Images

A detail of a silk scroll painting showing the imperial garden of Kaifeng, the first capital of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE). From 'Games in the Jinming Pool', by Chinese Song artist Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145 CE).

Stamps on pottery vessels may refer to the makers or owners. They may also be trademarks that record capacity or content. The handles of amphorae from the Mediterranean island of Rhodes carried stamps indicating the quality of their contents...

Part of a stucco wall decoration from Qasr al-Bint Temple at Raqmu-Petra, Kingdom of Nabataea, 1st century CE. The Jordan Museum, Amman.

Safaitic inscription with an image of a Bactrian camel carved on a desert rock. The detailed drawing indicates that the scribe has seen this type of Asian camel, probably along the trade route with China. First century BCE to fourth century...

Lare jar painted in red and black on beige. The paintings show animal scenes in two registers. In the lower register, two large snakes lie opposite each other. In the upper one, framed by horizontal lines and a zigzag motif on the jar's shoulder...

A painted silk scroll portrait of the Jianwen Emperor (r. 1398-1402 CE), the second ruler of the Chinese Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE).

A detail of a marble statue of Cupid and Psyche from the Domus of Cupid and Psyche in Ostia Antica, Italy. The statue was made at the time the house was built, in the second quarter of the 4th century CE.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, part of the Temple of Heaven in the Forbidden City, Beijing. The temple and the Forbidden City were first built in the reign of Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1403-1424 CE)

A silk scroll portrait of the Yongle Emperor (aka Chengzu or Yung Lo, r. 1403-1424 CE) who was the third ruler of the Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE). (National Palace Museum, Taibei)

The Ming Dynasty Empire (1368-1644 CE) at the time of the Yongle Emperor (aka Chengzu r. 1403-1424 CE).