AP Art History: South, East, and Southeast Asia
208. Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings
IDENTIFICATION: Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings Location: India Artist: Bichitr, Mughal dynasty Date: 1620 C.E Material: Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper FORM: - portrait (as well as a self portrait) - flames of gold radiate from emperor's head & Gold disc behind king are sun and moon fused together. - great detail in the facial expressions and clothing - text - framed in a complex flower design, and a flower motif throughout the whole piece - little cherubs in it MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE: CONTENT: - King James I is present, was meant to be depicted as not a threat o the emperor - Jahangir is shown seated on an elevated, stone-studded platform - The Emperor is the biggest of the five human figures painted - Four bearded men, religious at the top and powerful at the bottom, show that king prefers faith to power. - Jahangir's gem-studded wrists vs Shaikh's bare hands, rich vs poor, materialistic vs spiritual. - Bichitr put himself in the painting holding a red frame in the bottom left hand corner - halo --> a visual manifestation of his title of honor, biggest thing - halo represent that he is centure of universe and light - He sits on hourglass because he feels he is more important than time. - but at the same time - In front of moon and sun because he is secular and religious authority. - sit on renaissance carpet;figures of small cherubs coped from europe - cross cultural CONTEXT: - Jahangir means "Seizer of the World." - Sufism: Inner or mystical dimension of Islam INTENDED FUNCTION/PURPOSE: Function: meant to be a portrait of Jahangir, depicting him as a powerful ruler (in a position of superiority to other kings), but with a spiritual bent Intent: to fufill a request, to make money Patron: Jahangir INNOVATION/CHANGE: SITING: THEME: Converging Cultures or *Power & Authority* COMPARE:
198. Borobudur Temple
IDENTITIFCATION: Borobudur Temple Location: Central Java, Indonesia People: Sailendra Dynasty Time Period: 750- 842 C.E Material: Volcanic-stone masonry FORM: symmetrical, relief carvings, 72 stupas w a central one to show the enlightened mind. mandala plan MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE: mat: Volcanic-stone masonry, stone blocks. tech: stupa and candi. CONTENT: - contains 504 life-size Buddhas, 1,460 narrative relief sculptures on 1,300 panels 8,200 feet long; there are 1,500 stupas and one million carved blocks stone. --> large scale - Stupa: mound-like or hemispherical structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the ashes of the Buddhist monks used by Buddhists as a place of meditation - had to circumambulate it clockwise, each level mirroring the path to Enlightenment - clockwise --> Relationship to the path of the sun - The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. - The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology CONTEXT: Built by the Sailendra Dynasty Buddhism's ultimate goal is to reach the state of nirvana attachment to fixed self INTENDED FUNCTION/PURPOSE: Intent: built to resemble a microcosm of the universe //shrine to Buddha Function: purpose was to provide a visual image of the teachings of the Buddha and show, in a practical manner, the steps through life that each person must follow to achieve enlightenment. aka as a pilgrimage site INNOVATION/CHANGE: SITING: High up on a hill THEME: Knowledge & Belief: Sacred Places & Ritual
Taj Mahal
Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India Artists: Masons, marble workers, mosaicists, and decorators working under the supervision of Ustad Ahmad Lahori Time Period: 1632- 1653 C.E Material: Stone, Marble Facts: Basically a Tomb for Shah Jahan's wife, who was the fifth ruler of the Mughal dynasty. Entry to the Taj Mahal complex via the forecourt, which in the sixteenth century housed shops, and through a monumental gate of inlaid and highly decorated red sandstone made for a first impression of grand splendor and symmetry: aligned along a long water channel through this gate is the Taj—set majestically on a raised platform on the north end. The rectangular complex runs roughly 1860 feet on the north-south axis, and 1000 feet on the east-west axis.
Forbidden City
Location: Beijing, China Time Period: Ming Dynasty, 15th Century C.E Materials: Stone Masonry, Marble, Brick, Wood, and Ceramic Tile Facts: Mainly used to house the Emperors. The Forbidden City complex consists of the "Front Hall" and "Inner Palace", surrounded by high walls. It is also encircled by a moat named Tongzi River. Four turrets were set at the four corners of the city walls. On each side of the city walls, there is a gate, namely, Meridian Gate (Wumen) in the south, Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen) in the north, East Prosperity Gate (Donghuamen) in the east and West Prosperity Gate (Xihuamen) in the west.
Angkor, the Temple of Angkor Wat, and the city of Angkor Thom
Location: Cambodia Type of Art: Hindu People: Angkor Dynasty Time Period: 800- 1400 C.E Material:Stone Masonry, sandstone Facts: Angkor was a centre for administration and for the worship of a divine monarch. The city was planned and constructed on the basis of religious and political conceptions imported from India and adapted to local traditions. From the time of Yashovarman I, who named the city Yashodharapura, Angkor was conceived as a symbolic universe structured according to the model provided by traditional Indian (Hindu) cosmology. The city was oriented around a central mountain or pyramid temple (symbolic of Mount Meru, home of the gods) that was an architectural adaptation and completion of the one natural hill in the area, the Phnom Bakheng.
Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan
Location: China Artist: Unknown Time Period: 1969 C.E Material: Color lithograph Facts: During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), artists focused on creating portraits of Mao, or "Mao paintings," which represented Mao's effort to regain his political hold. This movement aimed to correct the disasters of the 1950s, especially the widespread famine and deaths that resulted from Great Leap Forward (an attempt from 1958-61 to rapidly modernize China, transforming it from an agrarian economy into an industrialized, socialist society), and reinvigorate Communist ideology.
Travelers among Mountains and Streams
Location: China People: Fan Kuan, Song Dynasty Time Period: 1000 C.E Material: Ink and colors on silk Facts: Drawing of ink and colors on silk. Conveying the picture of an mountain and the landscape. Fan Kuan expressed a cosmic vision of man's harmonious existence in a vast but orderly universe Mountain-Water Painting a style Li and Chi --> Real world vs ideal world ^ intent function: spirtual release for the artist. didnt expect it to be popular. for his own purpose. art therapy
Funeral Banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui)
Location: China People: Han Dynasty Time Period: 180 B.C.E Material: Painted Silk Facts: The T-shaped banner was on top of the innermost of four nesting coffins. Although scholars still debate the function of these banners, we know they had some connection with the afterlife. They may be "name banners" used to identify the dead during the mourning ceremonies, or they may have been burial shrouds intended to aid the soul in its passage to the afterlife. Lady Dai's banner is important for two primary reasons. It is an early example of pictorial (representing naturalistic scenes not just abstract shapes) art in China. Secondly, the banner features the earliest known portrait in Chinese painting.
Terra Cotta Warriors from Mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor
Location: China People: Qin Dynasty Time Period: 221-209 B.C.E Material: Painted Terra Cotta Facts: As the tomb of the first emperor who unified the country, it is the largest in Chinese history, with a unique standard and layout, and a large number of exquisite funeral objects. It testifies to the founding of the first unified empire- the Qin Dynasty, which during the 3rd BCE, wielded unprecedented political, military and economic power and advanced the social, cultural and artistic level of the empire.
Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja)
Location: India (Tamil Nadu) Type of Art: Hindu People: Chola Dynasty Time Period: 11th Century C.E Material: Cast Bronze Facts: As a symbol, Shiva Nataraja is a brilliant invention. It combines in a single image Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe and conveys the Indian conception of the never-ending cycle of time. Although it appeared in sculpture as early as the fifth century, its present, world-famous form evolved under the rule of the Cholas. Shiva's dance is set within a flaming halo. The god holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarflike figure being trampled by his right foot represents apasmara purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). Shiva's front left hand, pointing to his raised left foot, signifies refuge for the troubled soul. The energy of his dance makes his hair fly to the sides. The symbols imply that, through belief in Shiva, his devotees can achieve salvation.
Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)
Location: Japan Artist: Katsushika Hokusai Time Period: 1830- 1833 C.E Material: Polychrome woodblock print. ink and color on paper. Facts: Painting of a Tsunami over Mount Fuji. Hokusai has arranged the composition to frame Mount Fuji. The curves of the wave and hull of one boat dip down just low enough to allow the base of Mount Fuji to be visible, and the white top of the great wave creates a diagonal line that leads the viewers eye directly to the peak of the mountain top. Across the thirty-six prints that constitute this series, Hokusai varies his representation of the mountain. In other prints the mountain fills the composition, or is reduced to a small detail in the background of bustling city life.
White and Red Plum Blossoms
Location: Japan Artist: Ogata Korin Time Period: 1710-1716 C.E Material: Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper Facts: The white plum tree's trunk is mostly outside of the screen, and one major branch comes back into the screen horizontally. The red tree's trunk is almost completely within the screen, and its young branches are extending upward. The stream at the center cuts through the pair of screens and gives the impression of expansion. The elegant pattern of the stream symbolically expresses the rhythmical flow of water. The plum flowers are depicted with pigment only, without any outlines. This technique became quite popular and was known as "Kōrin Plum Flowers." Buds are scattered here and there among the fully opened flowers in a pleasing manner. Another feature is the application of tarashikomi, a technique in which colors are blended by dripping one over another that is still wet, which is used here to depict the tree trunks.
Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace
Location: Kamakura Period, Japan Artist: Unknown Time Period: 1250-1300 C.E Material: Handscroll (ink and color on paper) text Facts: The Heiji disturbance, which occurred late in 1159, represents a brief armed skirmish in the capital. The event itself was of relatively minor importance. Supporters of Go-Shirakawa, who possessed sovereign authority as a "retired emperor," vied for influence with the sovereign. One faction, composed of Fujiwara Shinzei and Taira Kiyomori, gained more influence over another group, led my Fujiwara Nobuyori and Minamoto Yoshitomo. Nobuyori and Yoshitomo advanced on the palace, captured the retired emperor, placed him in a cart and set fire to the palace. This scene is depicted here, and Nobuyori and Yoshitomo appear prominently as they attack and burn the palace, kill partisans of the Taira, and parade their decapitated heads. Compare to another: Siege of Belgrade
Lakshmana Temple
Location: Khajuraho, India Type of Art: Hindu People: Chandella Dynasty Time Period: 930- 950 C.E Material: Sandstone Facts: Lakshmana temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, was built from 930-950 AD during the reign of King Yasovarman of the Chandella kingdom. It houses a sacred image of Vaikuntha-Vishnu brought from Tibet. Though the temple is one of the oldest in the Khajuraho fields, it is also one of the most exquistely decorated, covered almost completely with images of over 600 gods in the Hindu Pantheon. The main shrine of the temple, which faces east, is flanked by four freestanding subsidiary shrines at the corners of the temple platform.
Portrait of Sin Sukju
Location: Korea Artist: Unknown Type of Art: Imperial Bureau of Painting Time Period: 15th Century C.E Material: Handing scroll (ink and color on silk) Facts: This painting shows Sin Sukju dressed in his official robes with a black silk hat on his head. In accordance with Korean portraiture conventions, court artists pictured subjects like Sin Sukju seated in a full-length view, often with their heads turned slightly and only one ear showing. Crisp, angular lines and subtle gradations of color characterize the folds of his gown. Here, the subject is seated in a folding chair with cabriole-style arms, where the upper part is convex and the bottom part is concave. Leather shoes adorn his feet, which rest on an intricately carved wooden footstool. In proper decorum, his hands are folded neatly and concealed within his sleeves. He wears a rank badge on his chest.
Longmen Caves
Location: Luoyang, China People: Tang Dynasty Time Period: 493- 1127 C.E Material: Limestone Facts: The grottoes were started around the year 493 when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) moved the capital to Luoyang and were continuously built during the 400 years until the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The scenery measures 1,000 metres (about 1,094 yards) from north to south where there are over 2,300 holes and niches, 2,800 steles, 40 dagobas, 1,300 caves and 100,000 statues. Most of them are the works of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the flourishing age of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Lots of historical materials concerning art, music, religion, calligraphy, medicine, costume and architecture are kept here.
Great Stupa at Sanchi
Location: Madhya Pradesh, India Type of Art: Buddist People: Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty Time Period: 300 B.C.E to 100 C.E Material: Stone Masonry, Sandstone on dome Facts: It was started to be built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the mid-3rd century B.C.E ,but later enlarged. Solid throughout, it is enclosed by a massive stone railing pierced by four gateways, which are adorned with elaborate carvings (known as Sanchi sculpture) depicting the life of the Buddha, legends of his previous births, and other scenes important to early Buddhism.
Ryoan-ji Kyoto, Japan
Location: Muromachi Period, Japan Time Period: 1480 C.E Material: Rock Garden Facts: The Zen garden of Ryōan-ji is famous for its simplicity—made of nothing but clay walls, raked sand, and fifteen rocks. This simplicity belies Ryōan-ji's long history as an important site. In 983 Fujiwara Saneyoshi constructed the first temple at this location. Most traces of his original work have vanished except for the large pond that covers much of the lower garden. Destroyed in the Ōnin war that devastated much of Kyoto, reconstruction began in earnest with Hosokawa Katsumoto, a powerful member of the Buke clan of Kyoto, who founded Ryōan-ji proper in the upper half of the grounds. Here he lived with resident Zen monks until his death in 1473. Following a fire in 1488, his son Hosokawa Masamoto financed the construction of the present garden.
Todai-ji
Location: Nara, Japan People: Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei, as well as the Kei school Time Period: 743 C.E, rebuild in 1700 C.E Material: Bronze and Wood Facts: Todai-ji is a temple of the Kegon sect of Buddhism, which reveres the Buddha Vairocana (Birushana in Japanese) as the cosmic, central Buddha. The principal image of the temple is a bronze statue of Vairocana, colossal in scale.
Gold and Jade Crown
Location: Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom, Korea People: Unknown Time Period: 5th to 6th century Material: Metal Work Facts: Worn around the forehead, this tree-shaped crown (daegwan) is the headband type found in the south in royal tombs at the Silla capital, Gyeongju. Between the fifth and sixth centuries, Silla crowns became increasingly lavish with more ornamentation and additional, increasingly elongated branch-like protrusions. In this crown, three tree-shaped vertical elements evoke the sacred tree that once stood in the ritual precinct of Gyeongju. This sacred tree was conceived of as a "world tree," or an axis mundi that connected heaven and earth. Two additional antler-shaped protrusions may refer to the reindeer that were native to the Eurasian steppe that lies to the north of the peninsula. Attached to the branch-like features of the crown are tiny gold discs and jade ornaments called gogok. These jade ornaments symbolize ripe fruits hanging from tree branches, representing fertility and abundance. With sunlight falling on its golden discs, the crown must have been a luminous sight indeed.
The David Vases
Location: Yuan Dynasty, China Artist: Unknown Time Period: 1351 C.E Material: White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze Facts: They were made for the altar of a Daoist temple and their importance lies in the dated inscriptions on one side of their necks, above the bands of dragons. The long dedication is the earliest known on Chinese blue-and-white wares. The dedication records that in 1351 a man named Zhang Wenjin from Yushan county presented these two vases and an incense burner (the whereabouts of which is unknown), to a Daoist temple in Xingyuan (modern day Wuyuan county). Yushan county is in northeast Jiangxi, which lies 120 km to the southeast of Jingdezhen, where these vases were made. This inscription demonstrates that blue-and-white porcelain production was already well-established at Jingdezhen by 1351. Originally the vases, modeled after bronzes, had porcelain rings attached through the elephant head shaped handles.
