Category Archives: Ethnography

The Far-Reaching Fragrance of Tea: The Art and Culture of Tea in Asia, Southern Branch of the Taiwan National Palace Museum

The appreciation is a lifestyle, a fashion, an art, and a culture; it is a shared language of tea connoisseurs. The originated in China, and methods of tea making have undergone centuries of change, as have the equipment and the manner in which the tea has been enjoyed. In ancient…

Wearing Asia, The Exchange and Creation of Textiles, Southern Branch of the Taiwan National Palace Museum

Fabric is essential for tailoring clothes. Before the Industrial Revolution, the production of textile was done in a very small scale and mostly at home. Nowadays, there are various ready made textile products available in the market, and people no longer have to work at a loom. As a result,…

The Bell and Cauldron Inscriptions, A Feast of Chinese Characters: the Origin and Development, Taiwan National Palace Museum

The foundation of Chinese culture was laid four thousand years ago in the remote ages of Three Dynasties (c. 2070 ~ 221 B.C.E.): Xia, Shang, and Zhou, during which Rites and Music acquired the status of the keystone of society. Their importance is illustrated by the fact that Confucius (551…

Rituals Cast in Brilliance, Masterpieces of Bronzes in the Museum Collection, Taiwan National Palace Museum

The Bronze Age of China started in the late Xia dynasty (c. early 17th century B.C.E.), lasting about 1,500 years through several dynasties from Shang to Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou. Even after the subsequent emergence of iron in Qin and Han dynasties, bronzes continued to be in use. During…

Science and Technology in the Edo Period, Japan National Museum of Nature and Science

As civilization has evolved, curiosity has taken the form of a meticulous pursuit of knowledge. For instance, rough stone tools eventually were developed into precision machinery. The rapid progress of science has made our lives more convenient and comfortable; simultaneously creating new problems such as air and water pollution. This…

Real Concerns and Tradition Unfettered, Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

The act of creating the inaugural long-term display for the DBS Singapore Gallery (Singapore Gallery) has entailed significant discussions with art historians, critics, artists and curators on the topic of “modernism” in Singapore, ranging from what definitions, terminologies and technologies one may adopt, to whether there is a specific story…

Tropical Tapestry and Nanyang Reverie, Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

The opening of the National Gallery Singapore comes at a time of great significance for Singapore, in her 50th year of independence. What is the relationship of art to a nation like Singapore and how can we understand its role in the last fifty years? These are some of the…

Authority and Anxiety, Between Declarations and Dreams, Art of Southeast Asia since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

Authority and Anxiety (19th to early 20th century): The section examines the birth of modern art in Southeast Asia in the significant social changes of the 19th century. Greater cultural contact with the West, often through the colonial experience, influenced the kind of art produced. Local elites used art to…