Unit 7: West and Central Asia, 500 BCE–1980 CE

Asian art was and is global, as the cultures of these regions were connected to each other and to West Asia and Europe, with clear reciprocal influences. In this unit, students connect works of art and artistic traditions to the cultural practices and belief systems in South, East, and Southeast Asia. Many religious and philosophic traditions developed in these regions, and the art generated shows the strong influence of these traditions as art was created for the express purpose of supporting such beliefs and practices.

Students have the opportunity to study the artistic traditions of each of the regions in this unit and the discrete works within each tradition. They will also examine the works and how they provide evidence of these reciprocal cultural exchanges by considering them in the larger context of centuries of art history.^{(AP® Art History CED)}