About Ancient Asian Art
Ancient art in Asia was primarily expressed in the forms of stone carving, religious architecture, pottery, and bronze. Many of the creations of antiquity, particularly the more vulnerable media such as paper, have been lost to the ravages of time. Some of the creations of ancient Asia, such as the Buddhist temples at Pagan in Burma and Angkor in Cambodia, are now considered sites of international importance. Many of the smaller expressions of ancient Asian art have found their way into museums in both Asian and the West.
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Stone
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Buddhism has been the dominant religion in Asia for millennia, and its history is preserved in thousands of stone sculptures. Often part of more extensive architectural sites, these sculptures indicate a highly developed level of cultural expression in very ancient times. Statues of the Buddha abound. Their origins can often be determined by the iconography and style that is employed. For example, Indian Buddhas usually feature tightly curled hairstyles with a topknot, while works from Thailand include a prolonged, flamelike projection at the top of the head.
Pottery
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Pottery is one of the most ancient forms of cultural expression, probably because it began with the fulfillment of a practical need (carrying and storing water), and then evolved into an artistic expression through the form and decoration of the pots. Chinese porcelain pottery reached a unique height of refinement during the Ming dynasty, when vases of great beauty and size were produced. These items are now sought after by collectors, and most surviving examples are in museums.
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Bronze
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Along with stone, bronze was often used to express religious themes in ancient Asia. Fewer bronzes survive, due to the material being more susceptible to degradation than stone. Those that due survive indicate a highly developed tradition of bronze working existing in Asia as long as 3,000 years ago. Like pottery, bronze was often used in both practical and expressive ways, through the production of highly refined and decorated vessels, some of which served domestic uses while others were purely ceremonial or religious.
Calligraphy
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Calligraphy has been practiced for thousands of years in Asia. Due to the fragile and vulnerable nature of the paper on which most calligraphy was written, few ancient examples survive. The diverse and pictographic nature of Asian scripts such as Mandarin have made it ideal for a rich tradition in calligraphy.
Tombs
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Many of these works are only known to the modern world because they were hidden away inside of tombs, protecting them from looters and weather. Leaders and important people in ancient Asia were often buried with many of the accoutrements of life, in the belief that these things would aid the deceased in living on in the afterlife. In a sense, with the discovery and appreciation of some of these treasures from the past, they have succeeded in that goal.
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- Photo Credit chinese asian lion image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
