Resources

Mary-Ann Milford of Mills College gives a talk on prehistoric Japan and early ceramics of the period.

A date around 1050 BCE is generally accepted as the date of the defeat of the Shang dynasty (approx. 1500 to 1050 BCE) by Wen Wang and the establishment of the Zhou. The Zhou is divided into Western and Eastern stages, with 771 BCE a critical year, when the Zhou court moved east to Luoyang.

Learn about some of the most prolific archaeological sites in China, including the burial complex of the First Emperor and Sanxingdui.

Learn how to identify the Hindu deity Shiva and hear a story related to a depiction of Shiva in the Asian Art Museum’s collection.

Learn about the Hindu deity Vishnu and his avatar Krishna, and hear a story about Krishna defeating the serpent Kaliya.

Watch Javanese artisans make batik and learn more about their refined techniques.

Students will view representations of literary epics, read related excerpts, and discuss how those scenes exemplify the code of the samurai.

The Japanese phrase Chanoyu, translated literally as “hot water for tea,” refers to the tradition of preparing and serving powdered green tea in a highly stylized manner. Learn more about this tradition.