Arts of Asia Lecture Series

Precious objects from far-away places have always been treasured and collected, prompting great curiosity about their origins and the identities of their makers. Advances in maritime technology at the beginning of the 15th century led to a veritable explosion of material and information exchange between distant nations. Christian Jesuit priests traveled to all parts of Asia, leaving behind visible legacies; at the same time, China emerged as the springboard for ideas and cultures that spread throughout Asia and beyond, while the Ottoman empire created artwork reflecting its intermediary position between East and West.