Welcome to the endlessly fascinating world of Japanese storytelling. Japan has a long and rich history of pairing narrative texts with elaborate illustrations—a tradition that continues to this day with manga and other popular forms of animation. Featuring more than sixty works of art in a range of mediums and formats, this exhibition invites you to explore myriad subjects that have preoccupied the Japanese imagination for centuries—Buddhist and Shinto miracle tales; the romantic adventures of legendary heroes and their feats at times of war; animals and fantastical creatures that cavort within the human realm; and the ghoulish antics of ghosts and monsters.
From illustrated books and folding screens to textiles and even playing cards, the objects on view, which date from the twelfth to th ... Go to event
The goddess (devi) is both the source and the affirmation of life. In early Indian religions, this concept is deified in a variety of forms. While we lack a historical understanding of the quasi-magical-religious function of the earliest images of the female form on view in this exhibition, we identify them as goddesses.
A bit later, we witness the emergence of deified females who have identifiable roles associated with the protection of children and with the life-affirming powers of water. The former finds expression in goddesses who originally may have been devourers of children—that is, the bearers of disease. Over time some were placated and thus acquired more benign aspects. The enthroned goddess with a cornucopia and children, from northwestern India, represents this tradition ... 
These galleries explore the South Asian emergence of Buddhist and Hindu sculptural traditions between the second century B.C. and the eighth century A.D. More than one hundred sixty works from the permanent collection are juxtaposed to trace the range of stylistic and iconographic developments in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India during a period that witnessed great ideological ferment and international exchange. The recently published volume The Art of Gandhara in The Metropolitan Museum of Art addresses much of this early production.
When: Ongoing
Where: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Florence and Herbert Irving Galleries for the Arts of South and Southeast Asia, 2nd floor, NY
For more info click here.
Minhwa commonly refers to a genre of Korean folk art from the late Chosŏn era (17th–19th C.). Based on Shamanic, Buddhist, or Confucian themes, Minhwa, as a popular form, conveys freshness and vitality in a relaxed ambiance, in contrast with the more scholarly and stern Muninhwa-style favored by the yangban, or aristocratic, class. The use of vibrant primary colors and exaggerated painting styles were indicative of the taste of the middle-class, who wanted to imitate the yangban love of art, but with a touch of flamboyance. This workshop will offer instruction in crafting Minhwa motifs in ink and applying colored powders to create layered tones on mulberry paper.
When: Every Monday, September 12-October 3
Time: 5PM-7PM
Where: The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue@57th Street, 8th Floor, NYC
F ... 
Are you curious which country originated Tofu? What does authentic soy milk taste like? Is there vegetarian dim sum available? What is the art of making Asian tea? What are the essential elements of Asian Vegetarian Cuisines? Our Original Asian Vegetarian Food and Culture Walking Tour will take you to NYC Chinatown to experience Buddhist Cuisine, also known as East Asian vegetarian cuisine (zhāicài), one of the oldest known vegetarian cuisines! You will have all your questions about Asian Vegetarian Cuisine answered! You will also learn about the history and culture of Chinatown.
Your food and culture journey includes the following:
Dim Sum (which literally means “touch of the heart”): Scrumptious small portion dishes – traditionally served family style
Local ... 
The Korean Traditional Performing Arts Association (KTPAA) proudly presents its 17th Annual Concert entitled “Secular Buddhist Ritual and Beyond: Dance, Drumming and Chamber Music of Korea”. The concert will introduce the Korean Buddhist Monk Dance, seumgmu, performed by two of the most distinguished Korean dance masters, Sue Yeon Park and Song Hee Lee, with accompaniment by a Korean chamber orchestra. This orchestra will be led by the renowned Korean music composer/arranger/pianist, Soungwhan Yang, and will demonstrate an array of mystical sounds connecting the old and the new.
When: October 22, 2011
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, NY
Ticket: $30; Students, Seniors $20
For more info click here.
A unique, fun, and family friendly way to ring in the new year!
9:30–11:30 am: Bell Ringing for Asian Art Museum Members
10:00 am–3:00 pm: Art Activities
11:30 am: Bell Ringing Ceremony
Say goodbye to 2011 with family and friends by taking a swing at a giant temple bell!
Bring your loved ones to the Asian Art Museum and literally “ring in” the New Year, Japanese-style.
Everyone is invited to participate in the auspicious Japanese tradition of striking a temple bell. This popular event offers the community a memorable opportunity to reflect peacefully upon the passing year.
As in past observances, a 2100-lb., sixteenth-century Japanese bronze bell originally from a temple in Tajima Province in Japan and now part of the museum’s collection will be struck 108 times with a la ... 
In early Tibetan painted portraits, founding masters of important Buddhist schools were often represented as holy personages. Using artistic conventions developed in India, Tibetan artists expressed the Buddhist ideals embodied in a particular person, exalting their human subjects to the level of buddhas.
Mirror of the Buddha will present exquisite examples of these portraits, painted primarily in the eastern India-inspired Sharri style. Though the Sharri tradition spread from India to many parts of Asia, the style’s classic Indian forms, delicate colors, and intricate decorative details were emulated most faithfully by Tibetans and enjoyed particular popularity in Tibet from the 12th to 14th century.
Marking the third in a series of exhibitions that explores important Tibetan painti ... 
