art terms 2

Calligraphic

Characterized by expressive, fluid, brush-drawn line work reminiscent of decorative or artistic handwriting.

Bodhisattva

In Mahayana Buddhism, an enlightened being who compassionate-postpones ultimate release into nirvana to assist all sentient beings toward enlightenment.

Lalitasana

A relaxed seated posture in Buddhist iconography, featuring one leg folded horizontally across the seat while the other hangs down pendantly.

Gilding

The decorative technique of applying a thin layer of gold leaf or powder onto wood, stone, metal, or other surfaces.

Confucianism

A Chinese ethical and philosophical system emphasizing moral integrity, filial piety, social order, respect for elders, and ritual propriety.

Daoism (The Dao)

A Chinese philosophical and religious tradition centered on living in harmony with the spontaneous, natural flow of the universe.

Qi

In Chinese cosmology and art theory, the vital breath, spirit, or energy force that animates all living things and the universe.

Li

In Chinese philosophy (particularly Neo-Confucianism), the underlying principle, cosmic pattern, or rational structure inherent in all things.

Neo-Confucianism

A Song dynasty philosophical revival that synthesized traditional ethical and political thought with metaphysical insights drawn from Daoism and Buddhism.

Middle ground

The pictorial spatial zone situated between the immediate foreground and the distant background in a landscape or composition.

Linear perspective

A geometric system of spatial representation wherein parallel lines converge at one or more vanishing points on a horizon line.

Hanging scroll

A vertical format painting or calligraphy piece mounted on fabric or paper with a wooden roller at the bottom, displayed temporarily on a wall.

Handscroll

A continuous horizontal roll of silk or paper viewed incrementally from right to left by unrolling and rolling on a flat surface.

Album

A book-like format consisting of a bound or folded set of uniform pages containing small paintings or calligraphies.

Album leaf

A single, small-scale independent sheet of painting or calligraphy originally meant to be bound into a book format.

Colophon

An inscription, poetic commentary, or evaluative note written by the artist, a collector, or an admirer on or alongside a work of art.

Literati painting

Art produced by educated scholar-officials that emphasized personal expression, amateur spontaneity, and literary refinement over technical polish.

Stoneware

A dense, durable, and non-porous ceramic ware fired at high temperatures ($1100\text{--}1250\,^\circ\text{C}$).

Porcelain

A fine, resonant, translucent white ceramic made from kaolin clay and fired at extremely high temperatures ($1200\text{--}1400\,^\circ\text{C}$).

Underglaze painting

A ceramic decorating process where pigment (such as cobalt blue) is applied directly to the body before being covered with a clear glaze and fired.

Glazing

The application of a liquid mineral coating to a ceramic surface that vitrifies into a smooth, impervious, glassy layer upon firing.

Sutra

A canonical scriptural narrative or discourse recording the oral teachings of the historical Buddha or subsequent teachers.

Buddha

A fully awakened, enlightened being who has transcended suffering and broken free from the endless cycle of rebirth (samsara).

Seals

Red-ink stamped impressions carved from stone or wood placed on East Asian artworks to mark authorship, dedication, or connoisseurship.

Genre painting (scene)

Artistic depictions of everyday life, ordinary activities, and routine customs of common people.

Isometric perspective

A pictorial system where receding parallel lines remain parallel to one another rather than converging toward a vanishing point.

Material culture

The physical artifacts, architecture, and objects created and used by a society that reflect its social, political, and cultural practices.

Ruled-line painting

A specialized Chinese painting genre (jiehua) using straightedges to meticulously and accurately render architectural forms, boats, and carriages.

Geomancy (Fengshui)

An ancient Chinese spatial practice of aligning buildings, cities, and tombs with landscape contours to harness auspicious environmental energies.

Hip roof

A roof design in which all sides slope downward toward the building walls, characterized by the absence of vertical gables.

The Tale of Genji

An 11th-century Japanese literary masterpiece depicting aristocratic court life, romantic alliances, and aesthetics during the Heian period.

Lady Murasaki

An 11th-century Japanese Heian court lady-in-waiting and poet credited with writing The Tale of Genji.

Pure Land Buddhism

A Mahayana tradition centered on devotion to Amitabha Buddha to achieve rebirth into the Western Paradise rather than through ascetic practices.