The history of Asian art: a global view : prehistory to the present

Abstract

"A highly illustrated history of the diverse visual art produced across East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, written by two specialist art historians. Asia is home to more than half the world's population, and learning about the art of its many cultures helps readers understand the visual world that surrounds us. This book tells the story of the simultaneous development of artistic techniques, styles and ideas across East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, exploring the ways these regions were often dynamically interconnected with each other, and with places beyond Asia. It covers the full breadth of Asian art history, with almost 500 artworks from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia and Southeast Asia; including areas often under-represented in other books on the subject, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia. Authors Lee and Hutton are active teachers, writers and speakers who engage with art history as a progressive field that promotes cross-cultural understanding. In this book, they situate Asian art in the context of art history globally, with 12 'Seeing Connections' features drawing themes and comparisons with art from many other parts of the world. The authors' approach encourages students to analyse and think about Asian artworks as a way of exploring ideas about gender and sexuality, personal and national identity, migration and diaspora, and anthropogenic climate change."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

The history of Asian art: at a glance -- Asian art before history -- Art in early east Asia through Han Dynasty -- Early Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu art in South Asia -- Changing centers of power and art in East Asia -- The dissemination of Buddhist and Hindu art South Asia and Southeast Asia -- The dissemination of Buddhist and East asian art -- Monumental art in South Asia and Southeast Asia -- Art during the Song and Yuan dynasties in China -- Transformative eras and art in Korea and Japan -- Art, trade, and religious developments in South Asia and Southeast Asia -- Art in early modern South Asia -- Art in late imperial China -- Art in early modern Korea and Japan -- Art in ealry and modern Southeast Asia -- Art is colonial and independent South Asia -- Modernity and identity in East Asian art -- Contemporary Asian art -- Epilogue: Asian art in planetary perspective.