
How did an Indian Buddhist shrine influence a Japanese pagoda? How are Italian pigs and cowry shells related to porcelain? Why did the ferocious warriors of Mongolia wear silk underwear? And how did wood block printing bring about a revolution in Japan and in European culture? These intriguing questions are investigated in Artifacts, a series that explores the origins and hidden connections among the art and artifacts of the great cultures and belief systems across Asia - on a journey through time and across continents from India to Thailand, China and Japan - to understand the impact of calligraphy, porcelain, architecture, metallurgy, wood block printing and silk on Asian history and on the history of the world in general.
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Air Date: 2000-01-01
When Westerners first discovered Chinese paintings, they could not see their value. They wouldn't even acknowledge th...
Air Date: 2000-01-01
A very long time ago, far away in China, a villager living along the banks of the Yellow River built a simple mud hut...
Air Date: 2000-01-01
When pieces of Chinese porcelain were first seen in the West, they were so rare and exquisite that they very quickly ...
Air Date: 2000-01-08
Why has the samurai sword always been such a powerful symbol of Japanese culture? Dr. Inazo Nitobe, the man pictured ...