Sikkim). Tibetan art is first and foremost a form of
sacred art, reflecting the over-riding influence of
Tibetan Buddhism on these cultures. The Sand Mandala (
tib:
kilkhor) is a
Tibetan Buddhist tradition which symbolises the transitory nature of things. As part of
Buddhist canon, all things material are seen as transitory. A sand
mandala is an example of this, being that once it has been built and its accompanying ceremonies and viewing are finished, it's systematically
destroyed.
Historian note that
Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art. According to
Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity."
[
]Vietnamese art
Vietnamese art is from one of the oldest of such cultures in the Southeast Asia region. A rich artistic heritage that dates to prehistoric times and includes: silk painting, sculpture, pottery, ceramics, woodblock prints, architecture, music, dance and theatre.
Traditional Vietnamese art is art practiced in Vietnam or by Vietnamese artists, from ancient times (including the elaborate Dong Son drums) to post-Chinese domination art which was strongly influenced by Chinese Buddhist art, among other philosophies such as Taoism and Confucianism. The art of Champa and France also played a smaller role later on.
The Chinese influence on Vietnamese art extends into Vietnamese pottery and ceramics, calligraphy, and traditional architecture. Currently, Vietnamese lacquer paintings have proven to be quite popular.
Vietnamese calligraphy
Calligraphy has had a long history in Vietnam, previously using Chinese characters along with Chu Nom. However, most modern Vietnamese calligraphy instead uses the Roman-character based Quoc Ngu, which has proven to be very popular.
In the past, with literacy in the old character-based writing systems of Vietnam being restricted to scholars and elites, calligraphy nevertheless still played an important part in Vietnamese life. On special occasions such as the Lunar New Year, people would go to the village teacher or scholar to make them a calligraphy hanging (often poetry, folk sayings or even single words). People who couldn't read or write also often commissioned scholars to write prayers which they'd burn at temple shrines.
Eastern art gallery
Image:Gu_wine_vessel_from_the_Shang_Dynasty.jpg|Shang Dynasty (Yin) bronze ritual wine vessel, dating to the 13th century BC, Chinese
Image:Soldier Horse.JPG|The Terracotta Army sculpture, 3rd century BC, Chinese
Image:StandingBuddha.JPG|Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet
Image:Kamakura Budda Daibutsu front 1885.jpg|The Big Buddha in Kamakura, 1252, Japanese
Image:Sri_lanka_aukana_buddha_statue.jpg|The Buddha statue of Avukana, 5th century, Sri Lanka
Image:SeatedBuddhaGandhara2ndCenturyOstasiatischeMuseum.jpg|Seated Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd century CE
Image:Pressapochista1.jpg|Buddhist sculpture Silla Dynasty, 9th century AD, Korean
Image:CambodianBuddha.JPG|Buddha, 14th century, Cambodia
Image:Mandala gross.jpg|Buddhist, mandala
Image:Chinesischer Maler von 1238 001.jpg|Chinese Zen Buddhist Wuzhun Shifan, 1238 AD, Song Dynasty
Image:Song Dynasty Porcelain Bottle.jpg|Song Dynasty porcelain bottle with iron pigment over transparent colorless glaze, 11th century, Chinese
Image:Kuo Hsi 001.jpg|Autumn in the River Valley, Guo Xi (c. 1020-1090 AD), 1072 AD, Chinese
Image:Westindischer Maler um 1550 001.jpg|Gita Govinda manuscript c. 1500, Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, India
Image:Pine Trees.jpg|Pine Trees, six sided screen, Hasegawa Tohaku, (1539-1610), Japanese
Image:Ch20_asago.jpg|Genji Monogatari, Tosa Mitsuoki, (1617–1691), Japanese
Image:Pressapochista2.jpg|An underworld messenger, Joseon Dynasty, Korean
Image:After Rain at Mt. Inwang.jpg|After Rain at Mt. Inwang, Cheong Seon (1676–1759), Korean
Image:Kano White-robed Kannon, Bodhisattva of Compassion.jpg|A White-Robed Kannon, Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kanō Motonobu (1476-1559), Japanese]]
Image:Chrysanthemum porcelain vase with three colors.jpg|Chrysanthemum styled porcelain vase, Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 AD, Chinese
Image:Go Kano Eitoku.jpg|A screen painting depicting people playing Go, Kanō Eitoku (1543-1590), Japanese
Image:Indischer Maler um 850 001.jpg|Floating Figures Dancing, mural, circa 850, Indian
Image:Buddhaimage7.JPG|"the Buddha calling the earth to witness," The Buddha's hands are in the bhūmisparsa mudrā (subduing Māra) position. Ho Phra Kaeo temple, Vientiane, Laos
Image:eatern hils.jpg|Zhao Mengfu, Song Dynasty, Chinese
Image:Avatars.jpg|Hinduism regards Buddha (bottom right) as one of the 10 avatars of Vishnu painting, c. 19th century, Jaipur, India; Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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