Introduction
Western fascination with the exoticism
and allure of the Orient began with European
trade in ancient times. By the time Marco
Polo made his remarkable journey from
Venice to China and back (13th century)
and the Jesuit Matteo Ricci arrived in
Nanking (1595), this fascination became
an obsession. Dragons, phoenixes and peacock
design motifs were adapted, and Chinese
porcelain, raw silk, Calcutta cloth, Turkish
style rugs, pearls from Ceylon (Sri Lanka),
Indian elephant tusks and lacquer furniture
became products much sought after in the
West. Inevitably, Asian traditions came
into the mainstream of Western life and
art - this would lead to modern expressions.
Because
of its unique mental schema, form, and
philosophy, Asian art was initially dismissed
as sub-standard by the Occidental world.
However, as geographical and cultural
barriers were peeled away, a universal
pattern connecting the art of the east
with that of the west was revealed. Among
these unique characteristics is the importance
of compositional spacing in uniting shape
and proportion, the use of defining line,
and the use of color and light to express
artistic arrangements. Together, these
traits are found in all art but there
are unique characteristics that help define
Asian art.
The
development of art in Asia occurs on two
levels - cultural and spiritual. The influence
of each culture on its neighbors is evident
in their designs, materials, subjects,
and techniques. The interactions between
India, China and Japan are like that of
Greece and Rome. The artistic growth of
Asia is also a function of its spiritual
growth, although along different lines
than in the Western world. The terminology
used to study Asian art reflects this
spiritualism - terms like Buddhist and
Hindu continually appear.
Buddhism
began in India in the 6th century B.C.
with the teaching of Prince Siddharta
Gautama, known by his followers as the
Buddha, the “Enlightened One.”
Key features of Buddhism recognize that
man was born to suffer but after the body
has died there is rebirth. The quality
of the new life depended on the karma
or the total of all the good and bad done
in the previous life. However, if one
follows the eight-step path to nirvana
it is possible to achieve freedom from
the karma driven cycle of pain, death
and rebirth.
As
Buddhism spread throughout Asia from India,
Hinduism continued to flourish. Solidified
by the 4th century A.D., Hinduism, one
of the world's oldest religions, is significantly
different from most Western beliefs. Having
been derived from mixed and complex origins
it has no single founder or prophet. It
is polytheistic. Nonetheless, most Hindus
believe that people have souls, which
do not die with them and people who live
good lives are born again in a higher
state. It provides a solid foundation
on which India is built; and its strength
and variety have influenced many of India's
neighbors. The content of this gallery
includes material that reflects these
traditions. Organized by cultural/geographical
origin, there are objects from China,
Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia (Bali;
Java), Thailand, and Sri Lanka. There
are also cases highlighting Hinduism and
Buddhism.
China
The
Chinese collection is the largest among
the arts representing Asia. It represents
one of the great civilizations of the
world and the longest unbroken tradition
of cultural achievements. For example,
the diversity, quantity and quality of
its ceramics including pottery, stoneware
and porcelain, from Neolithic times to
the present is without parallel.
Japan
Of
particular interest are the Twelve Godly
Generals / Heavenly Kings. Each Juni Shinsho
represents an animal (which can be seen
on the top of its head) from the Zodiac
and is given a time period to protect
the Buddha Yakushi Nyorai - the Healing
Buddha.
The
16th century Samurai Armor is lighter,
cooler and more flexible than traditional
European armor made of metal. Examples
of European suits of armor are in the
Museum's Arms and Armor collection.
Netsuke
and Inro are miniature Japanese works
of functional art that have joined some
of the world's other great miniature art
forms such as gold boxes and Fabergé.
Korea
Korea
appears rather late in Asian chronicles
being first mentioned in the Han Dynasty
Annals published in 108 B.C. Its development
includes absorption of influences from
China and Buddhism and the production
of some of the finest ceramics ever made
such as bowls and vases on openwork bases
adorned with incised or stamped geometric
designs.
The
distinctiveness of Korean pottery derives
from a special clay and firing technique
used to produce the delicate green color
(celadon) and crackled effect. Buddhist
motifs of birds, lotus petals and water
are carved with special knives and color
clays inlaid to produce the intended decoration
(SangKam).
India
The
earliest inhabitants of India, the Dravidians
are known to have lived in great cities
in the Indus Valley from about 2500 B.C.
With the Aryan invasion of 1500 B.C. these
two groups modified and unified their
worship and gods to later become a part
of Hinduism. Following Alexander the Great's
conquest in the 4th century B.C. came
the Classic Mediterranean influence that
also was modified to suit Indian ideals.
This rich culture was then spread to its
neighbors.
Although
a majority of Indians are Hindu, the remarkable
Prayer mat /cloth shown in this gallery
is Muslim. The inscribed Arabic reads
“In the name of Allah the compassionate
and most merciful.” The technique
used to print this mat, designed to point
east to Mecca, requires the rolling over
of carved wooden blocks, similar to those
shown to create mirror images.
Indonesia
Early
in the Christian era, the Indonesian island
of Java was Indianized and remained essentially
Hindu until about the 8th century
when Buddhism gained prominence under
the Buddhist rulers of Sumatra. The powerful
Indian style also penetrated Thailand
and spread to Cambodia.
Indonesian
traditions include wayang (shadow puppets),
figures with protruding eyes, and batik.
Although found in many Asian countries,
shadow puppets originated in Indonesia.
Worked in front of an illuminated screen,
casting life-like shadows and telling
Hindu epics, they can be two or three-dimensional.
In
Bali, deities and mythical creatures are
portrayed as grotesques, characterized
by their protruding eyes; those of man
and animal are more realistic and often
humorous. Java is known for its cloth-dying
technique called batik. Beeswax is applied
to the cloth where it is not to be colored
and then the cloth is immersed in the
dye. Finally, it is boiled to remove the
wax.
Please
note, paintings, objects and artists represented
on the website may not be on view at all
times.
Ronald
C. Roth Director & CEO
