The Arts of Asia: an introduction

Modern political borders in Asia do not always reflect past ethnic, social and linguistic boundaries. The many different ethnic groups of Asia lived in a variety of climates and landscapes that range from the parched desert plains of central and western Asia to the high valleys of the Himalayas and the lush monsoonal climate of Southeast Asia. In the past, some groups have pursued nomadic existencesin the steppelands of central Asia while others settled along the great rivers of Asia, including the Euphrates, Ganges, Mekong, Chiangjiang (Yangtze) and Huang (Yellow). Ancient imperial capitals such as Istanbul, Cairo, Delhi, Beijing and Kyoto grew as large as any city in the wider world and the maritime trade network linking Asia with the Mediterranean and the Middle East through the Indian Ocean gave rise to highly cosmopolitan port cities such as Cambay, Srivijaya (Palembang), Malacca, and Guangzhou (Canton). Now, Asian megacities such as Bangkok, Shanghai and Tokyo are providing radically new stages for the development of the global cultures of the twenty-first century.

Most Asian states have been governed by various form of patriarchal heirarchies but others, especially in Southeast Asia, featured strongly matriarchal social systems. The textile tradition of Southeast Asia, so well represented in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, is one of the few in the world where almost all the artists have been women.

No single artistic style or culture unites the whole of Asia. There was never a dominant centre or 'classical' moment to serve as an inspiration for all subsequent developments. No single Asian culture plays the same role for Asian art that Greek culture does for Western art. Rather than a single history for Asian art, there is a wonderfully complex matrix of art traditions - some developed in comparitive isolation, but others crossed cultural boundaries to take on a truly international character.

Migration, trade, travel and religion have been the agents of profound cultural interaction between Asia's many visual cultures (along with actual military conquest). There have been movements of people over great distances from one part of Asia to another; the Mongols, of course, being the nomads 'par excellence' whose military prowess resulted in significant cultural changes in many parts of Asia (and Europe). Trade brought people, ideas and goods over both the 'Silk Road' that led from China through Central Asia to the Mediterranean; equally important was the sea route connecting West Asia and China via India and Southeast Asia. These networks ensured an almost permanent commerce in luxury goods that had a significant impact on more localised forms of artistic production. New philosophies frequently led to new ways of making images; and, while localised cults have continued to serve as inspiration for many artists, the spread of the great religions has forged especially strong links across Asia.

There are few areas of Asia that did not feel the influence of Buddhism, which arose in India with the teachings of Shakyamuni (Guatama, the sage of the Shakya clan) in the sixth century BC; and Buddhism has been one of the most powerful inspirations for art. Images of the Buddha in human form (which first appeared in India about 500 years after his death) can be counted among the most significant creations of Asian art. Hinduism, although it was not a religion marked by active proselytisation, spread from India into Southeast Asia with Hindu traders; and the participation of Hindu priests became an essential element in court ritual in some Buddhist states there. In some cases, images of Hindu gods acted as models for the depiction of Earthly rulers. From its beginnings in seventh century Arabia, Islam rapidly gained converts throughout Asia, partly due to its tremendous popularity among the traders who travelled from one end of Asia to the other. While Christianity also has a long history in Asia, it has had less direct influence on developments in Asian art than Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.

Certain religious sites gained a pan-Asian significance. Pilgrims to such sites as Bodh Gaya in north-east India (where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree) and Mecca in Arabia (the birthplace of Muhammad and site of the holy Ka'ba) returned to their home countries with knowledge, texts and sacred objects that contributed both to the understanding of foreign cultures and the dispersal of artistic styles. For example, the importance of Bodh Gaya and neighbouring centres in eastern India as an international hub of Buddhist piety and learning led to the local style of art produced there during the reign of the Pala dynasty (from the eighth through twelfth centuries) having an important influence on the art of Southeast Asia and the Himalayas.