China, with its multifaceted production, today holds a place of exceptional importance in museum collections and art galleries worldwide; Japan, with a clear influence in the figurative arts, graphic arts and aesthetics of the West, which began in the 19th century; and Korea, with its ancient ceramic and calligraphy tradition. Buddhist religious and cultural traditions were introduced originally in China at the beginning of the the Christian age spread to surrounding areas and their influence extended to the arts and craftwork as it merged with established indigenous religious practices: Taoism and the cult of ancestors in China; Shintoism in Japan, and shamanism in Korea.