Asian Art

Asian Art

Nikko Toshogu Shrine: Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Site

Among one of the most scenic areas of Japan, in the middle of the Honshu island, and at the foot of the Mt. Nantai volcano, lies the small city of...

Guest Profile 17 January 2022

Sculpture

Five Pioneering Modern Sculpture Artists of India

Sculptures have been a part of Indian culture since time immemorial. However, in the post-independent era in India, the practice of Indian modern...

Guest Profile 7 January 2022

Asian Art

The Warli Painting Artist Jivya Soma Mashe

Jivya Soma Mashe is an internationally acclaimed Warli painting artist. A tribal artist from India, Mashe was known for wonderful Warli paintings,...

Urvi Chheda 7 January 2022

Asian Art

The Beauty of Folding Screens: Namban Byōbu of Japan

Masterfully crafted into hinged leaves and enclosed within a lacquer frame, the Japanese Namban folding screens or the Namban byōbu contain a...

Maya M. Tola 23 August 2021

Artist Stories

Garlands of Greatness for the Astonishing 20th Century Chinese Artist Zhang Daqian

Zhang Daqian is considered the foremost Chinese artist in the last 500 years. If this is true, then what is it that makes Zhang Daqian so important?...

Barry Russell 18 June 2021

Asian Art

Under Hokusai’s Great Wave

You might not know the title of Hokusai’s print, but Under the Wave off Kanagawa is almost instantly recognizable. His Great Wave reveals the...

Marina Kochetkova 23 January 2021

Shiva Linga Iconography

The Shiva Linga or Shiva Lingam is a highly regarded and widely recognized icon in the Hindu world. This curious phallic structure has been...

Maya M. Tola 12 August 2020

Nur Jahan – the Light of the World

Mehr-un-Nissa was an influential woman of the Mughal era, well-known for her great beauty, unmatched intelligence, and volatile temper. As a...

Maya M. Tola 4 April 2020

Nihal Chand and the Kishangarh School

Nihal Chand was an esteemed member of the royal atelier of Kishangarh in the 18th century, under the employ of Crown Prince Sawant Singh. While many...

Maya M. Tola 29 March 2020

The Churning of the Ocean of Milk

The churning of the ocean of milk is a momentous event in Hindu mythology that appears in the Bhagwat Purana, Vishnu Purana, and the Mahabharata. It...

Maya M. Tola 24 March 2020

The Peacock Throne of Shah Jahan

The iconic Peacock Throne or the Takht-i-taus was the greatest accumulation of precious gemstones in the 17th Century. Commissioned in 1628 by Shah...

Maya M. Tola 4 November 2019

Artistic Patronage of Akbar the Great

Abu’l Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar was born in poverty when his father, Humayun was driven into exile by Sher Shah Suri. His destiny as one...

Maya M. Tola 8 October 2019