Terms of the Day for September 11

• Hinduism – a religion including the worship of several gos and a belief in reincarnation, the law of karma, and a universal spirit.
• The Ramayana – an ancient Sanskrit epic that forms an important part of the Hindu canon. Through a series of stories, it depicts the duties of relationships; portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, ideal servant, ideal brother, ideal wife, and the ideal king.
• The Mahabharata - one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana.  Besides its epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandava princes, the Mahabharata contains much philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life".

Slide Images for September 9

 Prasat Phnom Rung

Thailand

12th Century

Carving of Shiva Nataraja, Prasat Phnom Rung

Thailand

12th Century

 Shivaite Brick Shrine

My Son, Vietnam

7th Century

 Dancer From Tra Kieu

Champa

10th Century

 Gajasimha (elephant-lion)

Champa

c. 12th Century

 Preah Ko

Angkor

10th Century

 Phimeanakas Temple

Angkor

9th Century

 Bakong Temple

Angkor

Built in various stages 881-12th Century

Angkor Wat

Angkor

12th Century

Terms of the Day for September 9

• Hinduism – a religion including the worship of several gods and a belief in reincarnation, the law of karma, and a universal spirit.
• Champa Kingdom – (CHUM-pah) the kingdom of the Chams situated in what is now central Vietnam, lasting from the end of the 2nd to the start of the 19th century.
• Khmer Empire – (kuh-MEH) one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew to power in the first millennium AD, at times ruled over parts of modern-day Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia.
• Angkor – (ANG-core) meaning “Holy City”, a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire.  The region flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries.
• Mount Meru – (meh-ROO) in Hindu belief, a mountain at the center of the cosmos and home of the gods, around which the entire universe revolves.

Slide Images for September 2

 Padung-Padung Ear Pendants

Nothern Sumatra

c. 19th-Early 20th Century

 Tombstone of the Raja of Anakalang

West Sumba

c. 18th-19th Century

Hinggi (man's shawl) With Crayfish and ‘Coat of Arms' Design

East Sumba

c. 1970

 Ship Cloth (Tampan)

Lampung, Indonesia

Late 19th Century

Women’s Tatoos

Kayan and Kenyah Cultures, Borneo

Contemporary

 Women’s Tatoos

Kayan and Kenyah Cultures, Borneo

Late 19th Century

 Sepik Face Mask

Papua New Guinea

c. 18th-19th Century

 Ceremonial Ancestor Mask

Papua New Guinea

c. 1900-1950

Hudo’urung (Wild Boar Mask)

East Kalimantan

Terms of the Day for September 2

• Symmetry – the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis.
• Padung-Padung– (peh-DANG peh-DANG) Sumatran traditional earrings made of folded silver wire shaped to resemble both male and female genitalia.  They symbolize the shifting power relations between a husband and wife.
• Hinggi Cloth– (hen-GHEE) a traditional Indonesian cloth, generally worn by men, whose patterning is thought to be representative of social, religious, and political structures within village life.

Slide Images for August 31

Kenyalang

Sarawak, Maylasia

Early 20th century

 

 Pua Kumbu

Unknown Iban Weaver

19th century

 Ceremonial Tampan

Sumatra

c. 19th-early 20th century

 Ceremonial Tampan

Sumatra

19th century

 Traditional House

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi

Contemporary

 Adu Zatua Ancestor Figure

Nias

19th Century

 Tau-Tau Figure

Unknown Torajan Carver

1879

Mortuary effigies (tau-tau) 

Tau-tau efficies representing high-ranking deceased on display in vaults and a stone cliff.

Terms of the Day for August 31

• Motif – A decorative design or pattern or distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition
• Kenyalang – a traditional carved and painted wooden figure representing a hornbill.  In Southeast Asian cultures, the hornbill is emblematic of the upper realm, masculinity, and warrior skill.
• Pua Kumbu – (poo-AH koom-BOO) a traditional patterned multicolored ceremonial cotton cloth used by the Iban culture, made and used in Sarawak, Malaysia. They are woven by women and are considered to be sacred objects. They are used for lifecycle rituals, special events, and funerals.
• Tampan – a small, rectangular cloth used in areas of Southern Sumatra in Indonesia usually designed using a ship motif. They were used in transitional ceremonies, such as weddings, births, and funerals; the ship is said to signify transition and act as security during these transitory times.
• Adu Zatua – (AH-doo SAHT-yoo) a wooden figure representing an ancestor.  The adu zatua is usually carved upon the death of the individual and emphasizes the person’s rank in society.
• Tau-tau – meaning “man-statue”, a type of effigy made of wood or bamboo.  The effigy represents a deceased loved one and is clothed and maintained in memory of the deceased.