This document provides a history of oriental and eastern art, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and modern East Asian art. It summarizes the origins and evolution of art forms such as painting, calligraphy, sculpture, and pottery in each culture. Key developments include the origins of Chinese stone art 10,000 years ago, the rise of landscape painting in China 900-1100 AD, the influence of Buddhism on Japanese bronze casting in the 7th-8th centuries, and the influence of Western art in modernizing Japanese art in the 20th century. It also notes the growing international market for Chinese and East Asian art.

1. A HISTORY OF ORIENTAL
& EASTERN ART
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2. INTRODUCTIO
N
● Oriental Ar t is a major branch of Ar t
Classification.
● Pieces commonly include:
o Painting
o Calligraphy
o Graphic Art
o Sculpture
o Pottery
● The Origins of Oriental Ar t include Rel igion,
Pol itics, Phi losophy, Culture and Technology.
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3. CHINESE ART
● Originated as early “stone ar t”
in around 10,000 BC -
comprising mainly Pottery and
Sculpture.
● Early works were based on
Chinese settlers’ Religious
and Supernatural beliefs.
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4. CHINESE ART
● Ear ly ar twork was used to depict people and
landscapes.
● They were commonly found as decorat ions
for human bur ial si tes.
● Landscapes par t icularly rose to prominence
dur ing the Five Dynast ies between 907 AD
and 1127 AD.
● To create minimal ist brush st rokes a thin
brush was used and dipped in coloured ink.
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5. CHINESE ART
● More colour ful ar t was produced dur ing
late imper ial China between 1368 AD to
1911 AD
● Qing Dynasty saw r ise of Or thodox school
wi th older styles of thin brush cal l igraphy
and Individual ist painters wi th a more
revolut ionar y approach.
● Communist Revolut ion of 1949 created
new era of Chinese Ar t
● Modern Chinese ar t includes new forms of
expression such as photography and video
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6. CHINESE SCULPTURE
● Originates from the First Dynasty in
2,100 BC.
● Among the most renowned, best
preserved and largest examples of
these is the Terracotta Army; a
col lection of figurines bui lt for
Emperor Qin Shi Huang and buried
with him.
● They represented protection for him in
the af terlife.
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7. CHINESE SCULPTURE
● This star ted an era of miniature
figures being sculpted to
accompany dead people in their
tombs.
● This classically dates back to the
Tang Dynasty between 618 AD
and 907 AD.
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8. CHINESE POTTERY
● Pottery dates back Palaeolithic
era - pre-dating Dynasties
● Star ted being made on an
industrial scale when popularity
of and ease of construction
increased
● Rulers requested Pottery to be
used as Gif ts and Trade
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9. JAPANESE ART
● Simi larly to Chinese Ar t, Japanese Ar t
dates back to around 10,000 BC.
● Captures a wide variety of styles such
as ink painting, pottery and sculpture.
● Japan has taken many foreign
influences to create its existing culture
and ideals.
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10. JAPANESE ART
● Painting is a traditional Japanese
ar t form, originating from stick
figures to i l lustrate si lk, pottery
and paper.
● J a p an’ s fi r s t c i v i l izat io n mo u l d ed
and painted pottery and clay
figures.
● Later settlers in around 350 BC
brought knowledge and Bronze
Manufacturing and Decoration.
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11. JAPANESE ART
● The rise of Buddhism in the East in
the 7th and 8th centuries taught
Japan enhanced bronze-casting
methods
● Sculptures of Buddha were popular
around this time but phased out
because of opposition from
Buddhist temples and Japanese
nobi l ity
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12. JAPANESE ART
● Picture scrol ls grew in popularity
af ter 1130 BC.
● These were pictorial stories
i l lustrating men and women.
● Kamakura was also a popular
period of Japanese ar t with
sculpture, cal l igraphy and painting
between 1180 and 1333 AD.
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13. JAPANESE ART
● The Muromachi per iod between 1338 and
1573 saw ar t become more el i t ist and
ar istocrat ic.
● Conservat ive colours were used - black and
whi te - and single colours were common.
● Secular ar t began to dominate when China
and Japan star ted to dr i f t apar t .
● Af ter 1477 Japan lost interest in sculpture
which resul ted in rel igion playing a less
signi f icant role.
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14. JAPANESE ART
● Western culture and ar tistic values had
imprinted on Japanese culture by the
star t of the 20th century.
● A dichotomy was created between these
new western styles and a desire to
rever t back to traditional conservative
ar t forms.
● Japanese Anime was born af ter World
War I I alongside American comic books
and car toons
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15. KOREAN ART
● 676 AD saw Korea become completely
independent of China and led to a
boom in Korean Ar t.
● Despite this, ar t of Korea has been
heavily influenced by Chinese Ar t and
vice versa; strengthening and widening
respective ar tistic styles.
● Buddhism played a key role in ar tistic
themes.
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16. KOREAN ART
● Some of the best Buddhist ar t is
understood to have been produced
between 676 and 935 AD dur ing the
Uni fied Si l la per iod.
● The Joseon Dynasty in 1392 began a
cul tural renaissance in Korea - introducing
Neo-Confucianism which featured secular
ar t and cul ture.
● The 15th and 16th centur ies saw classical
ar t reint roduced.
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17. KOREAN ART
● Paint ing styles in this era included
landscapes wi th nostalgic places and
mountain scenes wi th clouds and t rees.
● Ink was used commonly to highl ight the
cont rast between l ight and dark; as wel l
as ceramics, stoneware and porcelain.
● Paint ing was the most popular ar t form in
the 20th centur y - par t icularly abst ract
paint ing f rom the 1930s onwards
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18. KOREAN ART
Korean monochrome paintings grew in
popularity in the 1970s and 1980s
which challenged pre-conceived ideas
about ink and oil painting.
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19. THE MODERN EAST ASIAN ART
MARKET
● Chinese Ar t is one of the biggest sel lers
on the international scene.
● Paintings, Pottery and Sculptures fetch
high prices among col lectors, with
Chinese buyers increasing in number.
● This means that more East Asian Ar t is
being sold at auction to private buyers;
reflecting the rise of middle-class Asia
and a desire to be more l ike the West.
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20. MALLAMS AUCTIONEERS
For more information about upcoming Oriental &
Eastern Ar t Sales take a look at our calendar.
You can also contact us onl ine or cal l us:
o Oxford - 01865 241358
o Abingdon - 01235 462840
o Cheltenham - 01242 235712
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