Japanese Art Before 1392 Notes

Japanese Art Before 1392

Overview

  • Japanese art before 1392 was characterized by emotion and passion, reflecting a playful and expressive spirit.

  • Artists weren't afraid to show emotion, including humor, love, and sorrow.

Examples of Passion in Art

  • Humorous Art: Represented by comical and lighthearted depictions.

  • Calligraphic Poem: A poem expressing love and sorrow, sent to a young girl:

    • "Until yesterday, I could meet her, but today she is gone. Like clouds over the mountain, she has been wafted away."

Objectives

  • Understand Hamon pottery.

  • Recognize esoteric Buddhist art.

  • Characterize and analyze women's hand and men's hand styles.

Key Terms

  • Hamon period

  • Dogu

  • Effigy figure

  • Polytheistic

  • Esoteric Buddhism

  • Mandala

  • Women's hand

  • Secular

  • Men's hand

Land of Japan

  • Made up of four main islands:

    • Hokkaido

    • Honshu (the largest)

    • Shikoku

    • Kyushu

  • Islands are separated by the ocean.

Pottery of the Hamon Period

  • Coil Technique:

    • Clay is rolled into long coils.

    • Coils are rolled up to form a pot.

    • Sides are smoothed, and the pot is decorated.

  • Hamon:

    • Means cord markings.

    • Rope is used to make impressions on the pot.

  • Usage:

    • Primarily used for cooking.

    • Display an artistically playful spirit with unique decorations.

  • Pots were placed over a fire for cooking.

Hamon Period: Effigy Figures (Dogu)

  • Small human effigy figures.

  • Dated between 2500 to 1500 BCE.

  • Known as Dogu.

  • Believed to have represented the owner.

  • Believed to hold magical powers that could transfer misfortune to the figure.

  • Breaking the effigy figure releases the misfortune.

Esoteric Buddhism

  • Two main sects:

    • Tendai

    • Shingon

  • Dominated Japanese religious life and culture.

  • Influenced by polytheistic religions.

    • Polytheistic: Belief in more than one god.

  • Shift from historical Buddha to universal Buddha.

  • Mandalas were created to communicate and educate people about the polytheistic approach.

Mandalas

  • Hanging scrolls used for teaching about deities.

  • Brought to Japan from China by master Kukai (July to August).

  • Portrayed deities in schematic order to educate people about their beliefs.

  • Mandalas of the womb world were held in high esteem.

  • Central figure surrounded by smaller images.

Women's Hand vs. Men's Hand

  • Women's Hand Style:

    • Refers to the style of painting, not necessarily the gender of the artist.

    • Characterized by delicate lines, strong muted colors, and asymmetrical compositions.

    • Refined, subtle emotional impact.

    • Depicted courtly life.

    • Considered one of the earliest secular paintings of Japan.

    • Secular: Separate from religion.

  • Men's Hand Style:

    • Characterized by strong ink play and lively brushwork.

    • Depicted subjects outside of court.

    • Satirized different levels of society, representing the humor of the Japanese.

    • Comical with lively movement, long straight lines, and dark ink.

Jomon Period Review

  • Time period: 2500 to 1500 BCE.

  • Characterized by the use of coiled pots.

  • Hamon: Means cord markings.

  • Pottery was made for cooking and displaying the artistically playful spirit.

  • Dogu: Clay figurines popular during the Jomon period.

  • One theory suggests Dogus were broken and thrown away once wishes were granted.

  • Ethigy figure: Representation of a person, especially in sculptural form.

  • Believed to hold magic powers that would transfer misfortune to the figure.

  • Polytheistic: Belief or worship of many gods.

  • Esoteric Buddhism was greatly influenced by polytheism.

  • Esoteric Buddhism is also called Qingan Buddhism and translates to mean true words.
    *Esoteric Buddhism is communicated through rituals involving mantras religious syllable or poem, mudras spiritual gestures, and mandalas.

  • Mandala: A hanging scroll used for teaching about deities.

  • Mandalas were brought to Japan by master Kukai.

  • Women's hand: Characterized by delicate lines, strong muted colors, and asymmetrical compositions.
    *Women's hand images have a refined, subtle, emotional impact.

  • Secular: The state of being separate from religion.

  • Women's hands pains are considered one of the earliest secular pains of Japan.

  • Men's hand: Characterized by strong ink play and lively brushwork.

  • Men's hand paints depict satires of different levels of society.