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| The Arts of Thailand |
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An introduction to the V&A's new Arts of Thailand exhibit, which "features the museum's finest Thai Buddhist sculptures in bronze and stone spanning the period from the 7th to the 19th centuries, together with works of decorative art in a wide variety of media associated both with the Thai court and with monasteries." Thirty-eight objects are featured online; all objects have descriptions.
Go to Museum Resource: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-arts-of-thailand/ | |
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| Buddhist Cave Temple Sculpture |
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The Central Asian tradition of building such complexes was been practiced for centuries, primarily with Imperial sponsorship in the Northern regions, where Buddhism first took hold. The very act of creating these vast monuments, hollowed out from rock faces and decorated so lavishly within, was considered an act of 'piety' resulting in the accrual of merit, which in Buddhism is accumulated as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts. This merit is then carried over to later in life or to a person's next birth. The sculptures and paintings also functioned as an important focus for worship and as symbolic links between the worldly and heavenly realms. People would have travelled great distances to see them and to worship and make offerings before them.
Go to Museum Resource: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/chinese-buddhist-cave-temple-sculpture/ | |
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| Encounters: The Meeting of Asia and Europe, 1500-1800 |
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Online presentation of a 2004 exhibition, enhanced with several resources for teachers and students. The EXHIBITION section includes panoramic images of the original exhibition, plus text and images of objects featured in the exhibition; the RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS section includes a 23-page teacher's guide to the exhibition; the VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY section is an interactive journey to the trading ports visited by Europeans from 1500-1800; the GAMES & DOWNLOADS section includes fun activities for students, including a quiz, matching game, and word search, all of which highlight the fertile exchange of ideas during this period of world history. See also: Trade with Asia 1500-1800.
Go to Museum Resource: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/trade-with-asia-encounters/ | |
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| Indian Textiles & Empire |
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"The Victoria and Albert Museum has an exceptional and wide-ranging collection of textiles from the Indian subcontinent. Many of these were collected before the museum came into existence and were deposited in the East India Company, later the Indian Museum. ... Besides their beauty as objects and their implications for the textile industries, it was also recognised that Indian textiles, from humble printed cottons to sumptuous gold brocades, also represented the values of handcraft in a world seen as threatened by wholesale industrialisation." This feature on Indian textiles includes the following topics: 1) Introduction to Indian Textiles; 2) Indian Textiles in the Collection; 3) Collecting Indian Textiles; 4) Circulating Indian Textiles; 5) Consuming Indian Textiles.
Go to Museum Resource: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/i/indian-textiles-introduction/ | |
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| The Influence of East Asian Lacquer on European Furniture |
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When lacquered objects made in East Asia first reached Europe in about the early 16th century, they were highly prized for their flawless finish and light-reflecting qualities. Lacquer became available to European elites, along with other luxury items including silk and porcelain, once Portuguese explorers discovered a sea route to the East around the southern tip of Africa and across the Indian Ocean. The flow of goods increased in the early 17th century when the Dutch and English East India Companies began to bring goods to markets in Amsterdam and London. By 1700 many European country houses and palaces contained examples of East Asian export lacquer. Asian lacquer was admired as a precious and mysterious material.
Go to Museum Resource: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/east-asian-lacquer-influence | |
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| Jainism |
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A collection of special features about Jainism. The V&A has "one of the most important permanent collections of Jain art in the UK," and there is truly a wealth of information on this website about Jainism. The first topic, JAIN ART & RELIGION, has 10 subtopics and provides an excellent overview of Jain art and history; the third topic, THE JAIN FAITH, has 8 subtopics and provides an excellent overview of Jainism today. There is also an EXPLORE THE STATUES section for an introduction to the iconography of Jain scculpture, plus a VIDEOS section with presentations of 8 objects, plus a special section on JAIN COMMUNITY VIEWS ON OBJECTS IN THE COLLECTION. Also an interactive game of "Snakes and Ladders" to teach students about Jain beliefs, and finally, a list of online resources and a bibliography. See also: About Jainism.
Go to Museum Resource: http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/j/jainism/ | |
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| Japanese Cloisonné: The Seven Treasures |
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"The Japanese characters used for the word shippō (the Japanese term for enamelware) mean 'Seven Treasures'. which is a reference to the seven treasures mentioned in Buddhist texts. Although these treasures may vary, they generally included at least some of the following: gold, silver, emerald, coral, agate, lapis lazuli, giant clamshell, glass and pearl. The Japanese applied this expression to the rich colours found on Chinese enamel wares and later to those they made themselves." A special features about Japanese cloisonné, with discussions of its history and manufacture, plus 39 examples from the V&A's collection. See also: Cloisonné Introduction.
Go to Museum Resource: http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/j/japanese-cloisonne/ | |
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