Asian Art

Museum Stories

Kyoto’s Hidden Gem: The Fukuda Art Museum Staff Picks

Overlooking the serene Oigawa River in Kyoto’s scenic Arashiyama area, the Fukuda Art Museum offers a journey through centuries of Japanese art. On...

Szymon Jocek 11 August 2025

Herstory

Masterpiece Story: The Portrait of Empress Dowager Cixi by Katharine Augusta Carl

Art and politics have been closely intertwined throughout global history. This article studies the case of The Empress Dowager Cixi of China by...

Iolanda Munck 10 August 2025

Cats

Paw Prints: The Diversity of Cats in Japanese Art

From cute and exotic pets to monstrous, otherworldly creatures, cats in Japanese art appear in various forms and contexts. Let’s delve into the...

Iolanda Munck 8 August 2025

Cats

Maneki Neko—Those Lucky Cats

We’ve all seen those jovial, happy cat figurines in Asian restaurants and shops. Sitting upright with their raised paw, smiling face, and trademark...

Nadine Waldmann 8 August 2025

Art State of Mind

True Tips for a Happier Life from the Miniatures of Reza Abbasi

Everyone wants to be happy and each of us has a different idea of happiness. For some, it is finishing college and getting a new job. For others, it...

Rute Ferreira 28 July 2025

Design

Azulejo: Macau’s Inheritance from Portuguese Art

In the Pacific world and throughout the Lusophone community, Macau is a special place. The streets of Macau exude the subtle, melancholic sense of...

Guest Author 28 July 2025

Ancient Art

From Ancient Near East to Dungeons and Dragons: Lamassu, The Mesopotamian Gatekeeper

Lamassu is an iconic winged deity and a lasting motif from the ancient Near East. The most prevalent form of the Lamassu is attributed to the...

Maya M. Tola 24 July 2025

Ancient Art

The Ishtar Gate: A Gateway to Babylonian Grandeur

The Ishtar Gate, one of the most iconic remnants of Ancient Mesopotamia, stands as a testament to the grandeur of the cradle of civilization. This...

Maya M. Tola 24 July 2025

Striding Lion, 604-562 BCE, glazed clay bricks, Processional Way, Babylon, Iraq, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Striding Lion from the Ishtar Gate

Striding Lion is a masterpiece of Mesopotamian art with monumental size and composition. It symbolizes the strength of King Nebuchadnezzar II and the...

James W Singer 24 July 2025

Asian Art

A Luxurious Desire: Ancient Near Eastern Ivory Carvings

The allure of ivory, a lustrous material that gleams and glows when polished, exudes warmth and mysterious beauty. Near Eastern ivory carvings are...

Marga Patterson 24 July 2025

Ancient Art

The Tang Shipwreck—Southeast Asia’s Maritime Heritage

Discovered near the Belitung Island in Indonesia, the Tang Shipwreck is a momentous archaeological discovery of recent times that provides...

Maya M. Tola 18 July 2025

Ten Symbols of Longevity, Joseon Dynasty, ca 1866-1910, ink and color on silk, Ewha Womans University Museum, Seoul, South Korea. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Ten Symbols of Longevity

Ten Symbols of Longevity is a landscape masterpiece of Korean art. It is a beautiful world filled with earthly perfection and cosmic energy. The...

James W Singer 13 July 2025