Religious Offerings
Asian Art in The National Gallery of Australia
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This set of pages presents images of and information about works from the National Gallery of Australia's collection of Asian Art. The works are discussed with a focus on their religious function, which is also the focus of display in the Gallery's permanent exhibition of Asian art, Nomura Court. Information on other relevant areas is also provided.
What is actually available?
The site gives access to some forty images from the Gallery's collection in both small GIF format and larger JPEG format. Artworks are from countries right throughout Asia, namely Bangladesh, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand. Works are grouped together on pages by their country of origin. Each image is discussed in paragraphs of about 100 words.Accompanying each of these country pages is another page which offers extra information about the religion, culture, art or history of that country. This is composed of text and images I have collected from various sites on the Internet. The actual content of these pages was highly dependent on what was available.
Also included within the site is the introduction from the catalogue of the collection, which serves as an introduction to the arts of Asia as well as providing the context in which the works have been collected, studied and displayed for public view. Similarly, I have provided pages which discuss in more detail how the works have been displayed in a permanent exhibition space at the National Gallery, plus the amount and type of information which has been made available to visitors. This constitutes the more theoretical section of the site, useful for students.
How are the works indexed?
Works on this site are grouped according to country of origin, but they can also be found according to the medium they employ. An index for this purpose is provided from the Home page.In some instances, works from different countries operate on common themes or narratives, so I have provided links between these works to allow for comparisons to be made.
What other pathways does the site offer?
The site offers the viewer many links to external sites which deal with the same topic. Links are provided on most pages dealing with the artworks from the various countries, as well as on the Home page.I have also included a bibliography of printed material which may be of use to students. The publications deal directly with the collection at the National Gallery, so they are quite specific in their focus and are probably not available to many outside Australia. I have however, put in an external link to the Getty's Art History library database, which allows for searches on any art topic. This should cater for international users as well.
Who can benefit from this site?
I have aimed the dialogue in this project at year 12 to tertiary age students. It is set up as a study tool which relates specific works in a given collection to broader themes in Asian art and religious culture. Gallery workers may also find it useful to see how the collection is handled in terms of context and display. Prospective visitors to the Gallery may find it an appetiser to seeing the real thing, while gaining an introduction to the works which can only lead to a greater understanding of them. Alternatively, peolpe who have already seen the exhibition may wish to find out more about the works themselves and the arts of Asia in general. This site is the ideal place to begin.
About the author...
I am a second year student at the Australian National University completing a degree in Art History and curatorship. I undertook this project to see if I could provide a site which was easy to access and understand, while still dealing with academic material in which I have a great interest. I feel that too many sites on the internet are decorative excuses for commercialism or self interest and I hope that this site will provide the viewer with an informative and stimulating resource.Take a look at
Religious Offerings
Jane Carter
20.10.95