NON-WESTERN ART
The following examples of Non-Western Art show how the use of spirals is not limited to the history of Western culture. Rather, the symbol is clearly universal, ranging throughout historical periods and across geographical space. Many Non-Western works of art employ the spiral to reflect natural elements such as water, wind, or plant life. Notably, the Chinese embroidery example reveals that the spiral has been used for centuries in other cultures as an explicit reference to abstract concepts such as "longevity."
Name: "View of the Whirlpools at Awa"
Date: 1857 Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige Current Location: Museum of fine arts, Boston Name: "Naruto Whirlpool, Awa Province, from the series Views of Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces"
Date:1853 Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige Current Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Name: Spiral Pendant
Date: ca. 7th-8th Century B.C. Artist: Unknown Current Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
Name: "Chang Shou (longevity) Embroidery" on Thin Silk
Date: C. 201-24 B.C. Artist: Unknown Current Location: Hunan Provincial Museum Name: Silk Embroidery: Patterns of dragon, phoenix and tiger
Date: Ca. 475 B.C.-221 B. C Artist: Unknown Current Location: Jingzhou Museum, Hubei province, China |
Extra Information on Asian Art
"Karakusa is Japanese and means “foreign plant” or “winding plant”. The pattern consists of various spirals, and these spirals take their shape from vines and other natural forms." -Kiyoe Fuchigami (heldermann-verlag.de)