Japanese Art before 1392

*Passionate about emotion

"Until yesterday, I could meet her, But today she is gone- Like clouds over the mountain, she has been wafted away." Calligraphic poem

Japan

Made up of four main Islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Skikoku, Kyushu.

* When ice started to melt in ancient times, these islands appeared.

Jomon Period Pottery | 2500-1500 BC

* Pots made by coil technique

* "Jomon" = Cord markings

* Mostly used for cooking

* Displayed an artistically playful spirit

* Take clay, make it roll into long coil--making pott, smoothing sides

* Put it down and have fire around to cook

Ex: Small Human effigy figure (2500-1500 BC), known as a Dogu

* Dogu were small human effigy figure

* Believed to have represented the owner

* Held magic powers that would transfer misfortune to the figure

* Broken to release misfortune

Esoteric Buddhism

* Two main sects of it: Tendai, Shingon | Dominated Japanese religious life

* Influenced by Polytheistic religions

* Historical Buddha not important

* Many deities

* Universal Buddha

* assisted greatly by mandalas-- helped to communicate and educate people about new polytheistic approach

Esoteric Buddhist art

Ex: Mandalas of the womb world

* Madala-hanging scroll used for teaching about deities

* Brought to Japan from China by master Kukai 775-835 BC

* Portrayed the deities in schematic order

Women's hand (style of painting, doesn't necessarily mean just a woman painting)

* Ex: Scene from The Tale of Genji

* One of the earliest secular paintings of Japan

* Characterized by delicate lines, strong muted colors, and asymmetrical compositions

* Have a refined, subtle emotional impact

* depicted courtly life

* Person goes up rail, soft delicate

Men's Hand (initial example image)

* Ex: Choiu Giga -- Very comical, highly regarded. Dark lines with lively movement between frogs.

* Characterized by strong ink play and lively brush work

* Depicts subjects outside of court

* Satirized different levels of society

* Represented the humor of the Japansese people