An Introduction to East Asian Art in Three Journeys

Authors

• Victoria Weston, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow

Document Type

Book

Publication Date

5-2026

Keywords

Buddhism, Bodhisattvas, Painting, Sculpting, Temples, Iconography, Monks, Guardians, Ritual Objects, Ceramics, Lacquerwares, Furniture, Rocks, Porcelain

Disciplines

Asian Art and Architecture | Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts | Fine Arts | Furniture Design | Painting | Sculpture

Abstract

Please Note: This is the full version of this record. For individual tour guides, visit the following links:

Guide Part 1: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/4/ Guide Part 2: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/5/ Guide Part 3: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/6/

This book is an introduction to important art forms practiced in China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan. It is in no way an encyclopedic treatment of the art histories of East Asia. Rather, it is a textbook for a single semester course. Each section is devoted to one year in time and framed by historical factors that naturally encourage comparative analysis. Students learn methods of visual analysis while also exploring art in religious, cultural, and social contexts. At my school, University of Massachusetts Boston, our general education requirements specify introduction to modes of inquiry (General Education Distribution areas) and consideration of social factors such as culture and social class in comparative frameworks (Diversity Requirement). These structures suit how I teach, as I have always considered the peoples and cultures making and consuming art and foregrounded critical thinking. Introduction to East Asian Art is framed as three “guides,” the three sections imagining a specific kind of traveler in want of advice on art. Each guide prioritizes art forms appropriate to the time and circumstances.

The first section takes place in 748, at the height of international Buddhism in East Asia.

The second section connects Korea, China, and Japan in 1230 through the impending invasions of the Mongols.

Section three rotates the vantage point to a Western one, in the first age of encounter between Europeans and the three East Asian cultures. Set in 1591, the book is a guide for Portuguese traders, giving advice on East Asian cultures and their arts.

Comments

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Recommended Citation

Weston, Victoria, "An Introduction to East Asian Art in Three Journeys" (2026). OER: Textbooks. 3.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/oer_textbooks/3

Creative Commons License

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