Pupils use the internet in order to investigate the architecture of China. This is done in order to build an appreciation for the structures of buildings and how they communicate the culture.

Learners use their visualizing and interpreting skills to produce original writings and artwork.

Students investigate and examine ukiyo-e, or Japanese woodblock prints, from the Edo period (1615-1868) in Japan and use this gained knowledge to compare Japanese culture to American societal trends.

A collection of 15 different lesson plans focusing on the art of Asia. Lessons that focus on a variety of different media are available for all age levels.

Here's a lesson plan for students of any age! Children use Chinese scroll painting as inspiration to create their own version of this ancient art form. Provides resources and adaptations as well. You need to register to view the page,...

A landing page for a course on the art history of Asia.

This object is a haniwa (lit. "clay ring"), a type of funerary article made during the Kofun era (300-552). Many kinds of haniwa have been found, including both simple clay cylinders and more elaborate forms, such as human figures,...

Individual Hindu gods manifest themselves in many forms, in some cases including the ferocious and terrifying. Among his many guises, Shiva is an ascetic and mendicant who renounces conventional earthly existence to pursue extreme...

A certain evil demon could not be killed by man or beast, indoors or out, during the day or night. To defeat the demon, Vishnu took the form of a half man-half lion, hid in the pillar of a doorway, and attacked at dusk. Vishnu was...

A great resource for Japanese art in the Edo-period (1615-1868). Search for works by subject, artist, or school.

The Goddess of the White Umbrella (the Buddhist deity Ushnisha-sitatapatra) is one of many powerful female deities. She manifests her power with her thousand heads, arms, and legs. She has eyes on the palms of each of her hands and soles...

Kabuki was one of the three most popular dramatic forms of Japan, the other two being Noh drama and puppet theater (bunraku). Singers and an orchestra of drums, flutes, wooden clappers, and samisen (a stringed instrument similar to the...

The main image in this painting is Avalokiteshvara (1), the Bodhisattva of Compassion. He is the principle patron deity of Tibet. He sits on a lotus throne upon a lunar disc. This god takes many forms, such as the Dalai Lamas of Tibet,...

There are many Hindu deities, some with great and others with limited powers. Most Hindus focus their devotion primarily on one of these, whom they regard as supreme. The greatest deities have complex natures and are shown in art in a...

Mahakala Bramanarupa is one of over 70 different deities of the Mahakala type. These are wrathful deities particularly adept at quelling monsters and overcoming demons, whether they be outer, inner or secret. Some deities, such as...

This container is used to hold small chips of incense used in tea gatherings. It is made out of an actual shell, which forms the lid. The base is lacquered wood. The lid is decorated with flying plovers (a small shore bird that runs in...

This stone stele depicts the Hindu god Vishnu, attended by two consorts, Lakshmi (lower left) and Sarasvati (lower right ). Vishnu is the god of Preservation, the great maintainer who often appears in various incarnations (avatara) to...

Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions. It has complex roots, and involves a vast array of practices and a host of deities. Its plethora of forms and beliefs reflects the tremendous diversity of India, where most of its one...

Yogini temples typically included sculptures of seven female goddesses known as matrikas ("mother-goddesses"). These feminized versions of Hindu gods are identifiable by the most common attributes of their male forms. The goddess here is...

Japan is an island country consisting of four major and numerous smaller islands. The islands lie in an arc across the Pacific coast of northeastern Asia, forming a part of the volcanic "Rim of Fire." From north to south this chain of...

Archaeology is the study of the material remains of humanity's past. Excavated materials, along with other historical objects and text records, form the primary source material on Ancient China. All the major dynasties, beginning with...

A fact sheet created by the Pitt Rivers Museum to aid understanding of Japanese Noh masks. Read also about the history of the Noh theater.

Under a cherry tree in full bloom, a mounted archer takes aim at a round paper target held by a running servant. One of several forms of archery practice formalized as early as the Kamakura period (1185-1333), this activity trained...

Penden Lhamo is one of the more wrathful female deities of Buddhism. Among her many roles, she is the special protector of the city of Lhasa, the Gelukpa Order, and the Dalai Lamas of Tibet. She was invited to Tibet in around the...