Historical Asian Art and Performances

Illustrations of traditional scenes featuring iconic figures, dancers, and celestial events, with detailed costumes and motifs reflecting rich cultural heritage.

Artist: Ning Zhai, Chinese, active late 15th-early 16th century, Daoist Immortal Han Xiangzi with anAttendant, late 15th-early 16thcentury, Hanging scrol, I, ink and color on silk, without mounting: 63 1/4 × 38 1/8 in. (160.7 × 96.8 cm), The flute identifies this figure as Han Xiangzi, one of a group of eight quasi-historical immortals who became popular in twelfth-century China as the Daoist religious tradition consolidated and expanded. He is accompanied by a young attendant who holds a type of fungi known as a lingzhi, which was thought to have hallucinogenic powers and provide immortality. The feather cape worn by the attendant is a standard visual allusion to the otherworldliness of the immortals and theirretinues. , China, Chinese, Ming dynasty(1368-1644), Paintings

Procession of boys Eizan, Kikugawa (1787 1867)

Eight Daoist Immortals Welcoming Jurjin 17th century Japan In this diptych, some of the revered Eight Daoist Immortals of ancient China look skyward to watch the god of longevity, Shaolaoren (known in Japanese as Jurjin), descend from above on a crane. Most of the immortals are easily identifiable. On the left scroll are Lu Dongbin, carrying a sword on his back; He Xiangu, the sole female, holding a magic mushroom; and Zhang Guolao, who turns his back and releases a miniature donkey from a bag. On the right scroll are Lan Caihe with clappers and Li Tieguai, who creates a miniature image of himself by blowing into the air. The basket of flowers is an attribute of Han Xiangzi, who had the power to make flowers grow and bloom instantly.The exaggerated foreignness of some of the faces, verging on the grotesque, and the nervous, wavering outlines of the robes highlighted in white suggest that the unidentified painter, probably an artist of the Kano school, may have been copying from a Chi

China, Emperor Ching-tzung (1055-1100 AD) graduated from the Han-Li Academy. In the clouds above him Kwau-yin, Cia Xiang (Xingzong, 1012-1067) passed the highest imperial examination, Scene from the play Fragrance of the First Grade. In the foreground Cai Xiang and 2 other candidates. Top left Guanyin., print, China (collection), height 443 mm, width 231 mm, maker, manufacturer, 1600 - 1650, 17th century, paper, colour woodcut

Illustration of Noh Dance Scene ca. 1910 After Okumura Masanobu Japanese. Illustration of Noh Dance Scene 57114

Lady Su Hui and Her Verse Puzzle 16th century In the style of Qiu Ying Chinese This scene appears in a later copy of a Tang-dynasty painting illustrating the story of a literary legend, Lady Su Hui, who was supposed to have lived in the late fourth century. The dating of the original painting is supported by the types of instruments depicted in it. Both the harp (konghou) and the pipa played with a plectrum disappeared after the Tang.Front row, left to right: qin, pipa, pipa (played without plectrum), paibanBack row, left to right: dizi, xiao, sheng, konghou. Lady Su Hui and Her Verse Puzzle 51584

Mural telling the story of Journey to the West, Xuanzang and his followers, Dafo (Great Buddha) Temple, Zhangye, Gansu Province, China

Artist: Ning Zhai, Chinese, active late 15th-early 16th century, Daoist Immortal Han Xiangzi with anAttendant, late 15th-early 16thcentury, Hanging scrol, I, ink and color on silk, without mounting: 63 1/4 × 38 1/8 in. (160.7 × 96.8 cm), The flute identifies this figure as Han Xiangzi, one of a group of eight quasi-historical immortals who became popular in twelfth-century China as the Daoist religious tradition consolidated and expanded. He is accompanied by a young attendant who holds a type of fungi known as a lingzhi, which was thought to have hallucinogenic powers and provide immortality. The feather cape worn by the attendant is a standard visual allusion to the otherworldliness of the immortals and theirretinues. , China, Chinese, Ming dynasty(1368-1644), Paintings

Detail of painting of the guardian deities, Suguksa Temple, Korea. Colours on canvas, 1795. Korean civilization, Choson period, 18th century.

A procession of Chinese nobles. Painting by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

This painting of Avalokitesvara or Guanyin was donated to the Mogao Caves in 910 CE by a reverend nun named Yanhui 'on behalf of my elder sister and teacher and on the souls of my dead parents that they me born anew in Pure Land'. Yanhui stands on the right hand side of Avalokitesvara, her younger brother on the left.

Segawa Kikunojo in the role of a woman standing in a room listening to the strains from a koto, a sho, a biwa, and a taiko (ancient musical instruments) which appear in a cloud above her head and are played by unseen hands, while lotus petals fall. Created by Urukogataya (Japanese, active 18th century) around 1746, this woodcut is printed in rose, green, and black. The image dimensions are 11 3/4 x 5 3/4 in. (29.8 x 14.6 cm)

An oiran followed by her child attendant raises the portiere to enter a room where a woman is seated playing upon a samisen. Through a window at the back, there is a glimpse of the dote or path leading to the Yoshiwara and a man being carried in a kago., 1767, Woodcuts, 11 x 8 in. (27.9 x 20.3 cm)

Hand-coloured illustration from a Japanese miscellany on traditional trades, crafts and customs in mid-18th century Japan, dated Meiwa Era (1764-1772) Year 6 (c. 1770 CE).

Activities of the Twelve Months late 1790s Sakai Hitsu This group of eleven scrolls originally belonged to a set of 12 depicting Japanese customs and objects associated with the monthsof the year. Two represent traditional activities: the imperial court ritual of the First Month, known as Shihhai, in which the Emperor and officials worship the Four Cardinal Directions, and the “Shichi-go-san mairi” celebration in the Eleventh Month for three- and five-year old boys and five- and seven-year old girls. Other paintings depict objects such as the ornamental scented ball, or kusudama, used in festivals of the Fifth Month, and a type of mulberry leaf associated with the Tanabata, or Milky Way, festival in the Seventh Month. The image for the Eighth Month is a classically poetic representation of the autumn season, with foliage—bellflowers, maidenflowers, and knotweed—set against a full moon. The artist, Sakai Hitsu, was one of the most important painters of the late Edo-period Rinpa schoo

Man with chrysanthemum sitting in pine, 1841 print A Chinese man, sitting on the whimsical trunk of a pine, holds a chrysanthemum in his right hand. The print refers to the actor ineu Shoroku I (Matsusuke I). The text is from his adopted son Inoe Kikugorô III (Baikô III). The first words are: this year it is the 27th Buddhist memorial day of my deceased father Shôroku. Kikugorô also writes that the commemoration takes place during his temporary stay in Naniwa, or the Osaka-Kyoto region. This concerns his stay of the eleventh month in 1840 to the first moon in 1842. To the left of the text is a poem. The Chrysanthemum refers to the Kikugorô III actor, which in the ônishi Theater in the 9th month of 1841 paid special attention to the 27th death commemoration of Shôroku (ref. Kabuki Nenpyô part 6, p. 430). paper color woodcut adult man. trees: pine

Kato Kiyomasa The Palace of Orankai Destructive and recording by rolling down a rock.; Kato kiyomasa oishi korogashite orankai no kenjo o uchiyaburu zu .. General Kato Kiyomasa standing on a rock, looking down to the palace of his opponent; In the background rolls are soldiers a large rock to the edge of the mountain.

Three sages of T'ai Chi surrounded by symbols of long life and immortality (tree, deer, peach) In centre is Yin-Yan symbol. Derived from Shalin martial arts and Taoism, T'ai Chi ensures circulation of universal energy 'chi'. 17/18th century

The Qianlong Emperor (Chinese pinyin: Qianlong Di; Wade-Giles: Chien-lung Ti) was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1736 to 7 February 1795. On 8 February (the first day of that lunar year), he abdicated in favor of his son, the Jiaqing Emperor - a filial act in order not to reign longer than his grandfather, the illustrious Kangxi Emperor. Despite his retirement, however, he retained ultimate power until his death in 1799. Although his early years saw the continuity of an era of prosperity in China, he held an unrelentingly conservative attitude. As a result, the Qing Dynasty's comparative decline began later in his reign.

China: 'Court Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses'. Detail of handscroll painting by Zhou Fang (c. 730-800), late 8th century. Consort Yang Yuhuan (719-756), often known as Yang Guifei (Guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts), known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen, is famous as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. During the Anshi Rebellion, as Emperor Xuanzong was fleeing from the capital Chang'an, she was murdered because his guards blamed her cousin Yang Guozhong for the rebellion.

Mural telling the story of Journey to the West, Xuanzang and his followers, Dafo (Great Buddha) Temple, Zhangye, Gansu Province, China

Japan, Kyoto, Honen-in Temple, screen painting,

Painting on silk, Nightwatchman and couple after curfew. , Sin Yun Bok, 18th cent. KOREA.

Welcoming Descent of the Amida Buddha Triad, 15th century, Traditionally attributed to Kyosei Sonchi, active c. 15th to 16th century, 48 7/16 × 21 9/16 in. (123.03 × 54.77 cm) (image)71 × 27 7/8 in. (180.34 × 70.8 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan, 15th century, Followers of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism believe that at the moment of death Amida Buddha will descend from his paradise to receive the soul of a faithful follower. This painting depicts Amida floating downward on clouds. He is accompanied by two attendant bodhisattvas, enlightened beings who postpone becoming buddhas in order to help living beings gain salvation. The bodhisattva at left is Seishi, whose hands are clasped in prayer, and at right is Kannon, who holds a lotus. It is believed that the dead will be received upon this lotus and transported to Amidas paradise by the sacred trio.

KANNON (AVALOKITESVARA) IN WHITE ROBES. Date/Period: 1425. Painting. Author: Kichizan Mincho.

A Japanese diplomatic mission to the Tang Court, 8th-9th century, by an anonymous Japanese painter. Numerous Japanese missions were sent to the Tang Court during this period, viewed by the Chinese as tribute missions, but not necessarily so by the Japanese. No fewer than six missions were sent during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (649-683) by the Kotoku, Saimei and Tenji Emperors of Japan, including a mission led by Tsumori no Kisa in 659-661 during the reign of Empress Saimei.

A Prince Holding a Hookah Embraces his Lady Indian. A Prince Holding a Hookah Embraces his Lady, ca. 1750. Ink on paper, sheet: 6 3/4 x 7 1/4 in. (17.1 x 18.4 cm). Asian Art ca. 1750

Chinese mandarin with hat

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) with vase and willow twig. Origin: China. Date: 1368-1644. Period: Ming dynasty. Color on silk panel. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Wall art of traditional Korean life, Insa-dong, Seoul, South Korea

With some 2000 religious sites - 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture, Kyoto is one of the best preserved and most culturally distinguished cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples are Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and Ryoan-ji, famous for its rock garden. The Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the Imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace, homes of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; Katsura Imperial Villa, one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of its best Japanese gardens. The 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto

Murasaki Shikibu (English: Lady Murasaki) (c. 973 c. 1014 or 1025) was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012. Murasaki Shikibu is a nickname; her real name is unknown, but she may have been Fujiwara Takako, who was mentioned in a 1007 court diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting. She was raised in her father's household where she learned Chinese, the written language of government, from which women were traditionally excluded. She married in her mid to late twenties and gave birth to a daughter before her husband died, two years after they were married. It is uncertain when she began to write The Tale of Genji, but it was probably while she was married or shortly after she was widowed. In about 1005, Murasaki was invited to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shi shi at the Imperial court, probably because of her reputation as a wr

Thai mural painting depicts the way of life of Nan people in the past in Wat Phumin, north of Thailand

Case (Inrō) with Design of Deity of Longevity (Jurōjin) (obverse); Boy Offering a Tortoise (reverse) 19th century Tachibana Gyokuzan. Case (Inrō) with Design of Deity of Longevity (Jurōjin) (obverse); Boy Offering a Tortoise (reverse) 45435

Virgin Mary, Our lady of China. Fourviere basilica..

Arhat meditating chin inhand

Wall painting inside old part of Dolma Lagang, Gompa of Charang, Mustang, Nepal

With some 2000 religious sites - 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture, Kyoto is one of the best preserved and most culturally distinguished cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples are Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and Ryoan-ji, famous for its rock garden. The Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the Imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace, homes of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; Katsura Imperial Villa, one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of its best Japanese gardens. The 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto

The Eighteen Scholars of theTang

Three Laughers of Tiger Ravine, second half 18th century, Yosa Buson, Japanese, 1716 - 1783, 44 3/4 × 20 in. (113.67 × 50.8 cm) (image)77 × 28 3/4 in. (195.58 × 73.03 cm) (with roller), Ink and color on silk, Japan, 18th century, The scene depicted herethree Chinese men laughing heartilyrepresents the climax of an ancient Chinese Buddhist parable known as 'Three Laughers of Tiger Ravine,' which teaches that one must push boundaries in the pursuit of understanding. The story tells of an imagined meeting of three Chinese religious and cultural luminaries. The man with a large walking staff at left is Huiyuan (334-416), a Buddhist monk who established the famed Donglin Monastery on Mount Lu in 386. Huiyuan had taken a vow to never cross over a certain bridge spanning a gully known as Tiger Ravine, a symbolic barrier between the sacred space of his mountain monastery and the mundane world beyond. One day he invited two friends to Donglinthat’s the celebrated Confucian poet Tao Yuanming

Japan, Honshu island, Kyoto, detail of traditional silk kimono

Deities of Good Fortune, Career and Longevity. unknown, painter

The Bodhisattva Five-Topknot Monju (Manjushri) (Gokei Monju Bosatsu zō) Unidentified artist probably 18th century Depicted here is Monju, the bodhisattva of transcendent wisdom, riding a lion.This particular iconography is referred to as Gokei Monju, referring to his Five topknots. Seated cross-legged atop the lion on a lotus, Monju holds a sword in one hand and the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom Sutra (Sanskrit: Prajnaparamita) in the other. Monjus pale skin is adorned with gold jewelry and green and pink clothing, even the topknots are tied with a golden string as two halos, blue and green with gold, further mark his divinity. The five top knots he sports represent the Five Wisdom Buddhas: Ashuku (Sanskrit: Akshobhya), Amida (Amitabha), Fukujōju (Amoghasiddhi), Hōshō (Sanskrit: Ratnasambhava), and Dainichi (Sanskrit: Mahavairocana). The lion he rides has malachite fur, golden adornments and four lotus pads that it walks across. In most surviving examples of Gokei Monju, the bodhis

fine arts, China, Uyghur painting, lady with headdress, fresco, Bezeklik Monastary, 8th/9th century, Museum for Asian Art, Berlin,

Japan: Scene from a Bugaku dance performance, screen painting, Zentokuji Temple, Nanto, Toyama Prefecture. Kano Eitakeshi (1790-1867), 1849

Parable of Good vs. Evil: Courtesan Undressing a Man. Eishōsai Chōki (Japan, 1772-1803). mid 1790s. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock prints; pillar print (two aiban sheets pieced together)

The Liao Dynasty, also known as the Khitan Empire, was a state that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. It was founded by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people in the same year as the Tang Dynasty collapsed (907), even though its first ruler, Yelü Abaoji (Yaruud Ambagai Khan), did not declare an era name until 916. Although it was originally known as the Empire of the Khitan, the Emperor Yelü Ruan officially adopted the name 'Liao' (formally Great Liao’) in 947. Another name for China in English, Cathay, is derived from the name Khitan. This is also the origin of the Russian word for China, Китай or Kitay, and that of several other East European languages. The Liao Empire was destroyed by the Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty in 1125. However, remnants of its people led by Yelü Dashi established the Xi (Western) Liao Dynasty 1125-1220, also known as Kara-Khitan Khanate, which extended its influence over Central Asia into Persia and survived until t

Oiran () were the courtesans of Edo period Japan. The oiran were considered a type of yujo () 'woman of pleasure' or prostitute. However, they were distinguished from the yujo in that they were entertainers, and many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts. Their art and fashions often set trends among the wealthy and, because of this, cultural aspects of oiran traditions continue to be preserved to this day. The oiran arose in the Edo period (1600-1868). At this time, laws were passed restricting brothels to walled districts set some distance from the city center. In the major cities these were the Shimabara in Kyoto, the Shinmachi in Osaka, and the Yoshiwara in Edo (present-day Tokyo). These rapidly grew into large, self-contained 'pleasure quarters' offering all manner of entertainments. Within, a courtesan’s birth rank held no distinction, which was fortunate considering many of the courtesans originated as the daughters of impoverished families who wer

The thirty-seven nats 29. Tíbyusaung Mèdaw nat. 30. Bayìnmáshin Mingaung nat.. Illustrations. 1906. General Research Division. Religion , Burma, Thrones, kings , Burma, Queens , Burma

Emperor Jiajing, 12th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1521-1567). Personal Name: Zhu Houcong, Zhū Hòucōng. Posthumous Name: Sudi, Sùdì. Temple Name: Shizong, Shìzōng. Reign Name: Ming Jiajing, Ming Jiājìng. The Jiajing Emperor was the 12th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. His era name means 'Admirable Tranquility'. After 45 years on the throne (the second longest reign in the Ming Dynasty), Emperor Jiajing died in 1567 - possibly due to mercury overdose - and was succeeded by his son, the Longqing Emperor. Though his long rule gave the dynasty an era of stability, Jiajing's neglect of his official duties resulted in the decline of the dynasty at the end of the 16th century.

Tonkin, Indochina the assistant of the main officiant of the therem-chay ceremony , Léon Busy in Indochina (French - Tonkin , Indochine L' assistant de l' officiant principal de la cérémonie du Làm-chay). Buddhism, religious habit, religious practice, accessory, religious or votive inscription, banner , banner, hairstyle , headgear, man, Religion, clothing, registration , information, human beings, legendary

Contemplation (meditating priest). unknown, painter

Buddha with his left hand in the Vitarka Mudra in Thambula Temple, dating from the 13th century, Pagan Bagan, Myanmar Burma, Asia

Manchu Family, China, Chromolithograph, circa 1820

Emperor Taizong of Tang 599 Äì 649 second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China from 626 to 649 audience to the ambassador of Tibet

Man watching child praying, from Paradise and the Peri by Moore, USA, Illinois, Chicago, Newberry Library, 19th century

fine arts, Thailand, painting, battle of ape king Hanuman against the demons of Rawana, Wat Phra Kaew Temple, 19th century,

Han Palace Scene, Ying, Qiu

People in robes dining

Health Chinese Calligraphy New Year Blessing Wallpaper

Empress Dowager Cixi (1835 - 1908), of the Manchu Yehe Nara clan, was a Chinese noblewoman, concubine and later regent who effectively controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty for 47 years, from 1861 until her death in 1908

Thailand, minature painting

A man or deity. Watercolour attributed to a Chinese painter.

Emperor Jimmu was the first emperor of Japan, according to legend. His accession is traditionally dated as 660 BCE. He is a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu through her grandson Ninigi, as well as a descendant of the storm god Susanoo. He launched a military expedition from Hyuga near the Inland Sea, captured Yamato, and established this as his center of power. Jimmu's reign notionally spanned the years 660-585 BCE.

This painting, by an unknown Burmese artist, is from a watercolour sketch album dating from c.1897 that includes illustrations of Buddhist monks, the Buddha, monasteries, cremations and domestic scenes. Legend attributes the first Buddhist doctrine in Burma to 228 BCE when Sohn Uttar Sthavira, one of the royal monks to Emperor Ashoka the Great of India, came to the country with other monks and sacred texts. However, the era of Buddhism truly began in the 11th century after King Anawrahta of Pagan (Bagan) was converted to Theravada Buddhism. Today, 89% of the population of Burma is Theravada Buddhist.

Tonggiya (or Tunggiya), Empress Shen Cheng, was of the Tongiya clan, and was the daughter of Shu Minga. She became a concubine in her early years and then became Daoguang's official wife in 1808 just after the death of Empress Xiao Mu Cheng. Lady Tongiya gave birth to the eldest daughter of the Daoguang Emperor in 1813, and was elevated to an Empress Consort in 1822. Empress Xiao Shen Cheng died in the thirteenth year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign, and was later interred into the Muling Mausoleum.

A man or deity. Watercolour attributed to a Chinese painter.

Vietnam, Hoi An, Cantonese Assembly Hall,

Remarkable for their military prowess, their receptivity to Christianity, and their intricate all-embracing kinship network, the Kachins are a hardy mountain people living in the remote hills of northern Burma and on the peripheries of India and China. 'Kachin' is actually a Burmese word that does not exist in any of the local dialects. Each Kachin tribe has a different name for themselves and their neighbours, but no word to describe the whole group.

Tsa or Rahula with sword & bow in a Tibetan Monastery in Dabpa County, Kham - Sichuan Province, China, (Tibet)

Tyra Kleen, sometimes written Thyra, born 29 March 1874 in Stockholm, died in 1951, was a Swedish artist and writer. Her illustrations can be signed T.Kn. Balinese dance is a very ancient dance tradition that is a part of the religious and artistic expression among the Balinese people, native to Bali island, Indonesia. Balinese dance is dynamic, angular and intensely expressive. The Balinese dancers express the story of dance-drama through the whole bodily gestures; fingers, hands and body gestures to head and eyes movements. There is a great richness of dance forms and styles in Bali; and particularly notable are those ritualistic dance dramas which involve Rangda, the witch, and the great beast Barong. Most dances in Bali are connected to Hindu rituals, such as the Sanghyang Dedari sacred dance that invoke hyang spirits that are believed to possess the dancers in trance state during the performance. Other Balinese dances are not linked to religious rituals and created for certain pur

Wu Zetian (17 February 624-16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant. She was de facto ruler of China first through her husband the Emperor Gaozong and then through her sons the Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong from 665 to 690. She then broke all precedents when she founded her own dynasty in 690, the Zhou (briefly interrupting the Tang Dynasty), and ruled personally under the name Sacred and Divine Empress Regnant from 690 to 705. Her rise and reign has been criticized harshly by Confucian historians but has been viewed in a different light after the 1950s.

China: The Daoist immortal Han Xiangzi, from the album of 18 Daoist Paintings by Zhang Lu (1464-1538), 16th century CE. Painting sprinkled with gold leaf, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai

The Boturini Codex fragment (1530-1541) showing the history of migration of the People of the Sun, the Aztecs. Aztec Civilization.

Mandala of Kasuga Shrine early 14th century Japan Combining the conceptual framework of the Buddhist mandala with elements of traditional Japanese painting, artists produced representations of shrine precincts in this unique genre of painting known as shrine mandala” (miya mandara). This example of a Kasuga Shrine mandala depicts the sprawling complex at the foot of Mount Mikasa from a bird’s-eye perspective, inviting the viewer to embark on a virtual pilgrimage to the site and thereby gain the favor of Kasuga’s deities. The Buddhist avatars of the five Kasuga deities appear at the top of the scroll. From right to left they are: Eleven-headed Kannon (J?ichimen Kannon), Kannon of the Unfailing Noose (Fuk?kensaku Kannon), the Medicine Buddha (Yakushi), the bodhisattva Jiz?, and another Eleven-headed Kannon.. Mandala of Kasuga Shrine. Japan. early 14th century. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk. Kamakura period (1185-1333). Paintings

Traditional Vietnamese puppets at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Mongols are a Central-North Asian people living in Mongolia, a large region lying on either side of the Sino-Russian frontier. Although most Mongols live in Mongolia, large numbers live also in China outside Mongolia. Owing to wars and migrations, they are also found in some Central Asian states such as Kazakhstan. In China, ethnic Mongols live mainly either in the central-north region of China (in Inner Mongolia) or, less commonly, in Xinjiang in the westernmost part of the country. Those belonging to the Buryat branch of the Mongol ethnic group live in what is now the autonomous republic of Buryatia, Russia. Mongols are bound together by a common culture and language, with groups of related tongues known as Mongolic languages. The contiguous geographic region inhabited by ethnic Mongols is also known as Greater Mongolia.

Maffet Ledger: Two Indians on horseback ca. 1874-81 Southern and Northern Cheyenne. Maffet Ledger: Two Indians on horseback 766397

Kyoto, Japan theater Nô: Shite (main actor) embodying the character of Inari in the play entitled Kokaji , 1912 - Japan - Stéphane Paset - (October) (French - Kyôto , Japon Thétre Nô : shite ( acteur principal ) incarnant le personnage d' Inari dans la pièce intitulée Kokaji). Shinto, spectacle costume, nô theater, rice, animal represented , fantastic animal, mask, exists in high definition, spectacle, being supernatural, accessory, theater, man, Religion, clothing, animal, hd, entertainment, human beings, art, Costume of .. (illegible word) Japan, Kokadji costume

Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: The Story of Lady Wenji early 15th century Unidentified artist Represented here are scenes from the life of Lady Wenji (Cai Yan), who was abducted by a horde of marauding barbarians about A.D. 195 and spent twelve years among the Xiongnu, a Mongol tribe, as wife of their chieftain. She bore him two children before she was finally ransomed and returned to China. The Southern Song emperor Gaozong (r. 1127-62) probably ordered the story illustrated as a reminder of the capture of his kinfolk by the Jurched Jin.In this scroll, the costumes of the nomad invaders are those of the Khitan people, who established the Liao dynasty (907-1125) in northeastern China. To the early Southern Song viewer, Eighteen Songs, which presents a historical drama in contemporary details, did not represent a mere historical romance but a true, pervasive national trauma. The illustrations to the third, fifth, thirteenth, and eighteenth songs in the Metropolitan's scrollthe oldest

A Chinese doctor examining a child. Painting by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

Maffet Ledger: Two Indians with horses ca. 1874-81 Southern and Northern Cheyenne. Maffet Ledger: Two Indians with horses 766353

Chinese woman playing a stringed musical instrument depicted on ceramic tiles, China CAP/MEL Mel Longhurst/ China Copyright: xMelxLonghurst/CapitalxPicturesx

The Qianlong Emperor (Chinese pinyin: Qianlong Di; Wade-Giles: Chien-lung Ti; Mongolian: Tengeriin Tetgesen Khaan, Manchu: Abkai Wehiyehe, Tibetan: lha skyong rgyal po, born Hongli (25 September 1711 - 7 February 1799) was the fifth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1736 to 7 February 1795. On 8 February (the first day of that lunar year), he abdicated in favor of his son, the Jiaqing Emperor - a filial act in order not to reign longer than his grandfather, the illustrious Kangxi Emperor. Despite his retirement, however, he retained ultimate power until his death in 1799. Although his early years saw the continuity of an era of prosperity in China, he held an unrelentingly conservative attitude. As a result, the Qing Dynasty's comparative decline began later in his reign.

Japan, Eishô, Chokosai, Courtesan on Balcony, Courtesan in transparent black kimono over pink petticoat, standing with fan in right hand on balcony, looking to the side; in the background the Sumida River with a boat and the stone torii of the Mimeguri shrine partly visible on the bank., print, prent, prints, prenten, Japan (collection), height 590 mm, width 117 mm, print maker, prentmaker, 1793 - 1797, fourth quarter 18th century, paper, colour woodcut, colour woodblock

True View of the Courtyard of Yasukuni Shrine at Kudan Sakaue (Kudan Sakaue Yasukuni jinsha teinai shin zu) 1888 Inoue Yasuji Japanese. True View of the Courtyard of Yasukuni Shrine at Kudan Sakaue (Kudan Sakaue Yasukuni jinsha teinai shin zu). Inoue Yasuji (Japanese, 1864-1889). Japan. 1888. Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper. Meiji period (1868-1912). Prints

This mural is common to many monasteries and tells the story of co-operation and unity amongst Buddha and his three disciples. While the elephant protects, the bird sows a seed for the rabbit to manure and the monkey to water for the tree to grow and bear fruit.

Mongolia, Central Asia, Sayhan, Naadam feast, national feast of Mongolia, sports stadium, wall, mural painting, archer

China: Domestic scene in a well-to-do household. Qing Dynasty watercolour painting by an anonymous artist, mid to late 19th century

The three Magi on camelback, children's illustration, drawing.

Life of Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. Prince Siddhartha cut off his hair to renounce the worldly life at the bank of the Anoma River. Long Duc buddhist temple. Tan Chau. Vietnam.

With some 2000 religious sites - 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture, Kyoto is one of the best preserved and most culturally distinguished cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples are Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and Ryoan-ji, famous for its rock garden. The Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the Imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace, homes of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; Katsura Imperial Villa, one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of its best Japanese gardens. The 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto

A wall painting at the 17th century Paro Dzong, one of Bhutan's most impressive and well-known dzongs.

A hand-drawn, hand-coloured watercolour from the late 19th century by an unknown Burmese artist. The name of the ethnic group featured appears near the top of the picture in Shan script (left), Burmese script (Centre) and Khun script (right). Khun script was formerly used in Kengtung / Kyaingtong in eastern Shan State and in Lan Na or Lanna, northern Thailand. The Karen are an ethnic minority that is indigenous to Burma, and also has a small population in Thailand, including many who are refugees from Myanmar. A Sino-Mongolian group, the Karen have an estimated population today of some 5 million.

Japanese funeral customs: the coffin, enclosed in a palanquin lies in the temple. Watercolour, ca. 1880 ().

Dashang Kagyu Ling congregation, Temple of the Thousand Buddhas, La Boulaye, Bourgogne, France, Europe

Japan: Hikifuda advertising poster depicting two Shinto deities and symbols of prosperity. It has been left blank so that the printer can add the text required by the purchaser in the column at the left. Late Meiji (1868-1912) period

Japanese music: women playing Koto and Samisen, Kobe, Japan. Artist: Unknown

Vedas, homa, agnya, agni, devas, fire, saint, sadhu, swami, sannyasin, monk, devotion, meditation Copyright: xHimalayanxAcademy/DinodiaxPhotox

Yukata

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