South and Southeast Asia APAH Vocabulary

Ashlar masonry

Carefully cut and grooved stones that support a building without the use of concrete or other kinds of masonry.

Axis-mundi

An axis that connects heaven and earth.

Buddha

Founder of Buddhism; multiple forms; has achieved full enlightenment.

Bulbous

Describing a dome that is fat or bulging at the bottom before tapering inwards slightly.

Cenotaph

An empty tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person.

Chahar bagh

A garden often divided into quarters by divisions of water, meaning 'fourfold garden'.

Chamfered corner

A flattened corner of two buildings, often at 45 degrees.

Chhatri

An elevated, domed tower.

Corbelled arch

Constructed by offsetting successive courses of stone or brick, projecting towards the archway's center until meeting at the apex.

Embryo room

The central most room in a Hindu shrine, housing the deity’s statue and believed to be the deity’s dwelling place; usually very small.

Hasht Bihisht

A specific type of floorplan in Mughal architecture divided into 8 chambers surrounding a central room.

Iwan

A vaulted room in Islamic architecture that opens to a courtyard.

Jali

A perforated and decorated screen, usually with calligraphic or geometric ornamentation.

Maithuna

Depictions of couples explicitly engaged in sexual intercourse.

Mausoleum

A building that contains tombs.

Miniature

Small paintings on paper, prized for their detail and precision.

Mughals

Islamic rulers in India, known for opulence and extravagance.

Nimbus

A circle or oval shape surrounding a religious figure, representing spiritual light or glory.

Panchayatana

A Hindu temple where the main shrine is surrounded by four smaller shrines.

Pietra dura

The inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images on a neutral colored stone.

Shiva

The Hindu god of destruction.

Stupa

A dome-shaped Buddhist shrine.

Tantric

Referring to transcendence; often describes deeply meditative and intimate sexual activity.

Torana

A gateway near a stupa with two upright posts and three horizontal lintels, usually elaborately carved.

Urna

The red dot on the forehead of Buddhist figures.

Ushnisha

The top-knot on the top of Buddha’s head, referencing a humble crown.

Vishnu

The Hindu god of preservation.

Wat

A Buddhist monastery or temple in Cambodia.

Yakshi

Female and male fertility figures in Buddhist and Hindu art.