Chapter 25: Japanese Art

kamikaze

The Mongols attempted to invade in 1281 but their fleet was destroyed by a typhoon called .

Continuous narrative

a work of art that contains several scenes of the same story painted or sculpted in continuous succession

Genre painting

painting in which scenes of everyday life are depicted

Haboku (splashed ink)

a monochrome Japanese ink painting done in a free style in which ink seems to be splashed on a surface Kondo

Mandorla

(Italian, meaning “almond”) a term that describes a large almond-shaped orb around holy figures like Christ and Buddha

Tarashikomi

a Japanese painting technique in which paint is applied to a surface that has not already dried from a previous application

Ukiyo-e

translated as “pictures of the floating world,” a Japanese genre painting popular from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century

Yamato-e

a style of Japanese painting that is characterized by native subject matter, stylized features, and thick bright pigments

Zen

a metaphysical branch of Buddhism that teaches fulfillment through self-discipline and intuition

Meditation

It is essential for enlightenment, and samurai warriors use it to perform acts of bravery and physical endurance.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

a highly sophisticated ritual that may seem simple to the Westerner.

Teahouses

have bamboo and wooden walls, floor mats of woven straw, and everything is arranged with straightforwardness and delicacy.

Todai-ji

* A two-story building with long, graceful eaves hanging over the edges: the eaves protect the interior from the sun and rain.
* This is the original center of the Buddhist faith in Japan
* The temple is noted for its colossal sculpture of seated Vairocana Buddha.

Great Buddha, Todai-ji

* Largest metal statue of Buddha in the world.
* Monumental feat of casting.
* Emperor Shōmu embraced Buddhism and erected sculpture as a way of stabilizing Japanese population.

Mudra

right hand means “do not fear”; left hand means “welcome.”

Nio guardian figures, Todai-ji

* They are placed on either side of the Todai-ji south gate.
* Masculine, frightening figures that protect the Buddha derived from Chinese guardian figures such as those at Luoyang.

Great South Gate of Todai-ji

This is the main gate of Todai-ji.

Ryoan-Ji

* From Muromachi period; c. 1480; current design 18th century


* a temple located in north Kyoto, Japan affiliated with a branch of
* Zen Buddhism.

Zen Wet garden, Ryoan-Ji

* Gravel represents water
* Rocks represent mountain ranges.
* The garden is bounded on two sides by a low, yellow wall.
* Meant to be viewed from a veranda in a nearby building, the abbot’s residence.

Zen Dry garden, Ryoan-Ji

* Contains a teahouse.
* Seemingly arbitrary in placement, the plants are actually placed in a highly organized and structured environment symbolizing the natural world.
* Water symbolizes purification; used in rituals.

Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace

* Reflected in the large quantity of war-related literature and paintings.
* Scroll depicts a coup staged in 1159 as Emperor Go-Shirakawa is taken prisoner.
* Imperial palace in flames

White and Red Plum Blossoms

* By Ogata Korin (1710–1716)
* A stream cuts rhythmically through the scene; swirls in the paint surface indicate water currents.
* The work is influenced by the yamato-e style of painting.
* Tarashikomi technique

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura)

* By Katsushika Hokusai (1830–1833)
* Also known as the Great Wave
* from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
* The print was designed by an artist on paper, and then an engraver copied the design onto a woodblock.