Heian Japan

Excerpt from "The llustrated Legends of the Kitano Shrine"

This is part of a larger series of paintings which tell the story of the origin of the Tenjin cult, a central part of Shintoism. Tis type of narrative painting is called Emaki.

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sculpture of Zao Gongen

This is a Shinto deity whose image was inspired by the Buddhist Gods of Brightness. His cult was Shugendo, which was devoted to mountain worship.

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

 Sculpture of Fudo Myoo

Fudo Myoo is the most prominent of the aformentioned Kings of Brightness, and was considered the defender of Buddhism, whose sword cut through ignorance. These two statues exemplify the intense religious competition that took place in Heian Japan.

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sutra gained popularity because it emphasized that the Buddha's compassion was open to all, which was enticing to women and the lower classes in Japan. The Lotus Sutra is stuctured in a way that is not at all dissimilar to an Emaki, using sequential illustrations as a method of storytelling.

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Heart Sutra

The Heart Sutra's main tenet was that true wisdom comes from emptiness, the haloed figures surrounding the Buddha in both Sutras are Bodhisatvas. Interestingly, the technique is very similar to Song Woodblock techniques.

Source: British Museum

Wooden Figure of Fudo Myoo

Another King of Light, Fudo is the enemy of illusion, showing the true enlightenment beyond life and death. Fudo's sword is used to cut away illusions and expose reality.

Source: British Museum

A Battle between the Minamoto and Taira Clan

This massive screen serves to commemorate a critical battle between to warring clans, however it blends the events of two. The first two panels represent the battle of Yashima, and the last two panels represent the battle of Dannoura, which resulted in the final defeat of the Taira.

Source: British Museum

Battles of Ichinotani and Yashima

Here you can recognize the battle of Yashima from the first screen, but this portrayal was far after the fact, in the Edo period. The reason that this battle retained salience is that it was this conflict that resulted in Minamoto no Yoritomo become Japan's first Shogun.

Source: British Museum

Wooden statue of Kichijoten

Kichijoten's place in Heian culture is surprising, and this statue only makes it more so. Kichijoten is derived from Laksmi, wife of Vishnu and member of the Hindu Pantheon. Even more bizarrely, she is depicted here in Tang dynasty clothes. Her existence as a Japanese deity is strange given her outdated Chinese attire and hindu origin. Her gestures represent the overcoming of calamities and the granting of desires.

Source: British Museum

Ceremonial Jar

This ceremonial jar comes from Sanage, which gained prestige for there use of leftover ash as makeshift glazing. This was the closest Japan could come to the Chinese full glazing techniques. Ironically, it may have been a funerary jar.

Source: British Museum

Tale of Ganji

Handscroll paintings based on the famous novel of the same name, this is part of a larger collaborative work called Ganji-e, which told the story of Ganji in great detail through a series of different art pieces in different styles.

Source: the british museum

Mongolia

Mongolia

Panchen Lama by Zanabazar

http://www.mongolianculture.com/Mongolian-Traditional-Arts.htm

This is a depiction of an incarnation of the Panchen Lama by the acclaimed artist and eventual  Jebtsundamba Khutuktu Zanabazar. The Jebtsundamba Khutuku is the spiritual leader of Mongolian Buddhism. Zanabazar was considered to be the "Michelangelo of Asia"for his brilliant artwork, but "Da Vinci of Asia" might be more appropriate; he invented a new language which blended Mongolian, Sanskrit, and Tibetan; he even made significantg contributions to Astronomy and Medicine.

Thangka Depicting Zanabazar 

http://www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/1089.html

this Thangka, or buddhist painting, is a representation of Zanabazar. This is interesting because Thangkas usually only depicted deities, showing the degree of veneration that Zanabazar had.

Portrait of Genghis Khan

 http://www.welcome2mongolia.com/archives/genghis-khans-portrait/

This is the only known portrait of Genghis Khan, made by Khorisun on the order of Kublai Khan.

Portrait of Kublai Khan

http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/2123.html

This is a portrait of Genghis's Grandson Kublai Khan, who ruled Yuan Dynasty China. This Portrait is also post mortem, made by Araniko, a nepalese artist who served in the Khan's court.

Buryat Dress Deels

http://www.interactivemongolia.com/clothes.html

This is an example of formal mongolian dress, which would be worn at times of political importance, such as political events.

Mongol Coin, minted in Samarkand.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3315097&partId=1&searchText=mongol

Coins like these circulated throughout the silk roads, and consequentially through all of eurasia.

Ilkhanid Bowl 

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=237075&partId=1&searchText=mongol&page=2

This bowl exemplifies the political and cultural fusion between the persians and mongols.

Sutra Holder

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=227054&partId=1&searchText=mongol&page=2

This chest was made in Mongol occupied Korea at the behest of Kublai Khan's wife.

Ilkhanid tile

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=179409&partId=1&searchText=mongol&page=2

Another Example of cultural blending, this tile has traditional Mongolian hairstyles put persian poetry on the margins.

Yuan Dynasty Sculpture

 British Museum

The mongolian rule of China brought about many things, one of which was cultural mixing within the larger Mongolian Empire, this statue exhibits significant Nepalese influence.

Maya: Those Who Did Not Create The Shwedagon Paya

Statue of The Maize God

The Maize God, Hun Hunahpu, is a personification of abundance and prosperity and creator of man. The head is unusually large for the body and some have suggested that the statue may have been  portions of two statues affixed together as a "restoration".

Source: British Museum

Maya Relief of Blood Letting

This relief depicts a blood letting ritual in Yaxchilan, Shield Jaguar the Great (King of Yaxchilan) is pulling a thorny rope through his wife's tongue. The Glyphs give the date (24 October, 709 AD), location, and names of those on the relief. 

Source: British Museum

Jade Plaque of Mayan King

This Mayan plaque is notable because it was found in Teotihuacan (the capital of the Aztec empire), which shows that there was some form of contact between the Aztec and Maya. The plaque depicts a highly decorated Mayan ruler seated on a throne and a groveling figure genuflecting in the lower left.  

Source: British Museum

Gold Pendant 

This gold pendant is a likeness of an unknown Mayan ruler. Metalworking technologies were introduced to the Maya from further south, approximately modern day Panama, the Mayans appeared to have a trade relationship with the peoples of the are as their metalwork is strewn throughout Mayan territory.

Source: British Museum

Fenton Vase

Polychromatic Ceramics such as this one were highly regarded in Mayan culture and considered to be a sign of high status. These vessels have been integral to studying Mayan society as they are essentially annotated snapshots of Mayan life. This scene, for example, is a depiction of a Mayan giving tribute to a lord. The Glyphs give the names of all the people depicted, strongly implying that this was an actual event.

Source: British Museum

Mayan Wall Painting

This is the first Mayan wall art ever to be discovered, found in the ruined city of Xultun. The level of decay is as high as much older Egyptian wall art because humidity is much higher in the Yucatan than he deserts of Egypt.

Source: Huffington Post

Stone Head

This head came from Copan, which is famous for its  of sculptures. This head was part of the mysterious Structure 20, which was destroyed by the raging river Copan. It is speculated that this head was once a part of of a statue of a cross legged figure.

Source: British Museum

Crystal Skull

This crystal skull is a forgery, but both the Aztec and the Maya made crystal skulls. We know this one to be a forgery because it was built with rotary cutting  wheels, which were introduced to the new world after the Maya died out by the spanish, and because the material was obtained in the 19th century.

Source:British Museum

Shell Ornament

This ornament is made from the shell of the Red Rimmed Thorny Oyster. These shell ornaments were common in Mayan society.  These shells were also used as funerary adornments.

Source: British Museum

Jade Portrait Head Inscribed with Glyphs

This mask was carved from a single block of jade, the glyphs have been partially eroded, but it still supplies interesting information. The text reveals little, but mentions a person in some way associated with the Mayan city Palenque. From this, historians have inferred that this belonged to the mother of Yax Pac (the ruler of Copan), who brought it with her to Copan from Palenque as an heirloom. This is but one of a whole host of possibilities, and the mask remains a mystery.

Source:British Museum

A Belated Introduction

Greetings,

I am Ashoka Maurya, but I have been known by many names: Chandaashoka, Dharmaashoka, Devanampriya, Priyarsin, and many others. I am a man who has fallen into the depths of darkness and ascended to the pinnacle virtue. In my timeI have been destroyer and savior. I am the grandson of the great Chandragupta Maurya, and one of the many sons of the emperor Bindusara. As a prince I fought many battles, bringing death with me like a shadow. I was so powerful a reaper that my father grew to fear me, and I was exiled to Kalinga. When my father eventually died I did a monstrous thing, I killed my 99 brothers to seize the throne.   I was at the time a cruel man like no other, I kept a Harem of 500 women and when they spurned me I had them all killed. I built a torture chamber called the Paradisal Hell, A palace so beautiful that many were lured inside. No one came out alive. Then came the event that wrenched me away from the darkness I had been immersed in. There was insurrection in Kalinga. Naturally, I came down upon the village that nurtured  me with the force of a wrathful typhoon. Hundreds of thousands died that night. Upon a whim, I decided to examine the desolation. I was horrified to see the faces of my loyal soldiers and those who cared for me in my exile, dead and rotting. Finally I saw what I was. I saw the world clearly for the first time. Then I saw truth, ahimsa. Since then I made it the purpose of my life to spread my realization, and to foster peace however I could. Although I will never be able to undo what I have done, I hope to outdo what I have done with a lasting legacy of peace and kindness.

Bless you all,

Ashoka Maurya

Lapita: of The Lapping Waves

Lapita Pottery Fragment:
 http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lapi/hd_lapi.htm

This pottery is a fine example of the way in which the Lapita seamlessly incorporated the geometric and the material.

An artists vision of the full work.

Rounded Lapita Pot:
http://exploreoceania.weebly.com/melansian-lapita-art-and-poetry.html
an example of a typical Lapita pot.

Lapita Mask:
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/dec/14/lapita-oceanic-ancestors-paris-review
An ornately designed wooden mask. Note the similarities in patterning with the first piece.

Straight Lapita Pot

http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2010/11/lapita-oceanic-ancestors-exhibition-at.html#.Ui0ejRbK6aG
This is an example of Vanuatuan Lapita pottery created with superimposed layers of clay. After the Lapita landed on Vanuatu the quality of the pots regressed as techniques were lost.

Lapita Stonework:
http://www.tribalartmagazine.com/en/galeries/galerie_lapita.html
The Lapita created types of art that defy traditional delineation, such as the piece above.

Lapita Abstract Stonework.
http://www.tribalartmagazine.com/en/galeries/galerie_lapita.html
This beautiful work stands out because the human figures are so abstract that they are not immediately recognized as such, and become just as much your imagination as the artists.

Simple Lapita Pot

http://www.janeresture.com/voyaging/main.htm

This is an example of simpler, more practical Lapita pottery.

Lapita Pyramid

http://www.connaissancedesarts.com/archeologie/actus/lapita-le-petit-poucet-de-l-oceanie-86894.php

An interesting example of a pyramidal structure, note the recurring circular theme.

Fiji Pot Shards 

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/the-origins-of-polynesia/11678

Sadly, most Lapitan Pottery has not survived intact, the vast majority are mere shards.

Lapita Turtle

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/the-origins-of-polynesia/11678

This is a depiction of a turtle, as abstract as the rest of Lapitan art. 

Minoans: The Precursors

Minoan Artifacts

Minoan Bull and Acrobat
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/b/minoan_bull_and_acrobat.aspx
This is a sculpture of a man catapulting himself onto a bull by the horns, it is very likely that the missing limbs are a result of failed casting. Minoan Bronze was very low in tin and thus had limited flow.

Pottery Jar with Exaggerated Spout
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/p/pottery_jar,_exaggerated_spout.aspx
Vassiliki vases of this kind are referred to as "tea pots", because of their unusual shape. This vase appears to be emulating metallic vases, with its false rivets and burnished appearance.

Phaistos Disk
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/507232?uid=3739840&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102594859101
The infamous Phaistos disk was discovered in the main cell of a temple depository. It has proven to be infernally difficult to crack, stumping amateur and professional archaeologists alike.

Snake Goddess statue
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/ARTH200/Body/snake_goddess.htm
A faience aspect of the Minoan Snake Goddess, little is known about her because Minoan Linear A has yet to be deciphered.

 Minoan Fresco
http://www.ancientgreece.com/MinoanArt/
A Fresco of Minoan Women in typical high class dress.

Rhyton in the form of a bulls head.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1973.35
This adorable Rhyton was used for libation (sacrificial liquid pouring). It would be immersed in the selected liquid (blood or wine, likely) and poured for a rite of some kind.

 

The Larnax
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1996.521a,b
This terra cotta chest was a standard burial place. The interred was contorted into the fetal position, placed inside, and then the Larnax was lowered into the resting place.

Pyxis
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1999.423
A pyxis of unknown purpose, but it can be inferred that it had some spiritual purpose because it has some patterns in common with the Larnax.

Harvest Rhyton
http://www.ancient-greece.org/art/minoan-art.html
A depiction of workers either entering or leaving an olive plantation, very expressive figures make this work a bit of an anomaly.

Cypriot

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/74.51.5684

A glorious tripod with signs of ancient repairs, indicating that it was a treasured item, not easily replaceable.