Korean Objects

Ox Horn Box

• Korean furniture and decorative objects are made from natural resources and are designed to fit the country's climate and social conditions. Visit the following Web site http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/Exhibit/Archive/grandfathershouse/
  to see how a traditional Korean house looked and the kinds of objects suitable for use in the women's quarters (such as the ox horn box) and the men's quarters. A strict Confucian separation between the roles of the master and mistress of the house resulted in differences in furnishings.

Celadon Pillow

• Pairs of lions have decorated tombs, temples, and homes in Asia for centuries. Today, lions are often seen in front of important buildings in many Asian American communities. Look for examples — a pair of granite lions guard the gate to San Francisco's Chinatown.
  
• Compare this style of lion with the iron lion head from China (no. 31.281).
  
• Learn more about ceramic production by reading the children's story A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park.

Japan

• The flag of Japan shows a red sun. The Japanese call their country Nippon, which means "source of the sun." Explore how Japan's respect for nature, the seasons, and tradition, as expressed in its national symbol of the flag, is reflected in art and culture. For more images of Japan that link paintings and art to landscape and environment, see the images in "Japan's Winter Wildlife," National Geographic, January 2003. See also the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, http://smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/
  japan_images_people/index.html

Japanese Objects

Tea Storage Jar

• Learn more about the aesthetics of objects in Japan by exploring the concept of kazari, the dazzling effect of extraordinary design. Everyday stoneware jars and bowls, for example, humble in appearance, are transformed from the ordinary to the extraordinary in the context of the tea ceremony — and thus fall into the aesthetics of kazari. See Kazari: Decoration and Display in Japan by Nicole Collidge Rousmaniere.
  
• The production of special ceramics for tea ceremonies helped spur the appreciation of ceramics as high art in Japan. In the twentieth century, the famous and eccentric restaurateur Kitaoji Rosanjin made his own ceramics when his collection of ancient wares was destroyed. He called his creations "kimonos for food."

Hand Scroll

• Different types of Japanese hand scrolls have different purposes — some some illustrate a folk tale or historical account (monogatari), others alternate text and pictures (ekotoba). Think about today's versions of telling stories with pictures and words — as in picture books, comic books, trading cards, and even film. Compare and contrast them with hand scroll formats.
  

Cambodia

• In Cambodian mythology, the serpent king (naga) was ruler of the land. Snakes are a very real presence in the humid jungles of Cambodia and are often represented in the country's art. See how animals are used in Cambodian art and rendered as real or fantastic creatures.
  

Cambodian Object

Garuda Sculpture

• Explore how Garuda has gone from legend to national symbol and its use in popular Southeast Asian cultures today. For example, Garuda is the official emblem of the Republic of Indonesia — discuss the symbolism; what other products or services might be named after Garuda (look for examples in popular trading card games).
  
• Compare the Garuda, mount for Vishnu (Hindu), with the lion, mount for the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Wenshu (Buddhist) — see Chinese lion head (no. 31.281). Discuss the similarities and differences in size, placement, and function of these religious pieces.
  

Study Questions

• Reproductions of art objects seen in museums and galleries continue to be made in China. Look in Chinese grocery stores and import/export shops to see examples of today's handicrafts. What is the range of quality? How do modern examples compare with the works of art that you see in museums?
  
• Look at botanical gardens or garden stores and catalogues for flowers such as peonies, chrysanthemums, camellias, magnolia, the gardenia, forsythia, and wisteria, Chinese roses and pinks — all were introduced to European gardens from China. How do artistic interpretations compare to real plants?