East Asian Art Final Keywords

Qian Mausoleum

Tang imperial tomb complex showing political power, foreign influence, and cosmological order.

Tomb of Han Xiu (d. 739)

Tang official’s tomb reflecting beliefs about rank, morality, and the afterlife.

Tomb of Han Xiu, Xi’an

Located near the Tang capital; shows how burial art reinforced social hierarchy.

Amitayus

Another form of Amitabha emphasizing long life and rebirth in the Pure Land.

Relic Hall (Shariden)

A building meant to house sacred Buddhist relics, emphasizing physical presence of holiness.

Princess Chen and Xiao Shaoju Tomb

Elite Khitan tomb showing a mix of nomadic traditions and Chinese burial customs.

Zhang Family Tombs (Xuanhua)

Liao-period tombs showing hybrid burial practices and painted decoration.

Kami-dana

A small household shrine used for daily Shinto worship.

Illustration of the Inner Circulation (Neijing tu)

A Daoist diagram treating the human body as a landscape connected to the cosmos.

The Silk Road (expanded use)

Not a single road, but overlapping land and sea networks enabling cultural exchange.

Kingdom of Parhae / Balhae / Bohai

A multiethnic state influenced by Tang China, Korea, and Inner Asian cultures.

Siddhartha Gautama

A historical prince from India whose life story became the foundation of Buddhism across Asia.

Buddha

The “enlightened one”; both a specific person and a universal ideal represented differently across cultures.

Ushnisa

A bump on the Buddha’s head symbolizing wisdom and enlightenment.

Urna

A mark between the Buddha’s eyebrows showing spiritual insight.

Mudra

Hand gestures used in Buddhist art to communicate meaning without words.

Abhayamudra (Fear-not)

Raised hand gesture meaning protection, peace, and reassurance.

Dhyanamudra (Meditation)

Hands resting in the lap, showing calm, focus, and inner balance.

Bhumisparsa Mudra (Earth-Touching)

The Buddha touches the earth to confirm his enlightenment; connects spiritual truth to the natural world.

Gandhara

A region where Greek, Roman, and Buddhist styles mixed, showing how Buddhism adapted visually as it spread.

Mathura

An Indian artistic center that developed a more local, non-Greek style of Buddhist imagery.

Stupa

A mound-like structure holding relics; a focus for worship that spread throughout Asia.

Sanchi

Early Indian Buddhist site with narrative carvings but no human Buddha images.

Jataka

Stories of the Buddha’s past lives used to teach moral lessons across cultures.

Yungang Caves

Early Chinese cave temples showing foreign influence mixed with Chinese imperial style.

Mogao Caves

A Silk Road cave complex filled with Buddhist art influenced by many cultures.

Dunhuang

A Silk Road oasis where religion, trade, and art from many regions met.

Longmen Caves

Large Buddhist site showing how Buddhism became more “Chinese” over time.

Fengxian Temple

A monumental Tang Buddhist sculpture site linking religious devotion to imperial power.

Arhat (Luohan)

Followers of the Buddha shown as individual, human figures rather than idealized gods.

Amitabha / Amida

The Buddha of the Western Paradise; central to beliefs about salvation after death.

Avalokitesvara / Guanyin

The bodhisattva of compassion; gradually changed form and gender as Buddhism spread.

Bodhisattva

An enlightened being who chooses to help others instead of escaping suffering.

Maitreya

The future Buddha; a symbol of hope during times of instability.

Unified Silla

A Korean kingdom that used Buddhism to unify religion, politics, and culture.

Bulguksa

A temple complex designed to represent the Buddhist universe.

Seokguram

A stone cave temple combining Indian ideas with Korean craftsmanship.

Guardians of the Law (Vajrapāni)

Protective figures showing Buddhism’s connection to strength and authority.

Shintō

Japan’s indigenous belief system focused on nature, ritual, and place.

Kami

Spirits found in natural features like trees, mountains, and rivers.

Hōryū-ji

One of Japan’s earliest Buddhist temples, built with continental influence.

Prince Shōtoku

A ruler who promoted Buddhism while blending it with Japanese traditions.

Pagoda

A tower derived from the Indian stupa, adapted into East Asian architecture.

Golden Hall (Kondō)

The main hall housing Buddhist images for worship.

Tori Busshi

A sculptor whose work shows early Japanese Buddhist art influenced by China and Korea.

Tamamushi Shrine

A small shrine combining Buddhist stories with local artistic styles.

Torii Gate

A gate marking the transition from ordinary space to sacred space.

Kamidana

A household Shinto altar, showing religion as part of daily life.

Grand Ise Shrine / Naikū

The most important Shinto shrine, rebuilt regularly to emphasize renewal.

Jingū-ji

A site where Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines existed together.

The Silk Road

A network of trade routes that moved goods, ideas, religions, and art styles across Asia.

Astana Tombs

Burials showing multicultural identities in northwest China.

Hejia Village Hoard

A Tang treasure find revealing luxury goods from many regions.

An Jia (An Qie)

A Central Asian immigrant whose tomb shows blended cultural identity.

Stone Funerary Couch

A burial structure combining foreign and Chinese imagery.

Tang Dynasty

A highly cosmopolitan empire open to foreign cultures and religions.

Tōdai-ji

A massive temple showing Buddhism’s role in Japanese state power.

Great Buddha (Daibutsu)

A monumental image symbolizing universal authority and unity.

Shōsō-in

An imperial storehouse preserving Silk Road objects.

Tomb of Shoroon Bumbaga

A burial showing how Inner Asian elites adopted and adapted Chinese practices.

Parhae / Balhae

A multiethnic kingdom blending Chinese, Korean, and Inner Asian traditions.

Tomb of Princess Chongyo

Evidence of cultural mixing in elite Parhae society.

Daoism (Taoism)

A philosophy focused on natural balance and harmony with the universe.

Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

Figures representing withdrawal from rigid social rules.

Illustration of the Inner Circulation

A diagram showing the body as a miniature universe.

Vinegar Tasters

An image comparing Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism as complementary.

Spirit Path

A ceremonial path leading to a tomb, expressing power and order.

Night Revels of Han Xizai

A painting revealing private life beneath public morality.

Sgraffito

A decorative technique scratching designs into surfaces.

Liao Dynasty / Khitan

A nomadic-ruled state blending steppe and Chinese traditions.

Belitung Shipwreck

A shipwreck proving early global sea trade.

Changsha Wares

Export ceramics made for international markets.

Tang Taizong (r. 629–649)

One of the greatest Tang emperors; used art, Buddhism, and Confucian ideals to project moral authority and imperial order.

Yan Liben (c. 600–663)

Early Tang court painter known for portraying emperors and officials to reinforce political hierarchy and legitimacy.

Zhou Fang (c. 730–800)

Tang painter famous for elegant court women; his style reflects wealth, cosmopolitan taste, and changing ideals of beauty.

Sancai (Three-Color) glaze

A Tang ceramic technique using multiple colored glazes; reflects luxury, trade, and foreign influence in burial goods.

Yang Guifei

Favored consort of Emperor Xuanzong; symbol of Tang court luxury, beauty ideals, and the risks of excess.