Short Asian Art Unit

Emphasized living ethically within societies boundaries

Taoism and Confucianism

Influenced Chinese religions and stressed living in harmony with nature and one another

Buddhism

How is architecture best expressed?

Religious temples, shrines, and rock temples

What was Indian painting often done in/for?

Miniatures for court patrons

What were the ancient belief systems that spread through Asia that later developed into Hinduism and Buddhism called?

Indic

What survived from china and India?

Ancient ceramics

Buddhism as a visual art form is reliant on what

Religious images and narratives

What was the key to the spread of artistic styles

Silk Road

Asian art shows…

The interconnectivity of regional schools in the wider world

Did Asian art heavily influence European art?

Yes

Indian life today

Layering of disparate populations to create a cosmopolitan culture. Fertile Ganges and Nile river.

Describe Indian rulers

Extremely generous in patronage to commission pieces that glorified themselves and enhance civil and religious life.

Indians are highly organized in their approach to artistic training

Train apprentices in workshops. One artist as team leader in bigger monuments. Ensured iconography agreed with texts and diagrams.

Dominant religion of Southeast Asia

Buddhism

What is the goal of every Buddhist

Reject worldly concerns and end the cycle of suffering and achieve oneness with the supreme spirit to escape endless cycle.

Who is the historical Buddha?

***Siddhartha Gautama***

Why is Siddhartha Gautama the most sacred

He was carved by Vishwakarma, a celestial architect. During his time there was only one strain of Buddhism which later evolved.

When was Buddhism founded

5th or 6th century

What was Jowo Rinpoche believed to be?

The physical representation of Siddhartha Gautama before he left this world. Believed to be the first and most accurate representation but this is highly unlikely. Believed to be brought to Tibet in 631 CE

Jowo Rinpoche materials

Gilt metals, semi precious stones, pearls, paint, various offerings.

Why was Jowo Rinpoche unusual?

Thought to be blessed by Buddha himself

Regeneration and fertility are often symbols depicted on images found in

Indian Temples

Audience response of Jowo Rinpoche

People leave gold and goods to gain Buddha’s blessing

Was Jowo Rinpoche modified?

Yes, but the pose is thought to be the same

Describe Jowo Rinpoche’s hands

Left hand in mundra of meditation and right hand is the gesture of calling the earth to witness. Shows moment of Buddha’s enlightenment

When was Afghanistan Buddha created and destroyed?

400-800 CE, 2001

Materials for Afghanistan Buddha

Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint

How many rock cut Buddhas were there

Two rock cut Buddhas in Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan

Difference between big Buddha and smaller Buddha

Smaller=Historical

Bigger=Universal

Who did and didn’t destroy the Afghanistan Buddhas?

Genghis Khan destroyed everything but the Buddhas, and the Taliban destroyed them bc of iconoclastic reasons.

Why were there caves by the Afghanistan Buddhas?

For accommodations for people along the Silk Road. People could walk around the feet. Could see niche halo.

Where is the Afghanistan Buddhas located in relation to the Silk Road?

India and Southeast Asia. Goods and ideas were traded and these caves were a place to practice. One of the biggest sculptures of Buddha.

What styles did the Afghanistan Buddhas blend?

Hellenistic Greco-Roman, Central Asia, and Indian converging cultures.

Who made the Ardabil Carpet and out of what?

Maqsud of Kashan with silk and wool in 1540 ce

What was the function of the Ardabil Carpet

For prayer, found in a funerary mosque

Visual Analysis Points for Ardabil Carpet

Medallion in center represents dome with 16 pendants

Two lamps hang from these pendants, different sizes to show perspective or that only god is perfect.

Corner synches also have pendants to give the feeling of looking into a dome

Was the Ardabil carpet one of two?

Yes

Where does Islam art dominate

West Asia and South Europe

Who were the patrons in Islamic art

Royal and religious figures

What influences Islam art

Trade, economically and culturally, with surrounding traditions and regions

Where is Islam the dominant religion as it unites a diverse region and is spread through pilgrimages

North Africa, West Asia, and Spain

What does Islam art contain and not contain

Tessellation, calligraphy, arabesques but not figures

Islamic figuratively Art flourishes where?

Persian secular writings

Characteristics of Islamic Art

Avoid perspective, two-dimensional, and have arabesque and geometric designs

Whose message resonated deeply with Arabs in the seventh century?

The prophet Muhammad

The Islamic world expanded under who’s rule in Baghdad?

Abbasid Caliphate

Why is calligraphy highly valued in Islamic Art?

It was used to to transmit the texts revealed from God to Muhammad.

What materials were used for The Court of Gayumars?

Ink, gold on paper, opaque watercolor

What is The Court of Gayumars part of?

The Shahnama (Book of Kings) which is a Persian epic poem telling the ancient history of Persia with many folios and miniature paintings.

What was the point of the Shahnama?

To be read together and not collected individually.

Why is The Court of Gayumars unique to Islamic art?

It has figures, but other periods of iconoclasm were allowed.

What is depicted in the court of gayumars?

the king sits cross-legged as if levitating above his courtiers. THis is a depiction of the first Persian King, who ruled when people covered themselves in only leopard pelts

Does the court of gayumars show multiple perspectives or multiple minutes in time

Both

Why is the court of gayumars different than other Islamic pieces?

Calligraphy wasn’t the focal point and it blends the painting techniques of Tabriz and Herat

Time period for Court of Gayumars

1522 ce

Time period for Bahram Gur Fights the Karg

1310-1340 ce

Materials for Bahram Gur fights the Karg

Ink and watercolor, silver on paper, gold

Who is Bahram Gur and how is he represented?

An ancient Iranian king who represents the ideal king with a golden halo and crown. He fought the unicorn Karg on his trip to India.

How does Bahram Gur fights the Karg show crossover between cultures?

Bahram Gur is wearing european clothes

Paper is a Chinese invention from the 8th century

Local depictions of riding horses over slain opponents

Asian influence with twisted trees, overlapping forms, and asymmetrical compositions