Resources

2010 is the Year of the Tiger! MATCHA kicks off the Lunar New Year and special exhibition Shanghai with dynamic tiger-style kung fu (martial art) demonstrated by Shaolin Temple USA monks.

Where is the line between history and mythology? In Extracted, artist Ranu Mukherjee eclipses the boundaries between the two, placing them in the same universe. Commissioned for the Asian Art Museum’s 50th anniversary, this exhibition drew inspiration from California’s Gold Rush, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the ancient text The Classic of Mountain and Seas, and the museum’s own collection.

Students will: 1.) examine the Hindu tradition of threshold art; 2.) discuss how Indian values are expressed in the ephemeral art of threshold painting; 3.) draw traditional connect-the-dots threshold art designs; 4.) make colored rice flour and create an auspicious floor painting

Bojagi means “wrapping cloth” in Korean. It is used for a variety of purposes, including formal celebrations such as wedding ceremonies and birthday gift presentations. Each bojagi is a unique work of art. Artist Youngmin Lee demonstrates how to make bojagi using various techniques.

Learn how to make a Parol, a star-shaped Christmas lantern from the Philippines.

The photograph shows the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, in the state of Bihar in eastern India. This temple stands next to a descendent of the bodhi tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment. This site is the most important pilgrimage site in the Buddhist world, similar to Varanasi for Hindus or Mecca for Muslims. Learn more.

Jaesup Pak, professor of Korean language and literature at Inje University in Korea, and Tea Master Youngmi Yi introduce cha (tea) and darye (etiquette for tea). Tea was introduced to Korea from China sometime in the 6th or 7th centuries, and since then Koreans have developed an approach to tea with fewer formal rituals and greater range of flexibility in enjoyment of tea. In Korea, tea has always been more than just a simple beverage. Appreciation of music, poetry, dance, and painting prospered as part of tea ceremonies among the elite and the royal court.

This video documents the creation of a Buddhist painting by the monk artist, Seol-min (formerly known as Jae-u), who has dedicated her life to keeping the tradition of Buddhist painting alive.

Richard Hill and students demonstrate kendo, a Japanese martial arts form, at the Asian Art Museum’s educator workshop for the Lords of the Samurai exhibition on September 5, 2009.

Jatayus (Jatayu), king of the vultures and aide to Rama, approx. 1970. Indonesia; Cirebon, West Java. Wood, cloth, and mixed media. From the Mimi and John Herbert Collection, F2000.86.49.