Southeast Asian arts

Introduction
The cultural setting of Southeast Asian arts
- External influences
- Indigenous traditions
  - The role of royal patronage and religious institutions
  - Predominant artistic themes
- The unique aesthetic of the region
Literature
- General considerations
  - Regional distinctions
  - Prestige of the writer
- Pre-European colonial period
  - Burma
    - The 15th century
    - The 16th century
    - Golden age of literature
  - Thailand
    - First golden age: King Narai (1657–88)
    - Second golden age: King Rama II (1809–24)
  - Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
  - Malaysia and Indonesia
- European colonial and modern periods
  - Burma
  - Thailand
  - Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
  - Malaysia and Indonesia
  - The Philippines
Music
- General characteristics
  - Society and music
    - Rural and urban music
    - Relation to social institutions
  - The relation of music to dance and theatre
  - Musical traditions and practice
    - Vocal music
    - Instrumental music
    - Tonal systems
    - Musical time and improvisation
- Historical developments
  - Origins
    - Early bamboo instruments
    - Early bronze instruments
    - Musical traditions
  - Myanmar
  - Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia
  - Vietnam
  - Indonesia and Malaysia
    - Java
    - Bali
    - Other parts of Indonesia
    - Malaysia
  - The Philippines
The performing arts
- Diverse traditions in the performing arts
  - The folk tradition
  - The court tradition
  - The popular and Western traditions
- Characteristics of dance
  - Dramatic and nondramatic forms
  - Styles and conventions of movement and costuming
- Characteristics of drama
  - Thematic origins and materials
  - Characters
  - Dramatic materials
  - Costumes, makeup, and settings
- Origins and development of the performing arts
  - Prehistory and links to the present
  - Spreading of styles
  - Popular theatre and Western rule
- Diverse national forms and traditions
  - Cambodia
    - Court styles
    - Popular forms
  - Thailand
    - Folk performance
    - Female court dance-dramas
    - Masked mime
    - Popular plays and puppets
  - Laos
  - Burma
  - Indonesia
    - Shadow-puppet theatre
    - Wayang topeng
    - Wayang orang
    - Ketoprak and ludruk
    - Sundanese performing arts
    - Balinese dance-drama
  - Malaysia
    - The multiform wayang
    - Chinese and popular entertainments
  - Vietnam
    - Satirical drama
    - The opera
    - The popular stage
  - The Philippines
    - The comedia
    - Styles from Europe
Visual arts
- General considerations
  - Religious-aesthetic traditions
    - Indigenous and animist tradition
    - Indian tradition
    - Relations between traditions
  - Artistic styles
  - General development of Southeast Asian art
    - Neolithic Period
    - Bronze Age: Dong Son culture (c. 5th–1st century bce)
    - 1st–10th century
    - 10th century to the present
- Burma
  - 6th–11th century
  - 11th century to the present
- Thailand and Laos
  - Dvaravati Mon kingdom: 6th–11th century
  - Khmer conquest and Tai immigration: 11th–13th century
  - The Thai kingdom: 13th–17th century
    - Sculpture
    - Architecture and painting
  - 18th century to the present
  - Laos
- Cambodia and Vietnam
  - Cambodian kingdoms of Funan and Chenla: 1st–9th century
  - Kingdom of Khmer: 9th–13th century
  - 13th century to the present
  - Vietnam kingdom of Champa: c. 2nd–15th century
    - Art of the northern capital: 4th–11th century
    - Art of the southern capital: 11th–15th century
  - Vietnam: 2nd–19th century
  - 19th–21st century
- Indonesia
  - Central Javanese period: 7th–13th century
    - Hindu and Buddhist candis
    - Borobudur
    - Post-Borobudur candis
  - East Javanese period: 927–16th century
  - 16th century to the present
  - Bali
  - Java: 20th and 21st centuries
- Singapore and Malaysia: 20th and 21st centuries
- The Philippines
- Folk arts
  - The ornamental-fantastic style
  - Textiles

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Fresco of the Preaching Buddha at the Wet-kyi-in, Gu-byauk-gyi, Pagan, c. 1113.

The Great Departure of Bodhisattva, detail from Episodes from the Life of Buddha, Thai painting on silk panel, 17th–18th century; in the Musée Guimet, Paris. Detail 93 × 93 cm.

Garuda; Krishna

Comparing traditional music in China and Indonesia

Observe a man playing the saron barung, a musical instrument of Javanese gamelan music

suling on a kacapi

For Students

Apsaras, heavenly dancing girls, bas-relief from Angkor Wat, Angkor, Cambodia, early 12th century.

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Photos and Videos

Fresco of the Preaching Buddha at the Wet-kyi-in, Gu-byauk-gyi, Pagan, c. 1113.

The Great Departure of Bodhisattva, detail from Episodes from the Life of Buddha, Thai painting on silk panel, 17th–18th century; in the Musée Guimet, Paris. Detail 93 × 93 cm.

Garuda; Krishna

suling on a kacapi

Apsaras, heavenly dancing girls, bas-relief from Angkor Wat, Angkor, Cambodia, early 12th century.

Ravana, the demon king, fighting the white monkey Hanuman, in khon masked pantomime, Thailand.

Ketjak, or monkey dance, Bali.

Comparing traditional music in China and Indonesia

Observe a man playing the saron barung, a musical instrument of Javanese gamelan music

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Topics

Southeast Asian music Southeast Asian architecture batik Southeast Asia the arts South Asian arts Islamic arts Central Asian arts Native American art East Asian arts Oceanic arts Western arts African arts Native American arts interior design

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