History of Interior Design 3: Intro to Asian Art and Interior

Vocabulary flashcards covering the introductory concepts, geographic divisions, demographic statistics, and major trans-cultural movements of Asia from History of Interior Design 3 Unit 2.

Eurocentric-American View

The historical perspective that for a long time framed the timeline for world art and design, incorporating non-European cultures only as ancient, traditional, native, exotic, or as token representations that influenced Western developments.

Decolonizing Exhibitions

The process by which museums and curators reevaluate their practices to embrace diversity, dismantle colonialist dialogues, and incorporate minority cultures along with their indigenous perspectives on art and artifacts.

Asia (Geographic and Demographic Scale)

The Earth's largest continent, comprising 60% of the world's population, joined to Europe to form Eurasia, and containing 49 different countries (excluding territories such as Taiwan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Northern Cyprus, Nagorno-Karabakh, Hong Kong, and Macau).

Most Populous Megacities in the World

The five Asian metropolitan centers identified as the most populous megacities: Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka, and Beijing.

Densely Populated Asian Countries (as of 2025)

The five Asian nations identified as the most densely populated: Singapore, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and the Maldives.

Six Regions of Asia

The geographical subdivisions used to categorize the Asian landmass: North Asia, South Asia, West Asia (Middle East), Central (Near East), East Asia (Far East), and Southeast Asia.

North Asia

The geographic region consisting primarily of the Russian land mass located east of the Ural Mountains.

South Asia

Also known as the Indian subcontinent, this region comprises the sub-Himalayan countries of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

West Asia (Middle East)

The geographic region comprising Iraq, Iran, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, and the Caucasus.

Central Asia (Near East)

The geographic division of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

East Asia (Far East)

The geographic region spanning Mongolia, mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and North and South Korea.

Southeast Asia

The geographic region composed of Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, East Timor, Laos, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Burma, and Thailand.

Buddhism (in Asian Art and Culture)

A belief system that developed in India during the 6th century B.C.E. in reaction to Hinduism and subsequently spread across South, Southeast, and East Asia, shaping governance, visual culture, and material culture.

Islam (in Asian Art and Culture)

A monotheistic faith founded by Muhammad in the early 7th century C.E. at Mecca that expanded across Central and Western Asia to Indonesia, leaving a major mark on Asian visual and material culture.

The Silk Road

A network of pan-Asian trade routes dating back to the 2nd century B.C.E. that linked Eastern China to Southern Europe and North Africa, facilitating commerce in silk and enabling extensive cross-cultural encounters.