Ancient Asian art represents the diverse and creative heritage of the vast Asian continent. It spans a wide array of artistic expressions, cultural backgrounds, and historical eras, providing us with a captivating glimpse into the beliefs, aesthetics, and societies of prehistoric Asia.
Ancient Asian art is vast and covers a wide geographical area, including East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia), and Central Asia. Each region developed its own unique artistic traditions, while often interacting with and influencing one another. Various techniques were used, including carving, painting, pottery, sculpture, metalwork, calligraphy, and more. Collaboration instead of competition, helped these techniques to advance rapidly.
One unique artistic expression emerged in ancient Asia, absent from African records—the obscure hand stencils. The hand stencils adorning the Leang-Leang Cave in South Sulawesi, Indonesia are believed to date back almost 40,000 years ago.
Some archaeologists believe that hand stencils may have had magical or religious significance. They may have been used to ward off evil spirits or to communicate with the gods. Others believe that hand stencils may have been used to mark territory or to identify individuals. They may have been a way for people to say, “I was here.”
Drawing a contemporary parallel, look no further than Autoglyphs by Larva Labs. Autoglyphs, being the inaugural generative NFT project, consists of only 512 unique pieces. What sets them apart is that the art resides within the blockchain contract itself, rendering them true “art on the blockchain.”
Ancient hand stencils and Autoglyphs are both forms of human expression that use different mediums to create unique images. They are both signatures left on the world: hand stencils represent the identity and rituals of ancient artists, while Autoglyphs represent the ownership and authenticity of digital art. Both have significance and value, with hand stencils embodying cultural heritage and NFTs embodying the emerging digital culture and economy.
As time marched forward, Neolithic cultures evolved into more settled societies, marked by the arrival of agriculture and the domestication of animals. The use of refined tools paved the way for the development of crafts like pottery and weaving. While the primary purpose of most ancient Chinese art, like in other places, was to be useful, artists began to add ornamentation and decoration to their work. They also started to make jewelry, often centered around jade carving and precious metalwork.
Jade carvings from the Neolithic period stand as a remarkable testament to the technical prowess of ancient artisans. Due to jade’s hardness, which is comparable to steel, it is difficult to shape using metal tools. As a result, these refined creations were painstakingly handcrafted, involving a meticulous process of collecting, grinding, carving, drilling, and polishing the stone.
In regards to NFTs, we can think of Chromie Squiggles as sharing similarities in terms of their uniqueness to the jade pendants from Neolithic China. Chromie Squiggles, a generative NFT project, was launched in November 2020. A collection of 10,000 unique rainbow squiggles, randomly generated on the Ethereum blockchain.
Both artworks were created in a way that results in each piece being unique. Much like the hand stencils gave rise to the Hongshan pendant, Autoglyphs gave rise to the Squiggles.
The Jomon period in Japan, which lasted from around 14,000 to 300 BCE, was a remarkable time marked by some of the world’s most densely populated foraging communities.
Pottery was the primary mode of expression and communication for these communities, and it demonstrated their level of craftsmanship. The distinctive cord-marked surface of Jomon pottery, often decorated with elegantly simple geometric motifs, is its hallmark. Some outstanding examples have intricate designs depicting animals and human figures. Their legacy extends beyond craftsmanship, as the Jomon people fostered a spirit of sharing, forming networks that facilitated the exchange of ideas and information, and bolstering their resilience in times of adversity. Again, we see ancient communities collaborating instead of competing.
The Bored Ape Yacht Club is a modern-day example of how communities can be built and innovated, just like the Jomon people did in the past. The BAYC community is built around the ownership of their NFTs. Members of the community can use their NFTs to access exclusive benefits, such as a private Discord server, IRL parties, conferences, and a real-life yacht club.
Both communities are built around shared interests and values. The Jomon people shared a common culture and a connection to nature. BAYC members share an interest in NFTs and a desire to be part of an exclusive community.
The ripple effect of the BAYC brand is nothing short of remarkable, spawning numerous projects and communities, both initiated by the founders and driven by their dedicated members. Few NFT projects can claim to have birthed as many diverse offspring.
The dynamic fusion of the past and the present is where my love of NFTs lies. I will continue this journey through art history and how it relates to NFTs.
I hope you will stay tuned for the next episode, which is the Renaissance!
