Survey of Japanese Art — Exam 1 Study Materials Flashcards

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Jōmon

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The Jōmon is a prehistoric Japanese period (c. 10,500–300 BCE) noted for cord-marked pottery. Pottery evolved from simple forms to highly decorated flame-like vessels and included figurative clay objects called dogū used for ritual or fertility purposes.

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Yayoi

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The Yayoi period (c. 300 BCE–250 CE) introduced wet-rice agriculture and metallurgy (bronze and iron) to Japan. Artifacts include red-iron-oxide painted jars and bronze ritual bells called dōtaku linked to ritual practices.

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Dogū

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Dogū are small, stylized clay figurines from the Jōmon period characterized by exaggerated features and intricate surface decoration. They are often interpreted as ritual objects related to fertility, healing, or protective rites.

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Dōtaku

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Dōtaku are bronze bell-shaped objects from the Yayoi period, often cast with decorative motifs. They likely had ritual uses rather than purely musical functions and reflect the growing importance of bronze technology.

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Haniwa

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Haniwa are unglazed clay figures placed around Kofun tomb mounds during the Kofun period. They represent humans, animals, and houses and served to mark sacred space, protect the dead, and display status.

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Kofun

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Kofun refers to large, often keyhole-shaped burial mounds built for elite individuals in early Japan (c. 250–538 CE). These tombs were surrounded by moats and accompanied by grave goods and haniwa placed on and around the mounds.

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Ise Jingū

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Ise Jingū is the principal Shinto shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture, rebuilt every 20 years using simple, natural wood construction. The ritual rebuilding reflects Shinto ideas of purity, renewal, and respect for nature.

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Hōryūji

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Hōryūji is an early Buddhist temple in Nara, originally constructed in the early 7th century and rebuilt later. Its complex includes a kondō (main hall) and a five-storied pagoda (gojū-no-tō), showing strong Chinese architectural influence.

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Tamamushi Shrine

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The Tamamushi Shrine is a lacquered miniature shrine from Hōryūji decorated with delicate painting and inlaid materials. Its panels, such as the Hungry Tigress Jātaka, use lacquer and paint to depict Buddhist narratives and illustrate early Japanese devotional painting.

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Shaka Triad

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The Shaka Triad is a gilt-bronze sculptural group attributed to Tori Busshi, dated 623 and associated with Hōryūji. It reflects continental (Chinese/Korean) sculptural models and was commissioned to honor Prince Shōtoku and pray for peace.

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Byōdō-in

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Byōdō-in is a temple in Uji famed for its Phoenix Hall (Hōō-dō), built to evoke Amida Buddha’s Pure Land paradise. The hall’s architecture and the large Amida image by Jōchō represent Pure Land Buddhist ideals and courtly aesthetics of the Heian period.

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Jōchō

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Jōchō was a Heian-period sculptor famed for his canonical Amida Nyorai figures, often made of joined-wood blocks and covered in gold leaf. His works established a serene, idealized style that became the standard for Buddhist images in the period.

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Emaki / Emakimono

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Emaki (emakimono) are painted handscrolls that combine images and text to tell stories, unrolled right to left. They were used to narrate court life, religious tales, and historical events, with styles like onna-e and otoko-e reflecting subject and tone.

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Onna-e

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Onna-e, or 'women’s pictures,' are a Heian painting style focusing on quiet, emotional scenes of court life and romance. They emphasize subtle color, refined composition, and themes of mono-no-aware, the pathos of things.

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Otoko-e

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Otoko-e, or 'men’s pictures,' are a narrative painting style that emphasizes action, movement, and historical subjects. These scrolls often depict energetic scenes and dramatic storytelling in contrast to the quietude of onna-e.

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Fukinukiyatai

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Fukinukiyatai is a compositional device in Japanese painting where roofs or walls are 'blown off' so viewers can see interior spaces and activities. It is commonly used in courtly narrative scrolls to reveal social interactions within buildings.

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Mono-no-aware

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Mono-no-aware is an aesthetic concept emphasizing sensitivity to the transience of things and a gentle sadness at passing beauty. It is a central sentiment in Heian court culture and often informs the mood of onna-e and tale scrolls like The Tale of Genji.