Xu Gu’s “Cat and Butterfly” and the xieyi style
This video explores a 19th-century Chinese ink painting titled Cat and Butterfly by Xu Gu.
What is a mosaic? Examples from Aztec, Roman, Thai, Islamic, and Byzantine Art
This video focuses on understanding mosaics, both how they are made and the materials they are made from.
Pictures of Beautiful Women (Bijinga) by Suzuki Harunobu in Edo Japan
Explore an 18th-century Japanese woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu featuring a contemporary beauty in the city of Edo (Tokyo), flirting with a young samurai.
The Floating World: Japanese Prints of the Edo Period—A Free Mini-Course
We are delighted to be launching courses on ARTSQ! Our first one is The Floating World: Japanese Prints of the Edo Period, a free mini-course.
Porcelain Dish with Design of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido
Explore a 19th-century blue-and-white porcelain dish that connects to Japanese Edo-period game boards and woodblock prints by the famed printmaker Ando Hiroshige.
The Reduction Firing Process Behind Neolithic Blackware
The reduction firing process was one of the most innovative technological achievements in the history of ceramics.
The Earliest Dated Buddha Statue from China
The earliest visual images of the Buddha were transmitted to China by travelers along the ancient Silk Roads.
What is conflated narrative? | The Enlightenment relief at the Great Stupa at Sanchi
How does a single image show the passage of time?
What is a byobu? | Ogata Korin’s Landscape
A gorgeous Japanese byōbu by the 18th-century artist Ogata Kōrin helps explain what a byōbu is.
What is Kufic?
This video looks at the beautiful calligraphic script known as Kufic that was used in early manuscripts of the Qur’an.
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.
What is continuous narrative? | The Great Departure relief at the Great Stupa at Sanchi
Because early Buddhist art is aniconic, we explain the symbols used to depict the Buddha’s presence in this scene and show how they repeat from right to left to illustrate how his story unfolds.
The Terracotta Warriors and the Tomb of the First Emperor of China
The terracotta army in the tomb of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, is one of the most fascinating discoveries in archaeology.
What is lacquer?
In this video, we dive into East Asian lacquer, featuring a gorgeous red-and-black lacquer plate dated to the 3rd century BCE.
Han Gan, Night-Shining White
This famous traditional Chinese ink painting, currently in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a portrait of Tang emperor Xuanzong’s favorite horse, Night-Shining White.
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?
Lady Dai's funeral banner and tomb
Did you know one of the earliest silk paintings in Chinese history came from an ancient tomb that was so well preserved that the woman’s body looked like it had been mummified?