Visual Arts Content Test Subset 1

Ethiopia- East Africa

2 main traditions of this artistic culture include Christian art (painting, crosses, icons, illuminated manuscripts) and arts and crafts (basketry, jewellery). Influenced by Egyptian coptic art

Bactria (Central Asia)

AKA early Kushan art resembled statues from nomads in central Asia with heavy armour and frontal pose. This art slowly became more naturalistic and depicted lighter clothes, more common for india.

Ukiyo-e Painting (Japan, East Asia)

Aka Ukiyo paintings which started out as depicting normal life of prominent members of society. Famous painter, sotatsu created a decorative style that used classical literature themes to create brilliantly colored motifs from the natural world with gold leaf background. This period had the first polychrome prints and insightful depictions courtisans. Later came romantic and sentimental landscape paintings with odd angles and shapes and flat planes with strong linear outlines. Depicting life outside of China.

Hephthalite art (Central Asia)

Also known as the "White Huns". Shown giving giftss to the buddha. Depicted as wearing belted jackets with lapel folded to the right with cropped hair and accessories and distinct physionomy and round beardless faces. These peoples were shown depicted in this same distinctive style across central asia where they ruled, pointing to a political and cultural unification.

Djenne-Djeno- Mali, West Africa

Ancient culture best known for their terrecota human and animal figurines

Ancient Japanese Art (East Asia)

Ancient pottery and sculpture were found in Japan, as well as wood and bronze sculpture. ink painting on silk and paper. Importantly the Kofun most notable for it's tomb culture, followed by influence from China with Buddhism, Beurocracy and Bronze. Japanese architecture is influenced by Chinese temples and incorperates Indian Stupas and statuess of the Boddhisatva.

Sakas (Scythians, Central Asia)

Animal style gold that lacks Greek influence found in burial. They had an influence on Chinese art, and have been identified in Korea and Japan as well.

Yoruba - Nigeria, West Africa

Best known for their heads made from ceramic, brass and other materials. Draws inspiration from traditional folk heritage of the region. WOOD CARVING and bronze. Textiles are famous in this culture utilizing broadloom strategy and ribbon structures.

Neo- Sumerian Art

Best known for thousands of portraits of ruler, Gudea, whos statues included inscriptions to the gods influenced by earlier artwork. Large eyes also indicate focus on god and Ziggurats are main form of architecture.

Korean Pottery

Comb patterned pottery due to the decorative lines carved onto the outside. used to store fish and other tihngs collected from the ocean. East coast potter had a flat base, whereas pottery on the South coast had a round base.

Post War (Japan, East Asia)

Communist art and Soviet Realism dominated the art world during post ww11 japan. What started as avant-garde soon became the norm and restricted other types of art

Kushano-Sasanian Art (Central Asia)

Engaged in trading of textiles and silverware and administrating justice and hunting. In present day Pakistan. Influential on Kushid art

Southern Ndebele Art- Africa

Famous for the way they paint their houses. First culture to use color to draw emotions in art using a wide aray of contrasting colours and geometric shapes

Sumerian Art- Near East

First culture to tell coherent narratives with pictures read from right to left on horizontal registers. Also known for their Ziggurats or temples and statuettes with large circular eyes representing the wakefulness of the worshiper.

Benin Art- West Africa

Known for Broze metal plaques which decorate the royal palace from the Empire's Kingdom at the time. Uses leopards as a symbol of power

Ghanian Art- West Africa

Known for colorful Kente Clothes meant to portray royal power and later a symbol of tradition. Also famous for wood carvings, brass works, figures, gems with endless saves of minerals. Colors have different meanings

Akan Art- West Africa

Known for their akan goldweights, jewelry and blending of art and philosophy. believes gold to portray the supernatural

Japanese Ceramics (East Asia)

Koreans brought a new style of ceramics inspired by Chinese ceramics for high temperature and greater control during the Edo Period. Soon created porcelain works surpassing those of China. Enamel became extremely sought after and could be produced on the cheap for export.

Chinese Porcelain (East Asia)

Made from Kaolin at high temperatures. Ceramics in the Shang Dynasty laid the foundation for porcelain's invention, and was first used in the Han Dynasty. In the Tang dynasty, white porcelain and celedon were created and during the Song dynasty, the center of porcelain was created which began the tradition of blue and white porcelain.

Korean Painting (East Asia)

Major influences from Chinese and Japanese art with first examples of frescoes and paintings in tombs and later Landscapes, facial features, Buddhist topics and emphasis on celestial observation. Constant separation between monochromatic works of black brushwork and colourful folk art (min-hwa), ritual arts, tomb paintings, and festival arts which use extensive colour. Confusian art felt that color could be seen in black and white paintings.

Assyrian Art- Near East

Most famous for the fortified citadels of Sargon II, this merciless culture fortified their walls with Limestone Lamassu (man headed winged bull) to ward off the king's enemies.

Egyptian architechture

Most known for Pyramids which are comprised of multiple mastabas stacked on top of each other. resembling Ziggurats from Mesopotamia but served as memorials for the dead. The Pyramid design was refined symbolize the Sun. It is a funerary home and memorial, but also thought to be the Palace for the afterlife. The New kingdom was famous for temples erected for worship and then later memorials to ruling pharaohs with columns and large statues.

Babylonian Art- Near East

Most well known for Hammurabi's Laws depicted on a Stele With a deep relief carving of him speaking to a sun god & over 300 laws written in cuneiform. Also noteworthy for foreshortening.

Sogdian Art (Central Asia)

Murals painted in noble's houses, show everyday life and religious beliefs which incorporate Iranian deities into their version of Buddhism.

1960s Japan (East Asia)

Neo-Dada, Happenings, Post Modernist, Performance Art, underground theatre and many other art forms appeared with the economic boom. Artists could make a living just from their art. Many new innovations and influenced from Western avante garde movements, but uniquely japanese.

Huns (Central Asia)

Nomadic People. Not many artifacts due to lifestyle. Have identified bronze cauldrons made by them, often made from copper of poor quality. The Huns wore elaborately decorated golden or plated gold diadem. Women work necklaces with imported beads of various materials, which influenced medieval jewelry. Wore gold plated and glass decorated clothing, linens and fur made of marmots and goatskin leggings.

Akkadian Art- Near East

Portrait heads depict rulers with textured hair that is both naturalistic and stylized. First depiction of an event or narrative not in horizontal planes. Depict rulers larger and godlike. i.e. Naram Sim Stele

Bhutanese Art (South Asia)

Similar to Art of Tibet because it is based on Vajrayana Buddhism, with a pantheon of divine beings. Known for paintings documenting the lineage of Buddhist masters. Each divine being is assigned special shapes, colors, and/or identifying objects. Rich in bronze. ageless ideals. There are also the 13 arts and crafts of Bhutan used to promote/teach the traditional arts of Bhutan.

Tumerid Rennaissance (Central Asia)

Persian artistic traits became interwoven with Mongol Art during this period in the 14th-15th c. More mausoleums, tombs and Mosques and further developments in architecture became more detailed and colorful.

Buddhist art of Bamiyan (Central Asia)

Two large buddha statues were carved into the side of the sandstone mountains and attached with mud/straw mix for details and painted over. Shows the classic style of Ghandara art. thought of as the artistic synthesis of Gupta and Buddhist art with Sassanian and Byzantine influences.

Anime (east asia)

This form of art derives from Manga stories and combines comics, using the kuwaii "cute" style of representation and fashion.

"Gongbi" Chinese Painting (East Asia)

This style of Painting translates to mean, "meticulous" Painting have rich color and details as its main feature. Mainly depicting portraits or narratives.

Tibetan Art & Buddhism Continued (East Asia)

Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism)'s symbol of the diamond thunderbolt is used in Tibetan art. Most art is seen as part of the tantric practice, and often includes visualizations/ imaginations during meditation, and the art simply aids in the visualization of the meditation practice. Often depicted wrathful dieties with large bellies and flames to represent their dedication to the practice and protect against negative influences on the practitioner.

Modern Chinese Art (east Asian Art)

Western art began to influence Chinese art and artists began using oil paint as well as comic art for entertainment and the first pop artists cropped up.

Botswana Art- Southern Africa

Women known for crafting baskets from Mokola Palm and local dyes. Usually large lided baskets or open or smaller plates. famous for ancient cave painting

"Xieyi" Chinese Painting (East Asia)

also known as freehand painting, this style of Chinese painting is often exaggerated or unreal, with an emphasis on the author's emotional expression and usually depicting landscapes. It includes poem, caligraphy, painting and seal. painted on silk or paper

Burkina Faso/ Bwa- Ghana, West Africa

ancient artistic traditions are well preserved here bc people haven't converted to christianity/islam. known for their masks with red, white and black geometric patterns

Bantu- Kenya, East Africa

ancient petroglyphs depicting human figures/andimals. Funeral posts, carvings of human heads atop geometric designs still created today

Edo Period Woodblock (Japan, East Asia)

art was dominated by the theme of political repression. Woodblock printing was originally used as a convenient method for reproducing buddhist texts. Later woodblock used color and depicted events and scenes for calendars.

Bambara

before art for money, people made crafts for spiritual pride, religious beliefs and customs display. Extreme stylistic variations from stylized to realistic. Known for their masks used for ceremonies and dance and zoomorphic headdresses. zigzag motif represents sun's course. Also known for their ceremonial sculptures and statuettes

Chinese Calligraphy (east Asia)

can be traced by to the Zuahn Dynasty with the Dazhuan (large seal script). Later, Xiaozhuan (Small seal script) became the official script. It was very elegant, but very hard to write fast in, and Lishu quickly took over as the official script. With no circles or curved lines, it was very easy to use. Kaishu later appeared and is now widely used today.

Luba art- Dem Rep of Congo, Central Africa

carvers held high status in this pre-colonial society. The art is not uniform because of vast territory. Female figures often depicted for role in creations and political society

Bronze Age (Central Asia)

characterized by Fertility goddesses or "Bactrian Princesses", made of clay, limestone and chlorite, as well as metal objects and sophisticated tradition of metalworking. Wearing large stylised dresses, as well as headdresses that merge with hair, "Bactrian princesses" embody the ranking goddess, character of the central Asian mythology that plays a regulatory role, pacifying the untamed forces

Dogon Art- Mali, West Africa

consists primarily of sculptures revolving around religious values, ideals & freedoms. often hidden from public. tendency towards stylization. More than 8 types of masks known for bold geometric shames.

Tinga Tinga and Makonde art- Tanzania, East Africa

has its roots in decorating hut walls. known master carvers of household objects, figures and masks. Most commonly the moder art turns abstract figures of spirits to play a special role.

Early Nomadic Art (Central Asia)

includes nomads moving from Europe to central Asia resulting in Tarim Mummies and influences from European tradition

Kidarites (Central Asia)

known collectively as the "Huna". Made various silver metalwork. Coinage influenced by Sasanian emperors but without facial hair.

Sao Art- Chad, Middle Africa

known for terricota figurines representing humans and animals. Works show the people were skills workers of bronze, copper, and iron.

Ivory Coast Masks- West Africa

known for wooden masks. Each has a soul or life force and those wearing are thought to transform into the entity of the mask

Japanese Lacquerware (East Asia)

lacquerware became famous with the merchant and samurai class through decorated medicine boxes and practical items.

Gabon- Central Africa

make masks and basketry, carvings and sculptures. Characterized by organized clarity and distinct lines and shapes. Types of art include Bekota and Myene

Hellenistic and Greco-Bactrian Art

remains of city found with architectural styles which have Hellenistic/ Eastern influence. Many structure unearthed resembling High Hellenistic or Persian architecture, including a Citedel, a Classic Theater, a Palace, one of the largest gymnasiums in antiquity, temples, mosaic of Macedonian sun, acanthes leaves and various animals, corinthian columns. Many statues found in Hellenistic style and structures supported by wooden beams covered in stucco or clay, which became popular across central and east asia as well as Buddhist art.

Buddhist art (South Asia)

spread all across India , Central asia, North, South and East Asia. Common visual device of the mandala which represents the ideal universe, employed for focusing the attention of the aspirants and adepts, a spiritual theaching tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. sybolically used to "access progressively depper levels of the unconscious"

Song Dynasty (China, East Asia)

this period was marked by lyrical poetry called "Ci" which expressed feelings of desire, often in an adopted persona. paintings of more subtle expressions, with blurred outlines and mountain contours which conveyed distance through an impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena. Emphasis placed on spiritual rather than emotional in painting.

Contemporary Japanese Art (East Asia)

with art becoming increasingly popular, art museums and collections were opened in Japan and there was many graphic art, pop art, video, manga and anime to come out. This art is extremely diverse in medium and topic. The country is most famous for video game and anime in contemporary art as well as kuwaii fashion and anime

Meiji Art and Japonisme (Japan, East Asia)

In the prewar era in japan, there was a huge foreign interest in Japanese art leading to a dichotomy in Japanese art as well as many technological advancements. These artworks are mostly owned by foreign collectors.

Islamic Golden Age (Central Asia)

Included Somonid Art Mausoleum, which was the earliest example of Islamic Architecture in Central Asia and the burial place of important Somonid rulers. Seljuk Mausoleum.

Kuba Art- Dem Rep of Congo, Central Africa

Art was created for courts of chiefs and kings and profusely decorated with cowrie shells and animal skins (esp. Leopard as symbol of power) Masks are also important, used in rituals of court and initiation of boys into adulthood and funerals

Russian Turkestan, and Soviet Central Asia (Central Asia)

As a result of Russian Colonization of Central Asia, European fine art exists within the Central Asian tradition. Esp. in the form of painting scenes of war. Central Asian art saw the introduction of modernist propaganda and followed the trends of Soviet art.

Egyptian Art

Centered on the state religion ranging from stone carvings of massive and small statues, to wall art depicting history and mythology. art possessed stiffness, with figures geometrical and 'perfect' proportions. frontal torso and body with head in profile. reinforced the godliness of the ruling caste.

Chinese Cave Paintings (East Asia)

Cave paintings also were popular in China From the Mongao Grottoes of Northern Wei Dynasty with very broad content along with Buddhist statues, paradise, angels, important historical events and donors. The style of these cave paintings was influenced by India and the West. Starting in the Tang Dynasty, the paintings began to reflect a unique Chinese style.

Sarindian art (Tarim Basin, Central Asia)

Center for development of buddhist art. Many Buddhist caves (The first of their kind) later adopted by Buddhists further east. Murals depict royal families who resemble white Europeans more than Mongols with blond/reddish hair, blue eyes and light skin. The influence of Chinese art also started to appear

Roman Art (Italy, Europe)

Characterized by large open architecture, borrowing idealization and youthful strength of estruscian and Greek art, but in their own unique style. Portraits portrayed individual style and desired public "image". portrayed emotion.

Gothic Art (Germany & France, Europe)

Characterized by stained glass windows, interested in light influencing space. high relief statues/columns using Greek styles. Art depicts catholic icons, deep emotion and human suffering through expressive body and face.

Turkic Art (Central Asia)

essentially nomadic art. Golden mask inlaid with rubies, stone warrior statue, painted mural of knights depicting expansion, and portraits of their Lord.

Chinese Jade Art (East Asia)

Jade has been used since neolithic times as sacrificial utensils. Later, it was carved into delicate pendants or objects and buried with the dead or thought to protect the owner. It was thought to be immortal.

Hittite Art- Near East

Lion's Gate and Statue of Queen Napir-Asu, which is influenced by Sumerian statuetes, but with more realistic details.

Khanite of Bukara and of Khiva (central Asia)

part of the Shaybanid Empire. Artworks and develpments include the three Madresahs(educational institution organized around central courtyard), memorials and ink portraits/paintings as well as geometric patterned textiles

Tibetan Art (East Asia)

Sand mandalas are the most recognizable form of Tibetan art which represent the transitory nature of things, because of the way it is built and then destroyed in a Buddhist ceremony. The art was influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, but mostly Buddhist tantra. The bodhisattva is depicted as a thousand armed saint, with an eye in the middle of each hand, representing the all seeing compassionate one who hears and sees our requests. This depiction resembles the meditation buddha from the tantric Buddhism. Later Tibetan art was largely influenced by Chinese painting.

Yuan Dynasty (China, East Asia)

during this period, opera became a variant of Chinese opera that continues today as Cantonese Opera. Landscape painting was largely influenced by Zhao Mengfu. Painted on

Nok culture- West Africa

early iron age population popular for their terracotta sculptures, known today for their heads with detailed/refined hairstyles. Highly stylized. maybe influenced by wood carving

Pazyrik Art (Scythians, Central Asia)

nomadic Scythian culture identified by mummified humans buried in mounds. burials had many artifacts. One of which included a "Siberian princes", which points to the thriving culture that benefited from trade routes and caravans passing through. Remarkable textiles, carpets and silks decorated with embriodery, aplique feltwork and dyed furs that depicted animal and human figural compositions. Lavish and ornamented clothing for themselves and especially horses. ANIMAL and sun motifs as well as geometric paterning

Kushan Art (Central Asia)

often depicts archers on horseback, and men with artificially deformed skulls (nomadic influence). Sculptures in the round depicted dignified princes in Hellenistic style. Some depictions of warfare with Sakas. These portraits influenced art for centuries through their patronage to the Ghandaras Bodhisatva portraits.

Contemporary Korean Art (East Asia)

oil painting (Influence from the west and europe) was introduced in 19th century portraiture influenced by the enlightenment, which was often frowned upon.....