Southeast Asia: A History in Objects

A new take on Southeast Asia’s complex history, expertly told through art objects and cultural artefacts dating from the Neolithic Age to the present.

Object by object, this richly illustrated volume, created in partnership with the British Museum, explores the complex history, art and culture of Southeast Asia, from the Neolithic age to the twenty-first century, covering modern-day Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore. Presented here are the sacred and the vernacular in 300 objects, drawn from world heritage sites such as Angkor, Borobudur and Bagan: from sculptures, to smoking pipes, clothes, puppets, ceramics, silver, musical instruments and many more.

Through engaging texts and expertly curated objects from the British Museum collection, arranged chronologically into six chapters, this volume touches all aspects of Southeast Asia’s history and culture. From the emergence of agricultural communities and stratified societies to the rise of powerful empires and religious fluctuations between Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, and from the age of colonial rule to the struggle for independence, every object tells a story in this hugely wide-ranging and accessible selection.

Here is a vast array of impressive Buddha representations, such as the statues which adorned the temples of the Sukhothai Kingdom, the cradle of Thai civilization, or those of Angkor Wat, one of the world’s most magnificent religious monuments. Classic traditional crafts are sampled, such as Burmese lacquer, Thai and Cambodian banner painting, Javanese Masks and Batik (the Indonesian art of textile dyeing), as well as an eclectic mix of artworks, photographs and comic books circulating in Southeast Asia today. This is an informative visual treat for curious minds, historians and cultural adventurers everywhere.