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Art of Asia

  • Browse this content
  • A brief history of the cultures of Asia
  • Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, a beginner’s guide
    • Browse all content
    • Hinduism and Buddhism, an introduction
    • Hinduism
      • Discovering Sacred Texts: Hinduism
      • Sacred texts in Hinduism
      • Hindu deities
      • Hindu temples
      • Beliefs made visible: Hindu art in South Asia
    • Buddhism
      • Introduction to Buddhism
      • The historical Buddha
      • How to recognize the Buddha
      • The Buddha and Buddhist sacred texts
      • Introduction to the stupa
      • Buddhist monasteries
      • Bodhisattvas, an introduction
      • Pensive bodhisattvas
      • Buddhist meditation and chant
      • Maitreya
      • Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara: Guanyin
      • Seated Buddha
      • Four Buddhas at the American Museum of Natural History
      • Beliefs made visible: Buddhist art in South Asia
    • Jainism
      • An introduction to the Jain faith
      • Jain cosmology
    • Sikhism
      • Origins and development of Sikh faith: The Gurus
      • Sikh prayer and worship
      • Sikh sacred places
    • Zoroastrianism
      • An introduction to Zoroastrianism
  • Beginner’s guide to East Asia
    • Trade in East Asia
    • Cultural diversity in East Asia
    • Innovation in East Asia
  • China
    • Browse this content
    • A beginner’s guide
      • Imperial China, an introduction
      • Chinese landscape painting
      • Mountings of Chinese paintings: scrolls, fans, and leafs
      • Chinese calligraphy, an introduction
      • Chinese scholar-painters, an introduction
      • Chinese porcelain: decoration
      • Chinese porcelain: production and export
    • Neolithic
      • Browse this content
      • Neolithic period (c. 7000–1700 B.C.E.), an introduction
      • Chinese jade: an introduction
      • Jar (Hu)
      • Jade Cong
      • Working jade
    • Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 B.C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Shang dynasty, an introduction
      • Oracle Bone, Shang Dynasty
      • Tigers, dragons, and, monsters on a Shang Dynasty ewer
      • War and Sacrifice: The Tomb of Fu Hao
    • Zhou dynasty (c. 1050–221 B.C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Zhou Dynasty, an introduction
      • Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 B.C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Da Ke Ding
        • Square lidded ritual wine container (fangyi)
      • Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 B.C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Bell (bo) with birds and dragons
        • Ambition and luxury: Marquis Yi of the Zeng State
    • Qin dynasty (c. 221–206 B.C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Qin dynasty, an introduction
      • The Tomb of the First Emperor
      • The Terracotta Warriors
    • Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.)
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      • Han dynasty, an introduction
      • The search for immortality: The Tomb of Lady Dai
      • Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)
      • Ladle
      • Mirror with game board design and animals of the four directions
      • Tomb model of a watchtower
      • Disk (bi) with knobs, feline, and dragon
    • Period of Division (220–589 C.E.)
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      • Period of Division, an introduction
      • Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Yungang grottoes
        • Longmen caves, Luoyang
      • Northern Qi dynasty (550–577 C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin)
        • Western Paradise of the Buddha Amitabha
        • Cosmic Buddha Vairochana with the Realms of Existence
        • Base of a funerary couch
      • The Wirkak (Shi Jun) Sarcophagus
      • Cultural exchange and integration, a Khotanese carpet on the Silk Road
    • Tang dynasty (618–907 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Tang dynasty, an introduction
      • A Tang silk brocade
      • Tang Yue ware
      • Tomb figures
        • An introduction to tomb figurines, Tang dynasty
        • Tomb figures of a man and woman on horseback
        • Tomb figure of a groom
        • Figure of a seated court lady
      • Chinese Buddhist cave shrines
      • Mogao caves, Dunhuang
        • Mogao caves at Dunhuang
        • Jataka tales at Dunhuang
        • Dunhuang Historical Art, Cave 323
        • A silk painting of sacred Buddhist images from Dunhuang
        • The paintings and manuscripts from cave 17 at Mogao (1 of 2)
        • The paintings and manuscripts from cave 17 at Mogao (2 of 2)
        • Hong Bian, the monk in the Library Cave (Cave 17), Mogao
        • Stencil for a five-figure Buddha group
        • Illustration to the Fumu enzhong jing, Dunhuang
        • Buddha preaching at Vulture Peak embroidery
      • Giant Buddha of Leshan
      • Attributed to Zhou Fang, Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair
      • Admonitions Scroll, attributed to Gu Kaizhi
      • Han Gan, Night-Shining White
      • Zither (qin) inscribed with the name “Dragon’s Moan”
    • Five Dynasties period (907–979 C.E.)
      • Gu Hongzhong, The Night Revels of Han Xizai, handscroll
    • Liao dynasty (907 C.E.–1125 C.E.)
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      • Murals in two Liao Dynasty tombs
      • Arhat (Luohan)
    • Song dynasty (960–1279 C.E.)
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      • Song dynasty, an introduction
      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Neo-Confucianism and Fan Kuan, Travelers by Streams and Mountains
        • Emperor Huizong, Auspicious Cranes, handscroll
        • Attributed to Zhang Zeduan, Along the River during Qingming Festival, handscroll
        • Gu Kaizhi, Nymph of the Luo River
        • Liang Kai
          • Poet Strolling by a Marshy Bank
          • Liang Kai (attributed), White Egret
      • Master of the (Fishing) Nets Garden
      • The art of salvation—Mt. Baoding, Dazu rock carvings
      • Ding ware bowl
      • Ceramic pillow
      • Guan ware long-necked vase
      • Bowl with “oil spot” glaze
    • Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Yuan dynasty, an introduction
      • Paintings and calligraphy
        • Zheng Sixiao, Ink Orchid
        • Zhao Mengfu, Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains, 1295
        • Huang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains
        • Ni Zan, A branch of bamboo
        • Xie Chufang, Fascination of Nature, handscroll
        • Wu Zhen, Fishermen, after Jing Hao
        • Attributed to Cheng Qi, Tilling Rice, after Lou Shou
        • Portrait of Chabi
        • Qian Xuan, Young nobleman on horseback, handscroll
        • Wang Mian, Plum Blossoms in Ink
      • Buddha of Medicine Bhaishajyaguru (Yaoshi fo)
      • The David Vases
      • Caterina Vilioni’s tomb in Yangzhou
    • Ming dynasty (1368–1644 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Ming dynasty, an introduction
      • Tomb of the first Ming emperor
      • The Forbidden City
      • Temple of Heaven
      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Shen Zhou, A Spring Gathering
        • Shakyamuni, Laozi, and Confucius
        • Congyi, Cloudy Mountains
        • Wang Lü, Landscapes of Mount Hua (Huashan)
        • Wen Zhengming, Wintry Trees
        • Qiu Ying, Journey to Shu
        • Copy after Qiu Ying, Playing the Zither Beneath a Pine Tree
        • Palace Women and Children Celebrating the New Year
        • Eleven Dragons handscroll
        • Wang Wen, Poem in cursive script
      • Ceramics and decorative arts
        • A Ritual Ming dish
        • Li (tripod)-shaped cloisonné incense burner
        • Canteen
        • ‘Kraak’ bowl, from Jingdezhen
        • Brushrest with Arabic inscription
        • Miniature furniture and figurines in a Ming tomb
      • The Abduction of Helen Tapestry
      • Standing figure of Guanyin as Buddha
      • Ming banknote
    • Qing dynasty (1644–1912 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Qing dynasty, an introduction
      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Wang Shimin, Cloud Capped Mountains and Misty Riverside
        • Bada Shanren, Lotus and Ducks
        • Gong Xian, Eight Views of Landscape
        • Shitao, Returning Home
        • Wang Shishen, Garden scene album leaves
        • Zhao Zhiqian, Flowers Album
        • Portraits of Shi Wenying and Lady Guan
        • Imperial Workshop and Giuseppe Castiglione, The Qianlong Emperor as Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom
        • Landscape: tea sipping under willows
        • Ren Xiong, Self-Portrait
        • Hua Yan, Pheasant, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum
      • Ceramics and decorative arts
        • Lacquer box decorated with images of Spring and longevity
        • Zisha “Ru Ding” teapot, Yixing ware
        • Vase of bottle shape with “garlic” mouth
        • Européenerie on a Chinese Table Screen
      • “One Hundred Birds” hanging scroll
      • Summer chaofu (formal court dress) for a top-rank prince
      • The European Palaces of the Qianlong Emperor, Beijing
      • Chinese export silver, a 19th-century Torah case
      • Summer Palace in Beijing
      • Xunling, The Empress Dowager Cixi with foreign envoys’ wives
    • Modern China (1912–present)
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      • Modern China, an introduction
      • Republic of China
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        • Lang Jingshan and early Chinese photography
        • Wang Zhen, Buddhist Sage
        • Xu Beihong, Tian Heng and His Five Hundred Followers
        • Gao Jianfu, Flying in the Rain
        • Hu Yichuan, To the Front!
      • People’s Republic of China (1949–present)
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        • Art in the Mao era and Cultural Revolution, an introduction
        • Dong Xiwen, The Founding of the Nation
        • Pan Tianshou, Red Lotus
        • Liu Chunhua, Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan
        • Luo Zhongli, Father
        • Zhang Daqian, Panorama of Mount Lu
        • Ai Weiwei
          • Kui Hua Zi (Sunflower Seeds)
          • Remembering and the Politics of Dissent
          • Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
        • Xu Bing
          • Book from the Sky
          • Monkeys Grasp for the Moon
        • Hai Bo, Untitled No. 36
        • An interview with Au Ho-nien
        • Xu Zhen – ‘Artists Change the Way People Think’
  • Japan
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    • A beginner’s guide
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Jomon to Heian periods
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Kamakura to Azuchi-Momoyama periods
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Edo period
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Meiji to Reiwa periods
      • Japanese art: the formats of two-dimensional works
    • Jōmon period (c. 10,500–c. 300 B.C.E.)
      • Jōmon period, an introduction
      • Jōmon pottery
      • Deep bowl and Dogū
    • Yayoi period (300 B.C.E.–300 C.E.)
      • Yayoi period, an introduction
      • Dōtaku (ritual bells)
    • Kofun period (300–552)
      • Kofun period, an introduction
      • Haniwa Warrior
    • Asuka period (538–710)
      • Asuka period, an introduction
    • Nara period (710–794)
      • Nara period, an introduction
      • Tōdai-ji
      • The Shōsōin Repository and its treasure
    • Heian period (794–1185)
      • Heian period, an introduction
      • Illustrated scroll from the Tale of Genji
      • Fudō Myōō (Achala-vidyārāja)
    • Kamakura period (1185–1333)
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      • Kamakura period, an introduction
      • Jizō Bosatsu
      • Prince Shōtoku at Age Two
      • Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace
    • Nanbokuchō (1333–1392) and Muromachi period (1392–1573)
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      • Nanbokuchō and Muromachi periods, an introduction
      • Bamboo in the Four Seasons: painting and poetry in Japan
      • Ryōanji (Peaceful Dragon Temple)
      • Kichizan Minchō, Monju Bosatsu
      • Sessō Tōyō, Haboku-style landscape
      • Muromachi to Momoyama period Negoro ware ewer
    • Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1615)
      • Azuchi-Momoyama period, an introduction
      • Oribe Tea Bowl
    • Edo period (1615–1868)
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      • Edo period, an introduction
      • A portrait of St. Francis Xavier and Christianity in Japan
      • Ogata Kōrin, Red and White Plum Blossoms
      • Hon’ami Kōetsu, Folding Screen mounted with poems
      • Utagawa Kunisada I, Visiting Komachi
      • Hokusai
        • Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)
        • Hokusai’s printed illustrated Books
        • Beyond The Great Wave — Hokusai at 90
      • Kabuki actor prints
      • Goto Teijo, Koto
    • Meiji period (1868–1912)
      • Meiji period, an introduction
    • 1912–present
      • Browse this content
      • Taishō period, an introduction
      • Shōwa period
      • Heisei period, an introduction
      • Mori Mariko, Pure Land
  • Korea
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    • Royal palaces of Seoul
    • Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age
      • Bronze ritual object with farming scenes
      • Assemblage of Artifacts from the Daegok-ri Site, Hwasun
      • Gold belt buckle, Seokam-ri Tomb 9 (Pyongyang)
    • Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C.E.–676 C.E.)
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      • Gold and jade crown (Silla)
        • Gold and jade crown
        • Gold crown and gold belt from the north mound of Hwangnamdaechong Tomb
      • Dangling pendants for gold crowns (Silla)
      • Bronze bowl with inscription for King Gwanggaeto the Great (Silla)
      • Horse-rider-shaped vessels (Silla)
      • Gold Earrings from the Double Burial in Bomun-dong, Gyeongju (Silla)
      • Dagger and gold scabbard from Gyerim-ro Tomb 14, Gyeongju
      • Gold necklace from Noseo-ri 215 Beonji Tomb, Gyeongju (Silla)
      • Mt. Bukhansan Monument for King Jinheung’s Inspection (Silla)
      • Gilt-bronze Buddha with inscription (Goguryeo)
      • Gilt-bronze pensive bodhisattva (National Treasure 78)
      • Gilt-bronze pensive bodhisattva (National Treasure 83)
      • Pensive bodhisattva
      • Crown ornaments from the Tomb of King Muryeong (Baekje)
      • Gilt-bronze Incense Burner (Baekje)
      • Eight Baekje tiles with various designs
      • Baekje stone Buddha and gilt-bronze bodhisattva from the temple site of Gunsu-ri, Buyeo
      • Pensive Bodhisattva on a rectangular pedestal
    • Unified Silla Period (668–935 C.E.)
      • Maitreya Bodhisattva and Amitabha Buddha from Gamsansa Temple
      • Gold Buddha statues from the stone pagoda on the site of Hwangboksa Temple
      • Stone casket and funerary urn of the Unified Silla period
      • Sarira reliquaries from east and west stone pagodas of Gameunsa Temple
      • East and west stone pagodas from the site of Galhangsa Temple
    • Goryeo dynasty (918 C.E.–1392 C.E.)
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      • Water-Moon Avalokiteśvara
      • Cast-iron Buddha
      • Ceramics
        • Korean Celadons of the Goryeo Dynasty
        • Kundika with Landscape Design
        • Celadon incense burner with lion cover and celadon incense burner with open work geometric design
        • Celadon dragon-shaped ewer and celadon turtle-shaped ewer
        • Celadon Melon-shaped Bottle
        • Maebyeong vases, an introduction
        • Maebyeong with cloud and crane design
        • Maebyeong with peony design
      • Bronze bell with inscription: “Cheonheungsa”
      • Ten-story Stone Pagoda of Gyeongcheonsa Temple
      • Stone bodhisattva from the site of Hansongsa Temple
      • Official Register from the late Goryeo period
      • Reliquary set offered by Yi Seonggye (King Taejo of the Joseon dynasty)
      • Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, and the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks
    • Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
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      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Inheritance Document of Yi Seonggye, founder of the Joseon Dynasty
        • Album of Poems on “Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers”
        • Bongsa Joseon Changhwa Sigwon: Poems Exchanged by Joseon Officials and Ming Envoys
        • Portrait of Sin Sukju
        • Four Preaching Buddhas
        • Sajeongjeon Edition of The Annotated Zizhi Tongjian
        • Yun Baek-ha, a calligraphic handscroll
        • Kim Hongdo, album of genre paintings
        • Yi Che-gwan, Portrait of a Confucian scholar
        • Yun Du-seo, Portrait of Sim Deukgyeong
        • Yi Myeonggi, Portrait of Kang Sehwang
        • Yi Myeonggi and Kim Hongdo, Portrait of Seo Jiksu
        • Portrait of Yi Chae
        • Kim Jeonghui’s calligraphy of Kim Yugeun’s Autobiography of Mukso
        • Chaekgeori-type screen
        • Dhratarastra, Guardian King of the East
        • Portrait of Yi Haeung, Regent Heungseon Daewongun
      • Ceramics and decorative arts
        • White porcelain ‘moon jar’
        • Buncheong Jar with cloud and dragon design
        • Blue-and-white Porcelain Jar with Plum, Bamboo, and Bird Design
      • Gujangbok, a ceremonial robe symbolizing the king’s prestige
      • Jeogui, the most formal ceremonial robe of the Joseon queens
      • Jeong Sanggi, Dongguk Daejido (“Complete Map of the Eastern Country”)
      • Cheonggu Gwanhaebang Chongdo, or “Map for the National Defense of Korea”
      • Kim Jeongho, woodblocks of Daedongnyeojido (“Territorial Map of the Great East”)
      • Architecture
        • Royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
        • Changdeokgung Palace complex
        • Jongmyo Shrine
        • Hwaseong Fortress
    • c. 1897–1945
      • The creation of a Korean national flag, 1880s–1910s
      • Portrait of Choe Ikhyeon
      • An Jungsik, Spring Dawn at Mt. Baegak
      • An Junggeun, Calligraphy work of his final message
    • Postwar Korea (after 1945)
      • Song Su-Nam, Summer Trees
    • Conserving Korean lacquer
  • Central Asia
    • Kazakhstan
      • Petroglyphs, Tamgaly Gorge
  • Afghanistan
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    • Crossroads of the ancient world
    • Bamiyan Buddhas
    • Silver dinar of the Alchon Huns
    • Dado Panel, Courtyard of the Royal Palace of Mas’ud III
  • The Himalayas
    • Nepal
      • Lost-wax metal casting
    • Tibet
      • Jowo Rinpoche, Jokhang Temple, Tibet
      • Sacred arts of Tibet
      • The making of a thangka painting
      • Tara (from Tibet)
      • Mahakala, Protector of the Tent
      • Saddle (gser sga)
  • South Asia
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    • Beginner’s guide
      • Challenges, opportunities, and approaches for studying South Asian art
      • Geographic regions of South Asia
      • Understanding divine “blueness” in South Asia
      • Depictions of Devi
      • Representations of Krishna
      • Mudras in Buddhist art
    • Textiles from the Indian Subcontinent
      • Materials and making
        • Rooted in the soil of the earth: geographical origins of textile practices
        • The fundamental ingredients of textiles: natural fibers
        • Mastering color: natural dyes of the Indian subcontinent
        • Tools and processes: producing cloth
      • Forms and functions
        • Practice and perfection: textile traditions
        • Motifs and patterns: fundamentals of design vocabulary
        • Dress and diversity: costumes traditions of the Indian subcontinent
      • Communal ties
        • Secrets of the trade: inherited traditions
      • Threads of faith
        • Warding off the evil eye: talismanic textiles
      • Cloth as currency
        • Containers of confluence: imagery on painted and printed textiles
      • Exploits and revolts
        • From handmade to factory made: industry, trade and handcrafted traditions
        • Freedom Movement: textile practices and the making of a nation
      • Opulence and innovation
        • Imperial Splendour: Textiles and Royal Life
        • Expressions and experimentations: textiles in visual art
    • Prehistory to 500 B.C.E.
      • A brief history of the art of South Asia to 500 C.E.
      • North + West
        • Bhimbetka cave paintings
        • An Indus Seal
        • Indus Valley terracotta human figurines
        • Dancing Girl from Mohenjo-daro
        • The Priest-King sculpture from the Indus Valley Civilization
      • Deccan + the South
        • Deccan Megaliths
    • 500 B.C.E–600 C.E.
      • Browse this content
      • Yaksha and Yakshi
      • An Indian ivory statuette in Pompeii
      • Indo-Gangetic Plain
        • The Pillars of Ashoka
        • Lion Capital, Ashokan Pillar at Sarnath
        • The Didarganj Yakshi
        • Bodh Gaya: The Site of the Buddha’s Enlightenment
        • Bodh Gaya: center of the Buddhist world
        • Introduction to the stupa
        • Bharhut Stupa relief sculptures
        • Beliefs made visible: Buddhist art in South Asia
        • Jatakas: the many lives of Buddha as Bodhisattva
        • Beliefs made visible: Hindu art in South Asia
        • A Buddha from Mathura
        • Gandharan sculpture
        • Head of the Buddha, Gandhara
        • The Gupta Period
        • The Caves of Ajanta — Vakataka dynasty
        • The Cave of Shiva at Elephanta
        • Images of enlightenment: aniconic vs. iconic depictions of the Buddha in India
    • 600–1200 C.E.
      • Browse this content
      • North + West
        • Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur
      • Deccan + the South
        • Browse this content
        • The Great Relief at Mamallapuram
        • Shore Temple, Mamallapuram
        • Durga Slays the Buffalo Demon at Mamallapuram
        • The multireligious caves at Ellora
        • Ellora caves
        • Sacred space and symbolic form at Lakshmana Temple, Khajuraho (India)
        • Queen Sembiyan Mahadevi as the Goddess Parvati
        • Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)
        • Three Hindu gods
        • Rajarajesvara temple, Tanjavur
        • Hoysaleshvara temple, Halebidu
      • Sri Lanka
        • Statue of Tara, consort of Avalokiteshvara
    • 1200–1500
      • North + West
        • Introduction to Islam
        • The Qutb complex and early Sultanate architecture
      • Sultanate art and architecture, an introduction
    • 1500–1857
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      • Indian Artists and the British East India Company
      • Deccan + the South
        • Art and architecture of the Vijayanagara empire
        • The Meenakshi Temple at Madurai
        • Tipu’s Tiger
        • Christian art in India: Indo-Portuguese ivory statuettes
        • Goa stone and gold case
      • North + West
        • European engravings and Christian symbols in the Mughal miniature painting tradition
        • A page from the Mewar Ramayana
        • Three Aspects of the Absolute
        • The Taj Mahal
        • Bichitr, Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings
        • Illustration from the Akbarnama
        • Shah Jahan’s portrait, emeralds, and the exotic at the Mughal court
        • Exploring Color in Mughal Paintings
        • Humayun’s tomb
        • Krishna Holds Up Mount Govardhan
        • A Jain pilgrimage map of Shatrunjaya
        • Cashmere shawls
        • Conservation: Indian jama
    • 1857–present
      • Browse this content
      • Submerged, burned, and scattered: celebrating the destruction of objects in South Asia
      • Photographic views of nineteenth-century India, an introduction 
      • Recording and representing India: the East India Company’s landscape practices
      • Raja Ravi Varma, A Galaxy of Musicians
      • Amrita Sher-Gil, Self-Portrait as a Tahitian
      • North + West
        • Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai
      • Deccan + the South
        • Ganesha Jayanti, Lord of Beginnings
        • The making and worship of Ganesha statues in Maharashtra
        • Kathakali dance and masks
      • Indo-Gangetic Plain
        • Varanasi: sacred city
        • Painting in Mithila, an introduction
      • Contemporary
        • Rahul Jain
        • Waqas Khan
        • Noor Ali
        • The Artist Project: Zarina Hashmi
        • Zarina Hashmi – My Work is About Writing
        • The Artist Project: Shahzia Sikander
        • Inside Manish Arora’s Studio
        • The Artist Project: Nalini Malani
        • The Artist Project: Izhar Patkin
        • An interview with Sheba Chhachhi
        • An interview with Naeem Mohaiemen
        • An interview with Dayanita Singh
        • An interview with Sheela Gowda
        • The Singh Twins, EnTWINed
        • Jas Charanjiva on “Don’t Mess With Me”
        • An interview with Sunil Gupta
  • Southeast Asia
    • Browse this content
    • Cambodia
      • Browse this content
      • Angkor Wat
      • Angkor Thom, The Great City
      • The Bayon Temple
      • Figure of Shiva, Khmer Empire
      • The Looting of Cambodian Antiquities
      • The Scourge of Looting: Trafficking Antiquities, from Temple to Museum
      • Sotheby’s Returns Looted 10th Century Statue to Cambodia
    • Thailand
      • Browse this content
      • Ban Chiang, a prehistoric archaeological site 
      • Ayutthaya
      • Sukhothai
      • Sukhothai Walking Buddha
      • Thai Buddhist Monasteries
      • The Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand 
      • Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
      • The Emerald Buddha and pandemics
    • Vietnam
      • Đông Sơn Drums
      • Mỹ Sơn Hindu temple complex
      • The Đồng Dương Buddhist temple complex
      • Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi
    • Indonesia
      • Browse this content
      • Borobudur
      • Prambanan Temple compounds
      • Bronze figure of Buddha Vairocana (Java)
      • Sukuh, a mountain sanctuary
      • Sunyaragi, a Javanese pleasure garden
      • The Spirit of the Barong, Bali
      • Shadow puppet, Java

Art of Asia

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  • A brief history of the cultures of Asia
  • Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, a beginner’s guide
    • Browse all content
    • Hinduism and Buddhism, an introduction
    • Hinduism
      • Discovering Sacred Texts: Hinduism
      • Sacred texts in Hinduism
      • Hindu deities
      • Hindu temples
      • Beliefs made visible: Hindu art in South Asia
    • Buddhism
      • Introduction to Buddhism
      • The historical Buddha
      • How to recognize the Buddha
      • The Buddha and Buddhist sacred texts
      • Introduction to the stupa
      • Buddhist monasteries
      • Bodhisattvas, an introduction
      • Pensive bodhisattvas
      • Buddhist meditation and chant
      • Maitreya
      • Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara: Guanyin
      • Seated Buddha
      • Four Buddhas at the American Museum of Natural History
      • Beliefs made visible: Buddhist art in South Asia
    • Jainism
      • An introduction to the Jain faith
      • Jain cosmology
    • Sikhism
      • Origins and development of Sikh faith: The Gurus
      • Sikh prayer and worship
      • Sikh sacred places
    • Zoroastrianism
      • An introduction to Zoroastrianism
  • Beginner’s guide to East Asia
    • Trade in East Asia
    • Cultural diversity in East Asia
    • Innovation in East Asia
  • China
    • Browse this content
    • A beginner’s guide
      • Imperial China, an introduction
      • Chinese landscape painting
      • Mountings of Chinese paintings: scrolls, fans, and leafs
      • Chinese calligraphy, an introduction
      • Chinese scholar-painters, an introduction
      • Chinese porcelain: decoration
      • Chinese porcelain: production and export
    • Neolithic
      • Browse this content
      • Neolithic period (c. 7000–1700 B.C.E.), an introduction
      • Chinese jade: an introduction
      • Jar (Hu)
      • Jade Cong
      • Working jade
    • Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 B.C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Shang dynasty, an introduction
      • Oracle Bone, Shang Dynasty
      • Tigers, dragons, and, monsters on a Shang Dynasty ewer
      • War and Sacrifice: The Tomb of Fu Hao
    • Zhou dynasty (c. 1050–221 B.C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Zhou Dynasty, an introduction
      • Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 B.C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Da Ke Ding
        • Square lidded ritual wine container (fangyi)
      • Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 B.C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Bell (bo) with birds and dragons
        • Ambition and luxury: Marquis Yi of the Zeng State
    • Qin dynasty (c. 221–206 B.C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Qin dynasty, an introduction
      • The Tomb of the First Emperor
      • The Terracotta Warriors
    • Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Han dynasty, an introduction
      • The search for immortality: The Tomb of Lady Dai
      • Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)
      • Ladle
      • Mirror with game board design and animals of the four directions
      • Tomb model of a watchtower
      • Disk (bi) with knobs, feline, and dragon
    • Period of Division (220–589 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Period of Division, an introduction
      • Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Yungang grottoes
        • Longmen caves, Luoyang
      • Northern Qi dynasty (550–577 C.E.)
        • Browse this content
        • Bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin)
        • Western Paradise of the Buddha Amitabha
        • Cosmic Buddha Vairochana with the Realms of Existence
        • Base of a funerary couch
      • The Wirkak (Shi Jun) Sarcophagus
      • Cultural exchange and integration, a Khotanese carpet on the Silk Road
    • Tang dynasty (618–907 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Tang dynasty, an introduction
      • A Tang silk brocade
      • Tang Yue ware
      • Tomb figures
        • An introduction to tomb figurines, Tang dynasty
        • Tomb figures of a man and woman on horseback
        • Tomb figure of a groom
        • Figure of a seated court lady
      • Chinese Buddhist cave shrines
      • Mogao caves, Dunhuang
        • Mogao caves at Dunhuang
        • Jataka tales at Dunhuang
        • Dunhuang Historical Art, Cave 323
        • A silk painting of sacred Buddhist images from Dunhuang
        • The paintings and manuscripts from cave 17 at Mogao (1 of 2)
        • The paintings and manuscripts from cave 17 at Mogao (2 of 2)
        • Hong Bian, the monk in the Library Cave (Cave 17), Mogao
        • Stencil for a five-figure Buddha group
        • Illustration to the Fumu enzhong jing, Dunhuang
        • Buddha preaching at Vulture Peak embroidery
      • Giant Buddha of Leshan
      • Attributed to Zhou Fang, Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair
      • Admonitions Scroll, attributed to Gu Kaizhi
      • Han Gan, Night-Shining White
      • Zither (qin) inscribed with the name “Dragon’s Moan”
    • Five Dynasties period (907–979 C.E.)
      • Gu Hongzhong, The Night Revels of Han Xizai, handscroll
    • Liao dynasty (907 C.E.–1125 C.E.)
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      • Murals in two Liao Dynasty tombs
      • Arhat (Luohan)
    • Song dynasty (960–1279 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Song dynasty, an introduction
      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Neo-Confucianism and Fan Kuan, Travelers by Streams and Mountains
        • Emperor Huizong, Auspicious Cranes, handscroll
        • Attributed to Zhang Zeduan, Along the River during Qingming Festival, handscroll
        • Gu Kaizhi, Nymph of the Luo River
        • Liang Kai
          • Poet Strolling by a Marshy Bank
          • Liang Kai (attributed), White Egret
      • Master of the (Fishing) Nets Garden
      • The art of salvation—Mt. Baoding, Dazu rock carvings
      • Ding ware bowl
      • Ceramic pillow
      • Guan ware long-necked vase
      • Bowl with “oil spot” glaze
    • Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Yuan dynasty, an introduction
      • Paintings and calligraphy
        • Zheng Sixiao, Ink Orchid
        • Zhao Mengfu, Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains, 1295
        • Huang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains
        • Ni Zan, A branch of bamboo
        • Xie Chufang, Fascination of Nature, handscroll
        • Wu Zhen, Fishermen, after Jing Hao
        • Attributed to Cheng Qi, Tilling Rice, after Lou Shou
        • Portrait of Chabi
        • Qian Xuan, Young nobleman on horseback, handscroll
        • Wang Mian, Plum Blossoms in Ink
      • Buddha of Medicine Bhaishajyaguru (Yaoshi fo)
      • The David Vases
      • Caterina Vilioni’s tomb in Yangzhou
    • Ming dynasty (1368–1644 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Ming dynasty, an introduction
      • Tomb of the first Ming emperor
      • The Forbidden City
      • Temple of Heaven
      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Shen Zhou, A Spring Gathering
        • Shakyamuni, Laozi, and Confucius
        • Congyi, Cloudy Mountains
        • Wang Lü, Landscapes of Mount Hua (Huashan)
        • Wen Zhengming, Wintry Trees
        • Qiu Ying, Journey to Shu
        • Copy after Qiu Ying, Playing the Zither Beneath a Pine Tree
        • Palace Women and Children Celebrating the New Year
        • Eleven Dragons handscroll
        • Wang Wen, Poem in cursive script
      • Ceramics and decorative arts
        • A Ritual Ming dish
        • Li (tripod)-shaped cloisonné incense burner
        • Canteen
        • ‘Kraak’ bowl, from Jingdezhen
        • Brushrest with Arabic inscription
        • Miniature furniture and figurines in a Ming tomb
      • The Abduction of Helen Tapestry
      • Standing figure of Guanyin as Buddha
      • Ming banknote
    • Qing dynasty (1644–1912 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Qing dynasty, an introduction
      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Wang Shimin, Cloud Capped Mountains and Misty Riverside
        • Bada Shanren, Lotus and Ducks
        • Gong Xian, Eight Views of Landscape
        • Shitao, Returning Home
        • Wang Shishen, Garden scene album leaves
        • Zhao Zhiqian, Flowers Album
        • Portraits of Shi Wenying and Lady Guan
        • Imperial Workshop and Giuseppe Castiglione, The Qianlong Emperor as Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom
        • Landscape: tea sipping under willows
        • Ren Xiong, Self-Portrait
        • Hua Yan, Pheasant, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum
      • Ceramics and decorative arts
        • Lacquer box decorated with images of Spring and longevity
        • Zisha “Ru Ding” teapot, Yixing ware
        • Vase of bottle shape with “garlic” mouth
        • Européenerie on a Chinese Table Screen
      • “One Hundred Birds” hanging scroll
      • Summer chaofu (formal court dress) for a top-rank prince
      • The European Palaces of the Qianlong Emperor, Beijing
      • Chinese export silver, a 19th-century Torah case
      • Summer Palace in Beijing
      • Xunling, The Empress Dowager Cixi with foreign envoys’ wives
    • Modern China (1912–present)
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      • Modern China, an introduction
      • Republic of China
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        • Lang Jingshan and early Chinese photography
        • Wang Zhen, Buddhist Sage
        • Xu Beihong, Tian Heng and His Five Hundred Followers
        • Gao Jianfu, Flying in the Rain
        • Hu Yichuan, To the Front!
      • People’s Republic of China (1949–present)
        • Browse this content
        • Art in the Mao era and Cultural Revolution, an introduction
        • Dong Xiwen, The Founding of the Nation
        • Pan Tianshou, Red Lotus
        • Liu Chunhua, Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan
        • Luo Zhongli, Father
        • Zhang Daqian, Panorama of Mount Lu
        • Ai Weiwei
          • Kui Hua Zi (Sunflower Seeds)
          • Remembering and the Politics of Dissent
          • Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
        • Xu Bing
          • Book from the Sky
          • Monkeys Grasp for the Moon
        • Hai Bo, Untitled No. 36
        • An interview with Au Ho-nien
        • Xu Zhen – ‘Artists Change the Way People Think’
  • Japan
    • Browse this content
    • A beginner’s guide
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Jomon to Heian periods
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Kamakura to Azuchi-Momoyama periods
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Edo period
      • A brief history of the arts of Japan: the Meiji to Reiwa periods
      • Japanese art: the formats of two-dimensional works
    • Jōmon period (c. 10,500–c. 300 B.C.E.)
      • Jōmon period, an introduction
      • Jōmon pottery
      • Deep bowl and Dogū
    • Yayoi period (300 B.C.E.–300 C.E.)
      • Yayoi period, an introduction
      • Dōtaku (ritual bells)
    • Kofun period (300–552)
      • Kofun period, an introduction
      • Haniwa Warrior
    • Asuka period (538–710)
      • Asuka period, an introduction
    • Nara period (710–794)
      • Nara period, an introduction
      • Tōdai-ji
      • The Shōsōin Repository and its treasure
    • Heian period (794–1185)
      • Heian period, an introduction
      • Illustrated scroll from the Tale of Genji
      • Fudō Myōō (Achala-vidyārāja)
    • Kamakura period (1185–1333)
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      • Kamakura period, an introduction
      • Jizō Bosatsu
      • Prince Shōtoku at Age Two
      • Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace
    • Nanbokuchō (1333–1392) and Muromachi period (1392–1573)
      • Browse this content
      • Nanbokuchō and Muromachi periods, an introduction
      • Bamboo in the Four Seasons: painting and poetry in Japan
      • Ryōanji (Peaceful Dragon Temple)
      • Kichizan Minchō, Monju Bosatsu
      • Sessō Tōyō, Haboku-style landscape
      • Muromachi to Momoyama period Negoro ware ewer
    • Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1615)
      • Azuchi-Momoyama period, an introduction
      • Oribe Tea Bowl
    • Edo period (1615–1868)
      • Browse this content
      • Edo period, an introduction
      • A portrait of St. Francis Xavier and Christianity in Japan
      • Ogata Kōrin, Red and White Plum Blossoms
      • Hon’ami Kōetsu, Folding Screen mounted with poems
      • Utagawa Kunisada I, Visiting Komachi
      • Hokusai
        • Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)
        • Hokusai’s printed illustrated Books
        • Beyond The Great Wave — Hokusai at 90
      • Kabuki actor prints
      • Goto Teijo, Koto
    • Meiji period (1868–1912)
      • Meiji period, an introduction
    • 1912–present
      • Browse this content
      • Taishō period, an introduction
      • Shōwa period
      • Heisei period, an introduction
      • Mori Mariko, Pure Land
  • Korea
    • Browse this content
    • Royal palaces of Seoul
    • Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age
      • Bronze ritual object with farming scenes
      • Assemblage of Artifacts from the Daegok-ri Site, Hwasun
      • Gold belt buckle, Seokam-ri Tomb 9 (Pyongyang)
    • Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C.E.–676 C.E.)
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      • Gold and jade crown (Silla)
        • Gold and jade crown
        • Gold crown and gold belt from the north mound of Hwangnamdaechong Tomb
      • Dangling pendants for gold crowns (Silla)
      • Bronze bowl with inscription for King Gwanggaeto the Great (Silla)
      • Horse-rider-shaped vessels (Silla)
      • Gold Earrings from the Double Burial in Bomun-dong, Gyeongju (Silla)
      • Dagger and gold scabbard from Gyerim-ro Tomb 14, Gyeongju
      • Gold necklace from Noseo-ri 215 Beonji Tomb, Gyeongju (Silla)
      • Mt. Bukhansan Monument for King Jinheung’s Inspection (Silla)
      • Gilt-bronze Buddha with inscription (Goguryeo)
      • Gilt-bronze pensive bodhisattva (National Treasure 78)
      • Gilt-bronze pensive bodhisattva (National Treasure 83)
      • Pensive bodhisattva
      • Crown ornaments from the Tomb of King Muryeong (Baekje)
      • Gilt-bronze Incense Burner (Baekje)
      • Eight Baekje tiles with various designs
      • Baekje stone Buddha and gilt-bronze bodhisattva from the temple site of Gunsu-ri, Buyeo
      • Pensive Bodhisattva on a rectangular pedestal
    • Unified Silla Period (668–935 C.E.)
      • Maitreya Bodhisattva and Amitabha Buddha from Gamsansa Temple
      • Gold Buddha statues from the stone pagoda on the site of Hwangboksa Temple
      • Stone casket and funerary urn of the Unified Silla period
      • Sarira reliquaries from east and west stone pagodas of Gameunsa Temple
      • East and west stone pagodas from the site of Galhangsa Temple
    • Goryeo dynasty (918 C.E.–1392 C.E.)
      • Browse this content
      • Water-Moon Avalokiteśvara
      • Cast-iron Buddha
      • Ceramics
        • Korean Celadons of the Goryeo Dynasty
        • Kundika with Landscape Design
        • Celadon incense burner with lion cover and celadon incense burner with open work geometric design
        • Celadon dragon-shaped ewer and celadon turtle-shaped ewer
        • Celadon Melon-shaped Bottle
        • Maebyeong vases, an introduction
        • Maebyeong with cloud and crane design
        • Maebyeong with peony design
      • Bronze bell with inscription: “Cheonheungsa”
      • Ten-story Stone Pagoda of Gyeongcheonsa Temple
      • Stone bodhisattva from the site of Hansongsa Temple
      • Official Register from the late Goryeo period
      • Reliquary set offered by Yi Seonggye (King Taejo of the Joseon dynasty)
      • Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, and the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks
    • Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
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      • Painting and calligraphy
        • Inheritance Document of Yi Seonggye, founder of the Joseon Dynasty
        • Album of Poems on “Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers”
        • Bongsa Joseon Changhwa Sigwon: Poems Exchanged by Joseon Officials and Ming Envoys
        • Portrait of Sin Sukju
        • Four Preaching Buddhas
        • Sajeongjeon Edition of The Annotated Zizhi Tongjian
        • Yun Baek-ha, a calligraphic handscroll
        • Kim Hongdo, album of genre paintings
        • Yi Che-gwan, Portrait of a Confucian scholar
        • Yun Du-seo, Portrait of Sim Deukgyeong
        • Yi Myeonggi, Portrait of Kang Sehwang
        • Yi Myeonggi and Kim Hongdo, Portrait of Seo Jiksu
        • Portrait of Yi Chae
        • Kim Jeonghui’s calligraphy of Kim Yugeun’s Autobiography of Mukso
        • Chaekgeori-type screen
        • Dhratarastra, Guardian King of the East
        • Portrait of Yi Haeung, Regent Heungseon Daewongun
      • Ceramics and decorative arts
        • White porcelain ‘moon jar’
        • Buncheong Jar with cloud and dragon design
        • Blue-and-white Porcelain Jar with Plum, Bamboo, and Bird Design
      • Gujangbok, a ceremonial robe symbolizing the king’s prestige
      • Jeogui, the most formal ceremonial robe of the Joseon queens
      • Jeong Sanggi, Dongguk Daejido (“Complete Map of the Eastern Country”)
      • Cheonggu Gwanhaebang Chongdo, or “Map for the National Defense of Korea”
      • Kim Jeongho, woodblocks of Daedongnyeojido (“Territorial Map of the Great East”)
      • Architecture
        • Royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
        • Changdeokgung Palace complex
        • Jongmyo Shrine
        • Hwaseong Fortress
    • c. 1897–1945
      • The creation of a Korean national flag, 1880s–1910s
      • Portrait of Choe Ikhyeon
      • An Jungsik, Spring Dawn at Mt. Baegak
      • An Junggeun, Calligraphy work of his final message
    • Postwar Korea (after 1945)
      • Song Su-Nam, Summer Trees
    • Conserving Korean lacquer
  • Central Asia
    • Kazakhstan
      • Petroglyphs, Tamgaly Gorge
  • Afghanistan
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    • Crossroads of the ancient world
    • Bamiyan Buddhas
    • Silver dinar of the Alchon Huns
    • Dado Panel, Courtyard of the Royal Palace of Mas’ud III
  • The Himalayas
    • Nepal
      • Lost-wax metal casting
    • Tibet
      • Jowo Rinpoche, Jokhang Temple, Tibet
      • Sacred arts of Tibet
      • The making of a thangka painting
      • Tara (from Tibet)
      • Mahakala, Protector of the Tent
      • Saddle (gser sga)
  • South Asia
    • Browse this content
    • Beginner’s guide
      • Challenges, opportunities, and approaches for studying South Asian art
      • Geographic regions of South Asia
      • Understanding divine “blueness” in South Asia
      • Depictions of Devi
      • Representations of Krishna
      • Mudras in Buddhist art
    • Textiles from the Indian Subcontinent
      • Materials and making
        • Rooted in the soil of the earth: geographical origins of textile practices
        • The fundamental ingredients of textiles: natural fibers
        • Mastering color: natural dyes of the Indian subcontinent
        • Tools and processes: producing cloth
      • Forms and functions
        • Practice and perfection: textile traditions
        • Motifs and patterns: fundamentals of design vocabulary
        • Dress and diversity: costumes traditions of the Indian subcontinent
      • Communal ties
        • Secrets of the trade: inherited traditions
      • Threads of faith
        • Warding off the evil eye: talismanic textiles
      • Cloth as currency
        • Containers of confluence: imagery on painted and printed textiles
      • Exploits and revolts
        • From handmade to factory made: industry, trade and handcrafted traditions
        • Freedom Movement: textile practices and the making of a nation
      • Opulence and innovation
        • Imperial Splendour: Textiles and Royal Life
        • Expressions and experimentations: textiles in visual art
    • Prehistory to 500 B.C.E.
      • A brief history of the art of South Asia to 500 C.E.
      • North + West
        • Bhimbetka cave paintings
        • An Indus Seal
        • Indus Valley terracotta human figurines
        • Dancing Girl from Mohenjo-daro
        • The Priest-King sculpture from the Indus Valley Civilization
      • Deccan + the South
        • Deccan Megaliths
    • 500 B.C.E–600 C.E.
      • Browse this content
      • Yaksha and Yakshi
      • An Indian ivory statuette in Pompeii
      • Indo-Gangetic Plain
        • The Pillars of Ashoka
        • Lion Capital, Ashokan Pillar at Sarnath
        • The Didarganj Yakshi
        • Bodh Gaya: The Site of the Buddha’s Enlightenment
        • Bodh Gaya: center of the Buddhist world
        • Introduction to the stupa
        • Bharhut Stupa relief sculptures
        • Beliefs made visible: Buddhist art in South Asia
        • Jatakas: the many lives of Buddha as Bodhisattva
        • Beliefs made visible: Hindu art in South Asia
        • A Buddha from Mathura
        • Gandharan sculpture
        • Head of the Buddha, Gandhara
        • The Gupta Period
        • The Caves of Ajanta — Vakataka dynasty
        • The Cave of Shiva at Elephanta
        • Images of enlightenment: aniconic vs. iconic depictions of the Buddha in India
    • 600–1200 C.E.
      • Browse this content
      • North + West
        • Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur
      • Deccan + the South
        • Browse this content
        • The Great Relief at Mamallapuram
        • Shore Temple, Mamallapuram
        • Durga Slays the Buffalo Demon at Mamallapuram
        • The multireligious caves at Ellora
        • Ellora caves
        • Sacred space and symbolic form at Lakshmana Temple, Khajuraho (India)
        • Queen Sembiyan Mahadevi as the Goddess Parvati
        • Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)
        • Three Hindu gods
        • Rajarajesvara temple, Tanjavur
        • Hoysaleshvara temple, Halebidu
      • Sri Lanka
        • Statue of Tara, consort of Avalokiteshvara
    • 1200–1500
      • North + West
        • Introduction to Islam
        • The Qutb complex and early Sultanate architecture
      • Sultanate art and architecture, an introduction
    • 1500–1857
      • Browse this content
      • Indian Artists and the British East India Company
      • Deccan + the South
        • Art and architecture of the Vijayanagara empire
        • The Meenakshi Temple at Madurai
        • Tipu’s Tiger
        • Christian art in India: Indo-Portuguese ivory statuettes
        • Goa stone and gold case
      • North + West
        • European engravings and Christian symbols in the Mughal miniature painting tradition
        • A page from the Mewar Ramayana
        • Three Aspects of the Absolute
        • The Taj Mahal
        • Bichitr, Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings
        • Illustration from the Akbarnama
        • Shah Jahan’s portrait, emeralds, and the exotic at the Mughal court
        • Exploring Color in Mughal Paintings
        • Humayun’s tomb
        • Krishna Holds Up Mount Govardhan
        • A Jain pilgrimage map of Shatrunjaya
        • Cashmere shawls
        • Conservation: Indian jama
    • 1857–present
      • Browse this content
      • Submerged, burned, and scattered: celebrating the destruction of objects in South Asia
      • Photographic views of nineteenth-century India, an introduction 
      • Recording and representing India: the East India Company’s landscape practices
      • Raja Ravi Varma, A Galaxy of Musicians
      • Amrita Sher-Gil, Self-Portrait as a Tahitian
      • North + West
        • Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai
      • Deccan + the South
        • Ganesha Jayanti, Lord of Beginnings
        • The making and worship of Ganesha statues in Maharashtra
        • Kathakali dance and masks
      • Indo-Gangetic Plain
        • Varanasi: sacred city
        • Painting in Mithila, an introduction
      • Contemporary
        • Rahul Jain
        • Waqas Khan
        • Noor Ali
        • The Artist Project: Zarina Hashmi
        • Zarina Hashmi – My Work is About Writing
        • The Artist Project: Shahzia Sikander
        • Inside Manish Arora’s Studio
        • The Artist Project: Nalini Malani
        • The Artist Project: Izhar Patkin
        • An interview with Sheba Chhachhi
        • An interview with Naeem Mohaiemen
        • An interview with Dayanita Singh
        • An interview with Sheela Gowda
        • The Singh Twins, EnTWINed
        • Jas Charanjiva on “Don’t Mess With Me”
        • An interview with Sunil Gupta
  • Southeast Asia
    • Browse this content
    • Cambodia
      • Browse this content
      • Angkor Wat
      • Angkor Thom, The Great City
      • The Bayon Temple
      • Figure of Shiva, Khmer Empire
      • The Looting of Cambodian Antiquities
      • The Scourge of Looting: Trafficking Antiquities, from Temple to Museum
      • Sotheby’s Returns Looted 10th Century Statue to Cambodia
    • Thailand
      • Browse this content
      • Ban Chiang, a prehistoric archaeological site 
      • Ayutthaya
      • Sukhothai
      • Sukhothai Walking Buddha
      • Thai Buddhist Monasteries
      • The Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand 
      • Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
      • The Emerald Buddha and pandemics
    • Vietnam
      • Đông Sơn Drums
      • Mỹ Sơn Hindu temple complex
      • The Đồng Dương Buddhist temple complex
      • Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi
    • Indonesia
      • Browse this content
      • Borobudur
      • Prambanan Temple compounds
      • Bronze figure of Buddha Vairocana (Java)
      • Sukuh, a mountain sanctuary
      • Sunyaragi, a Javanese pleasure garden
      • The Spirit of the Barong, Bali
      • Shadow puppet, Java

Varanasi: sacred city

by Asian Art Museum

Video from the Asian Art Museum

Cite this page as: Asian Art Museum, "Varanasi: sacred city," in Smarthistory, January 28, 2016, accessed December 9, 2023, https://smarthistory.org/varanasi-sacred-city/.
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