Resources

Asian Art Museum Storyteller Leta Bushyhead tells a scene from from the Rama epic (Ramayana) with the use of artworks in the museum’s collection.

An introduction to the Rama epic produced for the Asian Art Museum by filmmaker and cultural historian Benoy K. Behl, featuring performances from across South and Southeast Asia.

An introduction to Shinto, one of Japan’s earliest belief systems.

A batik lower garment can be wrapped in many ways. People of varying ages, diverse regional backgrounds, or different marital statuses might wrap their long cloths (kain panjang) in different manners. These textiles often are pleated more intricately for ceremonial occasions. The sarong or tube skirt is a less formal mode of dress, which can be worn by both men and women. In this video Alice Adeboi, with the assistance of Peggy Adeboi, demonstrates a formal and less formal way of wearing a kain panjang, methods taught to her by her Javanese mother. Michael Ogi shows how a kain panjang would be worn by a man on a formal occasion and how a sarong is worn informally.

Discover how two artists seeking a new direction for modern art in the aftermath of World War II found inspiration in Japanese tradition. Trace the friendship, work, ideas and mutual influence of Isamu Noguchi and Saburo Hasegawa, who both sought to balance tradition and modernity, Japanese culture and foreign influences, past and present.

“Asia” is a term invented by the Greeks and Romans, and developed by Western geographers to indicate the land mass east of the Ural Mountains and Ural River, together with offshore islands such as Japan and Java.

Learn more about the famous samurai story, the “Tale of the Heike” and hear Asian Art Museum Storyteller, Leta Bushyhead, tell an excerpt from the tale. This video include artworks from the Asian Art Museum’s collection.

The earliest surviving representations of the Buddha date from hundreds of years after his death, so they are not portraits in the usual sense. Buddha images vary greatly from place to place and period to period, but they almost always show these conventional features . . .

Buddhism has deeply influenced the character and evolution of Asian civilization over the past 2,500 years. It is based on the teachings of a historical figure, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived around the fifth century BCE. As it moved across Asia, Buddhism absorbed indigenous beliefs and incorporated a wide range of imagery, both local and foreign, into its art and religious practices. Buddhism continues to evolve as a religion in many parts of the world.

Mary-Ann Milford of Mills College discusses Shinto art and architecture.