Noh Play Scenes

Artistic representations from Japanese Noh theater, depicting dramatic characters in traditional costumes, rich in symbolism and cultural heritage.

The Yulin Caves are a Buddhist cave temple complex in Guazhou County, Gansu Province, China. The site is located some 100 km east of the oasis town of Dunhuang and the Mogao Caves. It takes its name from the eponymous elm trees lining the Yulin River, which flows through the site and separates the two cliffs from which the caves have been excavated. The forty-two caves house some 250 polychrome statues and 4,200 square metres of wall paintings, dating from the Tang Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty (7th to 14th centuries). The site was among the first in China to be designated for protection in 1961 as a Major National Historical and Cultural Site. In 2008 the Yulin Grottoes were submitted for future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Chinese Section of the Silk Road.

Scene from the Noh Play "Takasago". Artist: Tsukioka Kogyo (Japanese, 1869-1927). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 14 1/2 x 19 7/8 in. (36.8 x 50.5 cm). Date: ca. 1910.In the Noh play Takasago, a traveler meets an old man and an old woman raking and sweeping around an ancient pine; only later are they revealed as divine beings. Their apparent devotion to each other accounts for the traditional reference to a passage from the play during wedding festivities in Japan. The couple is depicted here with rake and broom; both the man and the woman wear mizugoromo similar to the garment displayed in this case. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The Yulin Caves are a Buddhist cave temple complex in Guazhou County, Gansu Province, China. The site is located some 100 km east of the oasis town of Dunhuang and the Mogao Caves. It takes its name from the eponymous elm trees lining the Yulin River, which flows through the site and separates the two cliffs from which the caves have been excavated. The forty-two caves house some 250 polychrome statues and 4,200 square metres of wall paintings, dating from the Tang Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty (7th to 14th centuries). The site was among the first in China to be designated for protection in 1961 as a Major National Historical and Cultural Site. In 2008 the Yulin Grottoes were submitted for future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Chinese Section of the Silk Road.

Chinese dish showing a divination scene, 17th century. Artist: Unknown

Wuhou Ci (Wuhou Ancestral or Memorial Hall) is dedicated to Zhuge Liang, hero of the classic 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and his emperor, Liu Bei. Zhuge Liang (181-234) was a chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era. Chengdu, known formerly as Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. In the early 4th century BC, the 9th Kaiming king of the ancient Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian.

China/Japan: Yang Yuhua (719-756 CE), better known as Yang Gueifei, the favourite consort of Tang Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756 CE), represented as Yokihi by Hosoda Eishi (1756-1829), c. 1810

Japan Ancient Life Scenes Samurai Warrior Preparing Wild Fowl

Consort Yang Yuhuan (1 June, 719 15 July 756), often known as Yang Guifei, with Guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts during her time), known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen, was known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years.

Kunisada, B, C, work, Actors Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Onoe Kikujiro, Kataoka Ichizo, Hinasuke, Ichikawa Danzo VI and Ichikawa Tsuruzo at a harvest festival, 1861, color woodblock print, major: graphics

Consort Xiang, nee Niuhuru, was the daughter of Jiufu). She entered the Forbidden City in Beijing during the beginning of Emperor Daoguang's reign (1820 - 1850) and was given the title of Worthy Lady Xiang. In 1823 she was promoted to the rank of an imperial concubine. She gave birth to two daughters and a son. Sometime after the birth of her son Yicung she was demoted for a reason unknown, but she was promoted by one rank after the death of Emperor Daoguang in 1850. Consort Xiang died in the eleventh year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign. She was later interred in the Muling mausoleum for Imperial Concubines and restored to a third rank consort by the Tongzhi Emperor.

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.

Chiang Tzu-ya was a distinguished general and a wise minister in the Chou dynasty. Against Wen Chung he hurled hot sand.

Two Actors as Iwai Hyanshiro IV and Segawa Kikunojo III in the "Karukoma" Dance Accompanied by Joruri Recitation on Stage Torii Kiyonaga (Japanese, 1752-1815). Two Actors as Iwai Hyanshiro IV and Segawa Kikunojo III in the "Karukoma" Dance Accompanied by Joruri Recitation on Stage, ca. 1782. Color woodblock print on paper, 14 3/8 x 9 7/8 in. (36.8 x 24.9 cm). Asian Art ca. 1782

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.

An enthroned figure speaks to a visitor while a woman in the forefront waits for her thoughts to settle before writing on a sheet of paper. Gouache by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

The Chinese empress Wu Tse-Tien (Empress 625-705), depicted with General Jo-Fei (1103-1141).

Kani Naizen (1570 - 1616) was a Japanese painter of the Kani school, particularly known for his screen paintings (byi bu) of Namban (Southern Barbarians, i.e. Europeans). The Nanban trade (Nanban bi eki, 'Southern barbarian trade') or the Nanban trade period (Nanban bi eki jidai, 'Southern barbarian trade period') in Japanese history extends from the arrival of the first Europeans - Portuguese explorers, missionaries and merchants - to Japan in 1543, to their near-total exclusion from the archipelago in 1614, under the promulgation of the 'Sakoku' Seclusion Edicts.

Nonomiya, Kamisaka Sekka, 1909 print Noh actor in the piece of Nonomiya. Actor with white mask and golden fan in the right hand, dressed in Kimono with plant motifs over a red robe standing under a bamboo Torri (temple gate). paper color woodcut actor (on the stage)

Emperor Wen of Sui (541-604), personal name Yang Jian, was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty (581-618). He was a hard-working administrator. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state. Emperor Wen's reign introduced a period of great prosperity not seen since the Han Dynasty. Economically, the dynasty prospered. It was said that there was enough food stored for 50 years. The military was also powerful. At the beginning of his reign, Sui faced the threat of Tujue to the north, and neighboring Tibetan tribes to the west, Goguryeo in the northeast, and the kingdom known as Linyi (Champa) to the south. By the end of Emperor Wen's reign, Tujue had split into an eastern and a western kaganate, the eastern one being nominally submissive to Sui, as was Goguryeo. Linyi was defeated and, while not conquered, did not remain a threat.

Asia, Southeast Asia, Singapore, painting in a Pagodaon Chinatown

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, ????? 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

Monju on a Lion, second half 17th century, Kiyohara Yukinobu, Japanese, 1643 - 1682, 24 9/16 × 14 1/4 in. (62.39 × 36.2 cm) (image)61 7/8 × 19 3/8 in. (157.16 × 49.21 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink and color on silk, Japan, 17th century, The bodhisattva Monju (Sanskrit: Mañjuśri) is depicted here reading a sutra on the back of his vehicle, a blue lion. This painting once served as the right-hand scroll of a triad of Buddhist deities centered on the historical Buddha, Shaka (S: Shakyamuni). Monju and his blue lion would have been balanced on the far left by the bodhisattva Fugen (S: Samantabhadra), who rides a white elephant.

Two pages from a 19th century Korean book depicting a Korean writer and sage.

Peking opera or Beijing opera (剧; traditional Chinese: 劇; pinyin: Jīngjù) is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance, and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in the Qing dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. The art form is also preserved in Taiwan, where it is known as Guoju (國劇; pinyin: Guójù). It has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.

East Protector Playing a Darphey Artist Unknown (Indian) Mural Hemis Monastery, Ladakh, India

Part of a set of five hanging scrolls entitled 'Extermination of Evil', depicting benevolent deities who expel demons of plague. This scroll was originally part of a handscroll known as the 'Second edition of the Masuda family Hell Scroll' before being cut into sections after World War II. The text on the scroll explains the acts of the god in exterminating evil. Shoki is a legendary Chinese deity who protected Emperor Xuanzong of Tang from evil demons. He is depicted with large eyes and a thick beard wearing a black robe, wide hat and boots. The set of five scrolls has been designated as a National Treasure of Japan in the category 'Paintings'.

Scholars of the Liuli Hall late 13th century Unidentified artist Scholars of the Liuli Hall commemorates a famous gathering hosted by the poet Wang Changling (act. ca. 713-41) at his official residence in Jiangning (modern Nanjing, Jiangsu Province). An earlier, cut-down version of the same composition, entitled simply Literary Gathering (Palace Museum, Beijing), is attributed to Han Huang (723-787). The costumes and the style in which the figures are drawn, however, relate these works to Zhou Wenju, the great Southern Tang (937-75) court painter who used a "tremulous brush line" (zhanbi) to draw drapery.In the Metropolitan's scroll, Zhou's tenth-century style has been transformed by a thirteenth-century artist. The sensitively drawn faces are late Song in style; while more schematic than Tang (618-907) examples, they are more solidly and three-dimensionally conceived than those of the late Ming (16th-17th century). In describing the figures' robes, Zhou Wenju's "tremulous brush line"

Scenes of Service from a small album known as 'Chinese Drawings: Court and Society', showing contemporaneous style and fashion at the Qing Court. The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. Qing rulers were of the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan, a nomadic tribe that originated northeast of the Great Wall in contemporary Northeastern China. Over the course of its reign, the Qing became highly integrated with Chinese culture, learning Chinese and participating in rituals. The imperial examinations continued and Han civil servants administered the empire alongside Manchu ones.

A Chinese bridal ceremony. Painting by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

Procession of Chinese musicians, Anonymous, 1800 - 1840 print Musicing company at the Drakendans. Group of music -making men, with a banner carrier in front. (Nagasaki-e) paper Asiatic races and peoples (with NAME). brass band, street band

Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Yaozō III, Onoe Matsusuke I, and Sawamura Sōjūrō III 11th month, 1786 Katsukawa Shunshō　川春章 Japanese. Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Yaozō III, Onoe Matsusuke I, and Sawamura Sōjūrō III 55307

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.

Illustration of the Empress Visiting the General Staff Headquarters to present a tray of bandages (Sanbō honbu gyōkei no zu) 1895 Kobayashi Kiyochika Japanese. Illustration of the Empress Visiting the General Staff Headquarters to present a tray of bandages (Sanbō honbu gyōkei no zu) 55325

Woman is led by another woman by chain around neck.. Paintings, Prints. 1850. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection. Painting, Chinese, Punishment & torture , China, Costumes , Chinese

Miyamode suru bijin, Beauties visiting a shrine., Ryuryukyo, Shinsai, approximately 1764-1820, artist, 1807., 1 print : woodcut, color ; 18.6 x 16.9 cm., Print shows two women and a young male attendant.

A baby is bathed while an attendant brings tea to the mother who is reclining on a settee beside a canopied bed ; left, two women prepare robes for the child. Watercolour by a Chinese artist, ca. 1800.

Manchu Officials, China, Chromolithograph, circa 1820

Portraits of members of a Manchu family mid-19th century Unidentified artist Portrait albums are rare, and this one, which seems to depict an entire family, is particularly unusual. The clothing indicates that the subjects were Manchus, the ethnicity of the ruling Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Several of the men wear rank badges”—textile squares or circles indicating their official position within the Qing government. In each image, objects of refinement—books, fine furniture, scholar’s rocks—are carefully placed around the sitter to indicate his or her sophistication. This album is a touching document of one family’s attempt to record its ideal self-image.. Portraits of members of a Manchu family 42558

Mantle ("The Paracas Textile") Nasca. Mantle ("The Paracas Textile"), 100-300 C.E. Cotton, camelid fiber, 24 5/8 × 58 11/16 in. (62.5 × 149 cm). This extraordinarily complex mantle, or cloak, is one of the most renowned Andean textiles in the world. It was most likely used as a ceremonial object. The ninety figures decorating the border, created by needle knitting, have been interpreted as a microcosm of life on Perus South Coast two thousand years ago, with a particular focus on agriculture. Many of the images illustrate native flora and fauna as well as cultivated plants. Costumed figures may represent humans impersonating gods and acting as intermediaries between the real and supernatural worlds. Severed human trophy heads are shown as germinating seeds, suggesting the practice of ritual sacrifice and the interconnected cycles of birth and death. Este extraordinariamente complejo manto, o capa, es uno de los textiles andinos más conocidos en el mundo. Fue usado probablemente como

Father Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688) was a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China during the Qing dynasty. He proved to the court of Kangxi Emperor that European astronomy was more accurate than Chinese astronomy. He then corrected the Chinese calendar and was later asked to rebuild and re-equip the Beijing Ancient Observatory, being given the role of Head of the Mathematical Board and Director of the Observatory. Verbiest was the only Westerner in Chinese history to ever receive the honour of a posthumous name by the Emperor. He is buried in Beijing.

China. Acrobats performing at the Imperial Court. Nineteenth-century colored engraving.

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.

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 awakening of the EIGHT IMMORTALS of the Chinese pantheon Date: 1915

Gods of Happiness, Office, and Longevity

Shadow Puppet (Wayang Kulit) of Semar, from the set KyaiNugroho. Maker: Marto Suwondo Maker: Ki Kertiwanda Maker: Ki Bekel Prawirasucitra

Shadow Puppet (Wayang Kulit) of Petruk, from the set KyaiNugroho. Maker: Marto Suwondo Maker: Ki Kertiwanda Maker: Ki Bekel Prawirasucitra

China: The Eight Daoist Immortals. Qing Dynasty painter Huang Shen (1687-1772)

China, Guanyin, Goddess of Love and Compassion, Yulan Kwanyin, the goddess of Love and Compassion with a basket containing a carp. In the sky: Wei-to, the guardian-guardian of the Kugu-Uin temples., print, prints, the goddess of Love and Compassion. Guanyin is depicted here as a goddess with a basket containing a carp. At the top left, in a cloud, appears Weituo, the guardian of the Buddhist teaching., height mm, width mm, print maker, printmaker, 1600 - 1699, paper, papier, houtsnede

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 Kachin are an ethnic minority group that is indigenous to Burma. The northernmost region of Myanmar is Kachin State where about 3 million Kachin people live. They are mostly Christian these days, and are renowned for their traditional herbal medicines.

Qingyang Palace, chengdu, china

The Sultan's mistress led into a room by muscians, miniature from Turkish Memories, Arabic manuscript, Cicogna Codex, Turkey 17th Century.

Altan Khan (1507-1582), ruler of the Tumet Mongols and de facto ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of the Mongols, was the grandson of Dayan Khan (1464-1543), a descendant of Kublai Khan (1215-1294), who had managed to unite a tribal league between the Khalkha Mongols in the north and the Chahars (Tsakhars) to the south. His name means 'Golden Khan' in Mongolian. Altan Khan is particularly remembered for re-establishing ties between Mongolia and the religious leaders of Tibet. Altan Khan first invited the Sonam Gyatso to Tumet in 1569, but apparently he refused to go and sent a disciple instead, who reported back to him about the great opportunity to spread Buddhist teachings throughout Mongolia.

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 Shan, or Tai Yai (Large Tai) people are indigenous to Burma, but also have settlements in Thailand and China's Yunnan Province. Myanmar has a northern region called Shan State; its capital is Taunggyi. The Shan have an estimated population of some 6 million.

A Priest with a Chinese and European Man, central sheet of the triptych Poetry About Modern Rustic Subjects. Date: c. 1880. Dimensions: 36.9 cm x 25.2 cm. Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Author: ONBEKEND.

Mountain Sheep Dance by Alfonso Roybal from Indian Dances 1-20, USA, Chicago, Newberry Library

China. Acrobats performing at the Imperial Court. Nineteenth-century colored engraving.

Wedding of Crown Prince Yoshihito and Princess Kujō Sadako. The Crown Prince and the Princess at their wedding reception; The Meiji Emperor of Japan, other members of the imperial family, and guests are present.

Costume design for the opera "Snow Maiden" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, Roerich, Nicholas (1874-1947)

Ladies of a Mandarin Family at Cards - 19th Century China

Japanese family eating. Nineteenth-century colored engraving.

The merchant, miniature from Turkish Memories, Arabic manuscript, Cicogna Codex, Turkey 17th Century.

Fair pilgrims to the Shinto shrines at Ise, visiting Futami Beach, Eijudo (Japanese, active 18th century), 1790, Woodcuts, One sheet of a triptych, 15 x 10 in. (38.1 x 25.4 cm)

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.

Burning a Buddhist Image. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Date: 1760-1849. Ink and color on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

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.

Kleidung, Mode in Burma und Siam, von links, eine Dame aus Mandalai, ein buddhistischer Priester und eine Tänzerin aus Burma, dann die königliche Fami...

old vintage photo of nur ud din Mohammad salim Jahangir Copyright: xKenxGraham/DinodiaxPhotox

Chinese Fantan game.. Postcards, Genre photographs. 1907 - 1918. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection. Gambling, Chinese

A Chinese man standing, seen from behind holding a candle above his head. Watercolour.

Mawangdui (Chinese: 王堆; pinyin: Mǎwángduī; literally: 'King Ma's Mound') is an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the western Han dynasty (206 BCE - 9 CE), Marquis Li Cang, his wife, and a male believed to have been their son. The site was excavated from 1972 to 1974. Most of the artifacts from Mawangdui are displayed at the Hunan Provincial Museum. It was called 'King Ma's Mound' because it was initially (mistakenly) thought to be the tomb of Ma Yin (853-930), a ruler of the Chu kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Jurisprudence, torture and punishment in medieval China, prisoner is carried away with a chain around the neck, authentic, digitally restored reproduction from an 18th century original, exact date of depiction unknown, historical

A Chinese man taking an oath before a shrine to the god Paak-tai, while another man prepares to decapitate a cock. Ink drawing, China, 18--

Prince Genji playing dice, illustration from the emakimono of Genji Monogatari, novel by the poet Murasaki Shikibu, Japan. Japanese Civilisation, Heian period, 11th century.

Mahmud Ghazan (1271-1304) was the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire's Ilkhanate division in modern-day Iran from 1295 to 1304. He was the son of Arghun and Quthluq Khatun, continuing a line of rulers who were direct descendants of Genghis Khan. Considered the most prominent of the Ilkhans, he is best known for making a political conversion to Islam in 1295 when he took the throne, marking a turning point for the dominant religion of Mongols in Central Asia. His principal wife was Kokochin (Kokechin), a Mongol princess sent by Kublai Khan, and escorted from the Mongol capital to the Ilkhanate by Marco Polo.

In Chinese folk religion and Chinese mythology, the Kitchen God Zao Jun is the most important of a plethora of Chinese domestic gods that protect the hearth and family. It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to Yu Huang, the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based on this yearly report. Zao Jun is celebrated in Vietnamese culture as Tao Quan.

England, London, The Wellcome Collection, Painting depicting Ayurvedic Medicine Practioner

'The whole court was present, even to the little kitchen wench...' - to hear the Nightingale.

Chinese Men Playing the Game of Fantan, a Very Simple Chinese Game of Chance, 1907, Hong Kong, Historic, digitally restored reproduction from a 19th century original, Asia

In Chinese folk religion and Chinese mythology, the Kitchen God Zao Jun is the most important of a plethora of Chinese domestic gods that protect the hearth and family. It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to Yu Huang, the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based on this yearly report. Zao Jun is celebrated in Vietnamese culture as Tao Quan.

Chinese street theatre, Jan Brandes, 1779 - 1785 drawing Black -white drawing of a covered scaffolding on which a sword fight is increased and spectators on the street. Color drawing of only the scaffolding with colorful lanterns on which a screening (a Chinese is on the ground for a magistrate) accompanied by musicians. With inscription. Part of Jan Brandes' sketchbook, dl. 2 (1808), p. 13. Jakarta paper. pencil. watercolor (paint) brush theatre, theatrical performance. comedy Batavia

The Road to the Temple, Japan, circa 1900

Vladimir II Monomakh (Vasyl, or Basileios) (1053 19 May 1125) reigned as Velikiy Kniaz (Grand Prince) of Kievan Rus' from 1113 to 1125.

Eugene Collache being received by a Tsugaru daimyo minister, Japan. An adventure in Japan by Eugene Collache, 1868-1869

Chinese Street Theater. Black-weight drawing of a covered stellage on which a sword fight is performed and spectators on the street. Color drawing of only the stellage with colorful lanterns on which a display (a Chinese is surrounded by musicians for a magistrate). With inscription. Part from Jan Brandes, DL sketchbook. 2 (1808), p. 13.

Veiled woman on a bridge at moonlight. Veiled woman in kimono on a wooden bridge at bright moonlight.

A Family of Tartars, circa 1885

Chinese Imperial Family from A. Racinet Historical Costumes Vol 2 Paris 1888

A sophisticated meeting in the western garden Qiu ying

Jewish marriage, Travels through Turkey 1862. By Rev. Henry J. Van Lennep, 1815 - 1889. Van Lennep served as a missionary in Smyrna (Izmir) from 1840-1844. He also worked in Constantinople (Istanbul) from 1844-1854 and Tokat from 1854-1856.

Scenes of Service from a small album known as 'Chinese Drawings: Court and Society', showing contemporaneous style and fashion at the Qing Court. The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. Qing rulers were of the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan, a nomadic tribe that originated northeast of the Great Wall in contemporary Northeastern China. Over the course of its reign, the Qing became highly integrated with Chinese culture, learning Chinese and participating in rituals. The imperial examinations continued and Han civil servants administered the empire alongside Manchu ones.

The Chinese sage Mencius (371288 B.C.) taught that humans are innately good, but would act nobly only if when they had peace of mind. 'The Book of Mencius' is the standard commentary on the teachings of Confucius.

Clothing, historical fashion in Japan, monks and musicians, illustration, Japan, Asia

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

Poor kids ! The priests start them off with the Holy Spirit, then the distillers finish them off with spirits of the other kind... Date: 1903

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 Shan, or Tai Yai (Large Tai) people are indigenous to Burma, but also have settlements in Thailand and China's Yunnan Province. Myanmar has a northern region called Shan State; its capital is Taunggyi. The Shan have an estimated population of some 6 million.

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

Yamato-Dake destroys his enemies with his magic sword which also protects him from fire Date: 1908

Wat Phra Singh is a Theravada Buddhist temple within the walled moat of the old city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), the older brother of the present King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), bestowed it the status of Royal temple of the first grade in 1935. Built in 1345 CE, Wat Phra Singh is notable for the Phra Buddha Sihing statue after which the temple was named. It is thought the Buddha statue came to King Mangrai's new city (chiang mai, in Thai) from Sri Lanka via the former Siamese capital of Ayutthaya. This royal Buddhist temple contains several intricate murals that help define the city's history and close relations with Burma. In this mural, a man's legs are tattooed and the women's hair and dresses indicate an attachment to Burmese styles of the day.

Yael or Jael the Hebrew heroine who killed Sisera to deliver Israel from the troops of King Jabin. illustration by Arthur A. Dixon 1872-1959. From the Precious Gift: Bible Stories for Children by T W Wilson (1910).

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