What is Cuneiform? Mesopotamians and Ancient Writing Systems
This video explores cuneiform writing, one of the world's oldest writing systems, originating in Mesopotamia over 5,000 years ago.
How to Do a Visual Analysis in Art History: An Ancient Chinese Bronze Vessel
This video explains how to do a visual analysis (formal analysis) of a 5th-century BCE Chinese bronze vessel.
Fan Kuan, Travelers Amid Mountains and Streams
Explore a monumental ink painting on silk titled Travelers Amid Mountains and Streams by Northern Song dynasty artist Fan Kuan.
Introduction to the Birth of the Buddha and Queen Maya
How was the birth of the Buddha shown in art?
Chinese Music for the Dead: The Marquis Yi of Zeng’s Bells
In the 1970s, archaeologists in China made one of the most impressive archaeological discoveries in world history from the tomb of a marquis (the Marquis Yi of Zeng) who lived and died in south China in the 5th century BCE.
Getting to know Hokusai’s The Great Wave
Hokusai’s The Great Wave print isn’t just famous in Japanese art, but it is one of the most recognizable images in the history of art worldwide!
A symbol of Heaven? A Chinese jade bi disk
What can a jade disk crafted in Neolithic China tell us about the cosmos? These circular disks may be connected to early Chinese views of the universe that consisted of a square Earth and a round (circular) canopy that represented Heaven.
The Illusion of the Terracotta Army, Tomb of the First Emperor of China
The tomb of the First Emperor of China, who died in 210 BCE, was never excavated, but in the 1970s three pits were found nearby that contained a terracotta army! These pits contained over 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors lined up in trenches in military formation.
A journey into paradise at the Phoenix Hall in Japan
Travel back in time to explore the Phoenix Hall at Byōdō-in Temple in Uji, Japan and Pure Land Buddhism. Learn about the origins of this magnificent temple and how it symbolizes the teachings of Buddhism.
Predicting the future with turtle shells
How did ancient Chinese kings predict the future with turtle shells? Why did Shang dynasty king Wu Ding use turtle shells and animal bones to resolve his terrible toothache?
Learn about Chan (Zen) Buddhism with Muqi’s Six Persimmons
Muqi, a 13th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, created this famous monochrome ink painting of six persimmons. The monk painter captured the essence of these sweet fruits using very few brushstrokes.
Learning about ancient Chinese bronze casting and the piece mold process
Did you know that around 4,000 years ago the ancient Chinese invented their own unique metallurgical technique to cast bronze objects?