One of the continual driving forces in the ongoing evolution of art is the energy that occurs when the works of one culture become available to another.

Except for tool making, Art is the longest and most important human activity in existence. People have been drawing, carving, and looking for patterns for more than 30,000 years everywhere in the world. Music and writing have a long history too, but the first music wasn’t written until 2000 years ago and the first writing has only existed for 5000 years in a few places in the world. (Onians, 2008)

The development of technology has made possible quick contact between cultures. Very few cultures have remained in complete isolation over the course of their history. A combination of trade, war, exploration, colonialism, and imperialism has brought cultures into contact. These interactions and learning from one another has greatly influence art throughout history.

Trading Materials and Techniques

Since trade began, societies have produced exquisite materials and beautifully crafted objects that others have collected and replicated, with modifications reflecting technological limitations, cultural relevancy, and personal taste. Materials and objects that have had widespread cultural impact include ceramics--notably porcelain, glassware, leather, and metalwork. ("Art Through Time: A Global View - Textbook And Guide Resources")

The development of the Silk Road allowed exchange of materials, techniques, and technology between civilizations. The Silk Road was a trade route that linked existing trade routes connecting the Middle East, the Mediterranean, China, Central Asia, and parts of northern India.

Travel along the Silk Road was often dangerous, involved trekking over high mountains between grasslands and deserts. To exchange luxury goods, merchants traveled partway to meet their counterparts. Caravans heading east carried gold, precious stones, metals, ivory, coral, spices, tea, paper, and china, while westbound caravans traded in furs, ceramics, incense, cinnamon, rhubarb, and bronze weapons.

In addition to the exchange of merchandise, traders came in contact with diverse cultures, lifestyles, and religions, and were exposed to the various social structures and political relationships between countries. Buddhism, for example, spread from India to China because of trade along the Silk Route, similar to the way Islam spread along trans-Saharan routes in medieval West Africa (Silk road study group).

It was in these first meeting of cultures that hybrid art started.