This engaging book introduces readers to the traditional civilizations of India, China, and Japan. It expands and enriches our perceptions as it explores the ways in which ideas have evolved--and how they have been expressed--in each of the three traditions and in different historical and social institutional contexts.

The discussions of ideas focus on the understandings of nature, man, and society in myth, religion, and formal systems of thought. What is the nature of the universe? What is human nature? What is the ideal society? How are these understandings reflected in art?

The exploration of art looks at symbol, style, meaning, materials, and technique. For each civilization, the author explores ideals of beauty and explains aesthetic assumptions. The volume is abundantly illustrated—the print editions in black and white, ebook editions in full color—to make the connections between thought and expression immediately accessible to readers.

Asian traditions of thought and the works of art that give them expression them are not merely relics of a vanished past: they are still a living presence in the modern world. Recognizing and more deeply understanding what we see will greatly enrich our daily experience.