Resources

A guardian king, Heian period (794–1185), approx. 900–1000. Japan. Wood. The Avery Brundage Collection, B67S1.

Students will be able to identify, compare and contrast images of traditional Japanese woodblock prints. They will then create their own simulated woodblock prints.

Zhoong Kui (the demon queller) on a donkey, 1941, Pu Ru (1896-1963). China. Hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper. Acquisition made possible by John W. and Christine C. Barr, B82D2.

Scholars often refer to the Tang (618–906) and Song (960–1279) dynasties as the “medieval” period of China. The civilizations of the Tang (618–906) and Song (960–1279) dynasties of China were among the most advanced civilizations in the world at the time. Discoveries in the realms of science, art, philosophy, and technology—combined with a curiosity about the world around them—provided the men and women of this period with a worldview and level of sophistication that in many ways were unrivaled until much later times, even in China itself.

Woodblock printmaking was a complex process involving the collaboration of several people: publisher, artist, carver, and printer.

The traditions—Omotesenke, Urasenke, and Mushanokojisenke—provide instruction in the Way of Tea to students around the world. Learn more.

The term for puppetry, wayang, comes from the Indonesian word for shadow bayang. Wayang kulit, shadow puppetry using figures made from water buffalo hide, is considered to be the oldest freestanding puppet form; the earliest references to it date from the 800s.

As it pertains to China, the designation “Bronze Age” refers to the period beginning around 2000 to 1750 BCE and continuing until around 500 BCE. What were the primary uses for bronze during China’s early Bronze Age? How did the use of bronze in China differ from that of other cultures? What has been learned about early Chinese culture by studying bronzes and other Bronze Age archeological materials?

Lesson plan on the monetary and cultural value of Japanese swords and the role they played in Japanese trade.