Unit 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 BCE–1980 CE

The arts of West and Central Asia provide evidence of the cultural transfer of ideas and art forms throughout this region. The presence of Hellenistic architecture, Buddhist sculpture, ceramic tile decoration, and chinoiserie outside of their original areas of development are each illustrations of this cultural transfer.

Many of these works were created for a specific religiously-affiliated purpose, patron, or audience. They play a key role in the history of world art, serving as an example of the vast cultural interchanges that link European and Asian peoples.

Ceramics, metalwork, textiles, painting, and calligraphy are some of the materials, processes, and techniques employed by artists in these regions and cultures. This unit illustrates the importance and influence that these different materials and techniques had on art and art making within and across cultures.^{(AP® Art History CED)}