APAH Gallery 7/8 - Asia VOCAB

Rounded (Romanesque) Arch

Corbelled Arch

Constructed by offsetting successive courses of stone so that they project towards the archway’s center from each supporting side, until the courses meet at the apex of the archway

Embryo Room

central most room in a Hindu shrine; features the cult statue

Ashlar Masonry

carefully cut and grooved stones that support a building without the use of mortar

Maithuna

depictions of couples engaged in sexual intercourse

Tantric

a slow, prolonged practice that culminates spiritual transcendence (in the case of Lakshmana Temple, deeply meditative, slow and prolonged sexual activity)

Wat

a Cambodian Buddhist monastery or temple

Axis-mundi

Axis that connects heaven and earth

Buddha

founder of Buddhism; exists in multiple forms; achieved full enlightenment

Stupa

a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine

Torana

gateways around stupas with two upright posts and three horizontal lintels; elaborately carved

Ushnisha

top-knot on the top of Budda’s head (symbolizes a humble crown)

Urna

red dot on the forehead of Buddha

Yakshi

fertility figures in Hindu/Buddhist art

Vairocana

universal Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism; encompasses all knowledge; depicted as larger than lifesize

Caravanserai

Roadside inns and towns along trade routes that were sites of cultural diffusion

Gandharan

culture that emerged in modern-day Afghanistan along the Silk Road (blend of Greek, Buddhism, and Indian)

Mandala

a diagram of the cosmos

Bodhisattva

Buddhist deity who chooses not to pass on to Nirvana

Lokapala

heavenly kings (Buddhism)

Vajrapani

buddhist fearsome guardians

Daoism

philosophy that stressed balance, particularly with individuals and nature

Yin and Yang

Daoist concept of complementary opposites (yin: feminine; yang: masculine)

Literati

group of Chinese artists who became recluses and leave urban life for nature

Porcelain

ceramic made from clay that, when fired in a kiln, produces an object that is hard, brittle, shiny, and white

Socialist Realism

artwork that includes glorified depictions of communist values or leaders, executed in a realistic formal matter

Lithograph

a form of printing that take a drawing and makes a print (with sketch-like qualities) using the premise that water and oil do not mix

Shamanism

nature worship that requires the expertise of a priest-like figure or shaman, who intercedes to alleviate problems facing the community

Rank Badge

a symbol/badge that indicated the military or political status of the wearer

Sinification

spread, expansion, and adoption of Chinese culture, politics, and language

Nio

Japanese Buddhist aggressive guardian deities who protect Buddhist temples

Kondo

a hall used for Buddhist teaching

Daibutsu

Japanese term for “giant Buddha”

Emaki

Japanese illustrated hand scroll from the 11th-16th centuries

Otoko-e

“Men’s painting”; military rule in the shogunate (government) led to an interest among male patrons in military scenes

Yamato Style

Japanese hand scroll characterized by stylized figures, simple faces, bright pigments, and aerial views

Zen Buddhism

branch of Japanese Buddhism that teaches fulfillment through introspection, meditation, gardening, and tea drinking; almost always an elite Buddhist practice

Tarashikomi

Japanese painting technique in which a second layer of paint is applied to the first layer which is not dry (European wet-in-wet technique)

Woodcut

a type of relief printing that works as a stamp

Ukiyo-e

17th-19th century Japanese woodblock prints showing genre scenes; popular in West

Genre Scenes

image that depicts a scene of everyday life

Japonisme

a term denoting Japanese or European art influenced by Japonisme styles; a crazed ensued for BOTH Japanese prints and these types of Japanese-inspired works in hte 19th c.

Haj

Islamic pilgrimage to the Mecca; required according to the 5 Pillars of Islam

Kiswa

black silk curtain that covers the Kaaba; replaced yearly

Voussoirs

stones in an arch

Calligraphy

decorative handwriting or decorative lettering

Tessellation

polygonal shapes that repeat

Aniconic

non-representational religious artwork in Islam

Mosque

Muslim house of worship

Horseshoe Arch

curved or pinched arch

Qiblah wall

wall that identifies the direction towards Mecca (Kaaba), which Muslims face in prayer

Mihrab

an empty arch on the qiblah wall; Muslims pray towards this arch, not to it

Pishtaq

rectangular frame around a pointed arch

Minarets

tall, slender towers used to call people to prayer

Ogival Arches

Islamic pointed arches

Arabesques

curving, flowing, intricate patterns that are reminiscent of floral designs

Muqarnas

3D triangles that curl towards the viewer and layered over one another (often used inside a vaulted room, such as an iwan)

Minbar

short flight of steps used as a platform for muezzin

Muezzin

the person at a mosque who calls people to prayer

Alcazaba

Islamic fortress and citadel, with barracks for elite guards

Mausoleum

a building that contains tombs

Chamfered Corners

flattened 45 degree corners

Chhatri

elevated domed tower

Bulbous dome

tapers at the bottom

Iwan

three-walled vaulted rooms

Jali

decorative screens

Pietra Dura

inlaid decorative stones

Hasht Bihisht

“Eight Paradises”; 8 chambers surrounding a central room

Cenotaph

tan emtpy tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person

Chahar Bagh

Four Rivers of Paradise

Koran/Qur’an

Islamic sacred text, dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel

Folio

page in a handwritten book

Parchment

writing material made from the skins of sheep or goats

Pyxis

a small cylinder-shaped container with a detachable lid used to hold cosmetic or jewelry

Sufism

Islamic mysticism; emphasis on prayer, mediation, and transcending a basic religious experience; goal is to have a direct relationship with the divine

Miniature

small paintings on paper prized for their detail and precision

Mughals

Islamic rulers in India; known for opulence and extravagance