Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple at Longmen Grottoes
Carved into the hard limestone cliffside in the 7th century CE, the Fengxian temple features a monumental 56-foot-high image of the Vairocana Buddha.
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.
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 bird-and-flower painting in East Asia? | Emperor Huizong's Finches and Bamboo
Explore bird-and-flower genre paintings in the history of Chinese art through an analysis of an ink painting titled Finches and Bamboo by Song dynasty emperor Huizong.
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.
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?