Southeast Asian arts in the context of "East Asian art"

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⭐ Core Definition: Southeast Asian arts

The art produced in Southeast Asia includes the art from eleven countries that form Southeast Asia. The cultural development of the area was historically dominated by Indian influence, though several cohesive traits exist before Indian influence. The art is inspired by many countries.

Crafts based on traditional artisanal practices are also an important component of art in these countries. These crafts, including textiles, ceramics, basketry, and metalwork, reflect local traditions, materials, and cultural influences from Indian, Chinese, and Islamic civilizations. Crafts in Southeast Asia are characterized by the use of local materials like bamboo, rattan, silk, and clay, with techniques honed over centuries. These practices are often tied to cultural rituals, economic activities, and community identity, distinguishing them from broader artistic traditions like dance or architecture.

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Southeast Asian arts in the context of Asian art

The history of Asian art includes a vast range of arts from various cultures, regions, and religions across the continent of Asia. Asian art is typically divided into broad blocks: East Asian art includes works from China, Japan, Korea and Tibetan art, while Southeast Asian art includes the arts of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Historically, South Asian art mostly falls under Indian art, which encompasses the arts of the Indian subcontinent, while Central Asian art covers that region. West Asian art encompasses the arts of the Ancient Near East including Mesopotamian art and Persian art, and more recently becoming dominated by Islamic art.

In many ways, the history of Eastern art parallels the development of Western art. The art histories of Asia and Europe repeatedly intertwine, with Asian art greatly influencing European art, and vice versa; the Eurasian cultures mixed through methods such as steppe-nomad migrations,followed successively by the Silk Road transmission of art, the cultural exchange of the Age of Discovery and Western colonization, and through the Internet and modern globalization.

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