APAH Unit 5

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings. Bichitr. c. 1620 CE. Watercolor, gold, and ink on paper.

Form: Function: Content: Context: gold 'flames' around Emperor's head against background of a larger, darker gold disc; A slim crescent moon hugs most of the disc's border; Jahangir + 4 bearded men of diff ethnicities who are standing in a line on a blue carpet w/ arabesque flower designs and fanciful beast motifs; Function: depict Jahangir as powerful ruler and spiritual person Content: crescent moon + gold disk fuses sun and moon (thus, day and night), and symbolizes the ruler's emperorship and divine truth; hierarchy of scale, Jahangir is biggest person, showing honor, and Sufi shaikh is almost on par with Emperor; Jahangir only engages directly w/ Shaikh, shows spiritual leanings; next is some foreign Ottoman who's hands are together in respectful supplication; after him is King James I, (plum hat and very European attire) has frontal pose and direct gaze that makes him seem indecorous/uneasy; last in line is Bichitr, the artist of this piece, yellow jama tied on his left indicates he's Hindu; inscriptions in cartouches on margins of folio reiterate that the Emperor favors visitation with a holy man over an audience with kings; part of muraqqa' (=album, typically w/ alternating folios containing calligraphic text and painting); contrast between Jahangir's jewelries and Shaikh's plain hands shows distinction between rich and poor, & pursuit of material and spiritual; Shaikh's deference implied bc accepts the imperial gift in his shawl (thereby avoiding physical contact with a royal personage, a cultural taboo); Bichtir is painted holding painting of himself; to show humility, Bichitr puts his signature on the stool over which the Emperor's feet would have to step in order to take his seat; angels (=putti figures) write (in Persian), "O Shah, May the Span of Your Life be a Thousand Years," at the base of Jahangir's hourglass throne; placement of Jahangir above hourglass may show he is above time Context: Mughal; King James never came here, Bichitr based his image off of portrait gifted to Mughals;

Buddha Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Gandharan. c. 400-800 ce (destroyed in 2001). Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint

Form: 2 figures: 175 ft and 120 ft high; carved into niches of cliff side in high relief; heads of both and feet of larger carved in the round; originally adorned in metal, pigments, gems; Function: circumambulate around feet of larger Content: 2 figures; smaller(East) rep Buddha Shakyamuni; bigger (West) rep Buddha Vairochana; style has Hellenistic influences (drapery(robes), hairstyle) and orher international infuences Context: Bamiyan is between the Indian subcontinent (to the southeast) and Central Asia (to the north), which made it an important location close to one of the most important branches of the Silk Route; Buddhism introduced here druring early Kushan period (2BCE-3CE); Buddhist caves carved out off cliff face here; Vairochana is transcendent Buddha and Shakyamuni is Siddharta Gautama, who was a physical living person; destroyed 2001 by Taliban because iconoclastic

The David Vases. Yuan Dynasty, China. 1351 ce. White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze.

Form: 2.5 ft tall; blue and white porcelain; covered with clear glaze; vine and floral motif, dragon, phoenix, leaves, inscription, elephant handles; a little broken Function: made for the altar of a Daoist temple; other porcelain vases made for export based on taste of local markets Content: inscriptions on one side of neck of vase has date, purpose, and name of general; vases modeled after bronzes and had porcelain rings attatched through elehant head shaped candles; Context: earliest known blue-and-white; (dedication says) 1351 Zhang Wenjin presented these 2 vases and an incense burner (now lost) to Daoist temple; owned by Sir Percival David; now in london; China part of Mongol Empire(Yuan); China produced LOTS of porcelain for export, but cobalt from middle east so Silk Roads; porcelain is very pure clay then fired at very high temp.; Chinese had very advanced kilns;

Travelers among Mountains and Streams. Fan Kuan. c. 1000 ce. Ink and colors on silk.

Form: 7 feet high; hanging scroll; detailed brushwork Function: depict Fan Kuan's world view; elevate landscape as subject in its own right; demonstrate Neo-Confucian search for absolute truth in nature as well as self-cultivation Content: mountains sacred abode of immortals; tall pine tree symbolize virtuous man; expressed a cosmic vision of man's harmonious existence in a vast but orderly universe; immense boulders in foreground are at eye-level of viewer; height accentuated by waterfall disappearing into narrow valley; trees; two tiny men driving up a group of donkeys loaded with firewood and a temple; accurately captures geological traits of Shaanxi (thick vegetation only at top of bare, steep cliffs); gaps between 3 distances suggest sheer size, by acting as physical breaks that force viewer to comprehend separately; signature hidden among leaves of trees in lower right Context: made during 5 dynasties period (time of political unrest); Fan Kuan was Daoist recluse who seeked spiritual enlightenment; this is possibly only surviving work by him;

Terra cotta warriors from mausoleum of the first Qin emperor of China. Qin Dynasty. c. 221-209 bce. Painted terra cotta.

Form: 7000+ life-size, each unique head and clothing, terracotta army with warriors, horses, chariots, armor, weaponry, bronze ritual vessels, jewlery, and ornaments Function: reveal much about an ancient way of life, army made to protect Shihuangdi in afterlife; parallel his worldly existence Content: gemstones said to represent the stars, sun and moon; cosmos guide for crossing over; high levels of mercury because it flowed through little troughs that mirrored actual rivers and seas of landscape. Context: Qin Shihuang wanted conquer death IMMORTALITY; he became emperor at 13 and immediately began planning burial; introduced the standardization of currency, writing, measurements, roads, canals, continued Great Wall of china, was military genius; emperor believed mercury had life-giving power; Qin unified China; found by burial complex in 1974; artists buried alive in tomb so no one would know about it; four pits but one empty, so project never finished; warriors created using assembly production because though unique, similar proportions; this paved way to advances in mass produciton and commerce

Todai-ji Nara, Japan. Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei, as well as the Kei School. 743 ce; rebuilt c. 1700 ce. Bronze and wood (sculpture); wood with ceramic-tile roofing (architecture).

Form: Buddha made of copper; guardian Figures (8m) made of wood blocks; wood links to natural environment Function: unite various Japanese clans under his centralized rule & promoted spiritual unity; helped to found Japan's most celebrated school of sculpture; chief temple of the Kokubun-ji system and be the center of national ritual; rebuilt to present Minamoto as saviors Content: Todai-ji ("Great Eastern Temple")'s symbolic heart is huge hondo(main hall) called Daibutsuden(Great Buddha Hall), holds huge bronze Buddha that was inspired by Chinese Buddhas; hall held up by cypress pillars; his snail-curl hair is one of the 32 signs of divinity; the Daibutsu sits on a bronze lotus petal pedestal engraved with images of the Shaka (the historical Buddha, known also as Shakyamuni) Buddha and varied Bodhisattvas (sacred beings); petal surfaces etched; Todai-ji's Great South Gate—Nandaimon was built in Indian style and holds 2 Guardian King scultpures; Kei school of sculpture realism and muscular, reflecting Buddhism and warrior-centered culture of the Kamakura era; Unkei (of the Kei school) made Ungyo in contrapposto opposite Agyo, who was made by KAikei; two nine-story pagodas, a lecture hall and quarters for the monks in the complex; Context: largest building project on Japanese soil; Mahyana Buddhism reached Japan around 552 when emissary brought gilded bronze statue, sutras, (sacred text), and a letter; Japs receptive to foreign ideas and products Imperial court became patrons of early Buddhist art and architecture, connecting sacred and secular; every person required to pay special tax to pay construction; Buddha commissioned by Emperor Shomi 743; Imperials came to watch his eye-opening ceremony as Indian monk painted his eys, symbolically giving him life; petals are only remainder of original statue

Ryoan-ji Kyoto, Japan. Muromachi period, Japan. c. 1480 ce; current design most likely dates to the 18th century ce. Rock garden.

Form: Enclosed courtyard filled with light-gray stones/ white gravel with a series of moss islands from which 15 rocks protrude; covers 250 square meter rectangle Function: Encourage meditation; spiritual and tourist; Zen center for the cultural activities of the elite from the late 16th through the first half of the 17th Content: Zen = meditation; walls look old makes entire garden feel like Japanese painting and rocks as mountain; Rocks deliberately raked horizontally and in rings around islands, suggesting water; never see all rocks from one place (only 14), showing idea of appreciation for incomplete; rock garden is next to Hojo (abbot's residence); could symbolize mother tiger carrying cubs over sea or Wabi (austerity) and sabi(subdued taste) or the fundamental ideal of Zen philosophy Context: Take off shoes; Zen Buddhism sudden enlightenment; located in north Kyoto, Japan; orig 9 stones, so it's been changed

Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace. Kamakura period, Japan. c. 1250-1300 ce. Handscroll (ink and color on paper).

Form: bird's eye view of action moves right‐to‐left; vibrant outline and washes of color; very detailed; Function: narrative; depicts actual event Content: handscroll is meant to be held and unrolled section by section horizontally; main characters appear multiple times; long, narrow emaki format; starts with single ox carriage, then escalating violence and women fleeing for their lives; carriage appears 3 times and is used to kidnap Go‐Shirakawa Context: part of set of emaki that depicted Heiji Rebellion; Kamakura period (1185-1333) initiated by the Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo and marked the beginning of feudal Japan and the samurai caste; The Night attack was beginning of short war; patriarchs had managed to displace imperial authority and emperors regained that power by abdicating and choosing next ruler

Summer Trees Song Su-nam. 1983 ce. Ink on paper

Form: broad, vertical parallel brush strokes of ink; blacks and diluted grays; some have feathery edges so were pale washes applied to wet paper, while darkest are streaks where ink and paper were nearly dry; forms overlap and don't reach bottom, suggesting sense of shallow space; >2 ft high; Function: way to express Korean identity; Song's statement of optimism in the rediscovery of traditional values recast for modern times Content: title demonstrates traditional roots; literatus means scholar-poet/scholar-artist, an ideal man; in Chinese poetry, nature stuffs are metaphors for ideal qualities of the literatus like loyalty, intelligence, spirituality, and strength in adversity; a group of pine trees can symbolize a gathering of friends of upright character Context: Song Su-nam made other painting called tree and others that he didn't title; he was leader of Korea's "Sumukhwa" (aka ink wash painting or literati painting) or Oriental Ink Movement of the 1980s

Great Stupa at Sanchi Madhya Pradesh, India. Buddhist; Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty. c. 300 bce-100 ce. Stone masonry, sandstone on dome.

Form: hemisphere with spire at top; square base and decorated gate at 4 cardinal directions; high relief sculptures; originally painted white Function: hold's Buddha's relics; walking meditation remind Buddhists of Buddha and his teachings and help them understand the 4 Noble Truths (not worship relics) and visualize Enlightenment; building a stupa has Karmic benefits (affects a person's next existence); circumambulation (don't go inside); Content: 'stupa' is sanskrit for 'heap'; represents Buddha, Path to Enlightenment, mountain, universe, and is generally sepulchral monument (burial place or receptacle for religious objects); dome of heaven; gateways contain narrative scenes(torana); wheels or stupas represent Buddha, but he isn't physically depicted; before Buddhism, people buried in seated position and then covered, so dome shape of stupa represents person; yatsi (spire) at top represents line through earth's center that universe revolves around, so it represents the center of the cosmos; Context: Ashoka was first king to accept Buddhism and he helped spread it by building lots of stupas; project funded by 600 donors (men, women, rich, poor);

Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple Lhasa, Tibet. Yarlung Dynasty. Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 ce. Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint; various offerings.

Form: larger-than-life size, seated in lotus position against gold and jewel encrusted throne; blue hair Function: most important/sacred Buddha image in Tibet; act as Buddha Shakyamuni's proxy after his parinirvana (departure from the world); was dowry gift Content: Rinpoche means "precious one"; religious significance and sacred power because believed to be carved by Viswakarma during Buddha's lifetime so it's believed to be the most accurate and a life-portrait of Buddha Shakyamani Context: Buddhism founded by Siddharta Gautama around 6th or 5th century BCE; this also believed to be made then, but more likely made 7th century and coincides with when Buddhism was founded in Tibet; this was brought by princess as dowry gift; People started depicting Buddha's image after 1st century; restorations have made noticeable changes over centuries;

Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja) Hindu; India (Tamil Nadu), Chola Dynasty. c. 11th century ce. Cast bronze.

Form: multiple hands, surrounded by ring Function: portable, used in ceremony after putting clothes, jewelry, etc. on it; embodiment of divine Content: surrounded by flaming halo, representing simultaneous and continuous destruction and creation of universe; upper right hand holds damaru drum that brings universe into creation, conveys the Indian conception of the never-ending cycle of time. upper left hand holds agni, the fire that will destroy the universe, lower right hand gesture means 'don't be afraid'; dwarf-like figure being trampled by his right foot represents ignorance, which leads mankind astray; Shiva's front left hand, pointing to his raised left foot, signifies refuge for the troubled soul and spiritual grace; the energy of his dance makes his hair fly to the sides, matted locks of hair also reflects role as ascetic who meditates for long times; Context: medieval Indian art mainly religious; Shiva is destroyer; based on Shastras, ideals of Beauty and physical perfection in ancient Hindu ideology

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as the Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji Katsushika Hokusai. 1830-1833 ce. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Form: polychrome (multi-colored) woodblock print, made of ink and color on paper (10 x 14 in); separate block of wood was used for each color Function: originally for followers of Fuji cult; Hokusai made bc personal fascination w/ mt and bc boom in domestic travel so woodblocks of mt sold as souvenirs Content: foreground is wave; Mt is tiny and appears about to be swallowed; spray from wave like snow falling on mt; frames mt draw attention; influenced by Dutch art (low horizon line and Prussian blue came from Europe); Ukiyo-e "floating world" is Jap woodblock prints made during Edo period, refers to impermanence; changed subject matter from traditional courtesans and actors to daily life (fisherman) Context: aka The Great; iconic Japanese art; cheaply reproduced; part of a series of 36 prints with Mt. Fuji; Hokusai created a Japanese variant of linear perspective; Fuji is highest mt in Jap and is sacred; Beginning in 1640, Japan was largely closed off to the world and only limited interaction with China and Holland was allowed

Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century ce and later. Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile.

Form: red walls and yellow glazed roof tiles; 961m long 753m wide; 90 palace compounds; 98 buildings; surrounded by 52m moat Function: micro-city; was the political and ritual center; now museum Content: layout followed the ideal cosmic order in Confucian ideology that had held Chinese social structure together for centuries and reflects hierachy; design of palace reflected order emperor meant to bestow on his empire; meridian gate is main gate; river of golden water; Hall of Supreme Harmony is largest building in Forbidden City; Emperor represented by dragon; daily business conducted in inner court domestic space where emperial family lived; inner court mirrors layout of outer court + residences and gardens; animals and figures on roof guard against fires and evil spirits; southern half is outer court state affairs only men; Palace of Heavenly purity (emperor's residence) symbolizes his status; residences of emperor's cosorts flank 3 major palaces with 6 identical walled compounds, forming shape of K'un, the Chinese philosophy trigram representing mother and earth which is metaphor for feminine roles; E and W sides of inner court have religious Context: in heart of Beijing home to 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming and the Qing; Ming moved capital to Beijing in 1420 to consolidate power; access restricted to imperial family and those serving them; took 1 million workers to 100 years to construct; women caged; 1925 opened to public as museum

Lakshmana Temple Khajuraho, India. Hindu, Chandella Dynasty. c. 930-950 ce. Sandstone

Form: rising peaks; deep relief carvings; triple bend contrapposto pose Function: circumambulation; religious Content: Sculpted friezes along the plinth depict images of daily life, love, war, historical events; depicts idealized female beauty considered auspicious/protective because symbolize fertility, growth, and prosperity; loving couples (mithuna) represents divine union between humans and gods on outside as wall, also tantric practices, which represent the unification of polar opposites which leads to non-duality; 4 smaller shrines sit at each corner of the plinth; central deity is Vishnu in his three-headed form sits at heart of temple in chamber known as garba griha; seclusion of garba griha shows Buddhism's focus on individual worship; Vishnu 3 heads are man, animal, semi-man; mandapa is pillard hall/porch Context: first of several (80) temples built by Chandella kings in new capital of Khajuraho; Nagara style Hindu architecture;

Gold and jade crown. Three Kingdoms period, Silla Kingdom, Korea. Fifth to sixth century ce. Metalwork

Form: tree-shaped, elongated branch-like and antler-shaped protrusions; Function: shamanistic ceremonial rites of Silla royalty; worn around forehead; burial purposes; convey social status/rank/identity of tomb Content: gold crowns emphasize power of wearer through precious material and natural imagery; crown = daegwan; tree-shape evokes sacred "world tree" or axis mundi that connected heaven and earth; 2 antlers may refer to reindeer that were native to Eurasian steppe; tiny gold disks (gogok) are attatched to branches and symbolize ripe fruits hanging from tree branches, representing fertility and abundance Context: found in royal tombs in capital, Gyeongju; Korean peninsula divided between 3 kingdoms with Silla (south) most powerful; mogwan is conical cap crown worn independently (not with this); like Chinese, Silla buried elite in mounded tombs with important objects; buried with other objects that were influenced by silk road

Portrait of Sin Sukju (1417-1475). Imperial Bureau of Painting. c. 15th century ce. Hanging scroll (ink and color on silk).

Form: seated in a full-length view; Crisp, angular lines and subtle gradations of color characterize the folds Function: "meritorious subject," or an official honored for his distinguished service at court and loyalty to the king during a tumultuous time; hung in shrine and guide soul in ancestral worship Content: shows Sin Sukju dressed in his official robes with a black silk hat on his head; leather shoes, feet on intricately carved footstool; hands are folded neatly and concealed within his sleeves; a rank badge (indicates what status) on his chest; his badge has a pair of peacocks amongst flowering plants and clouds, an auspicious scene suiting a civic official; attire and posture are formulaic; features painted with goal of transmitting unique; careful attention to the sitter's face, such as wrinkles and bone structure, served the Korean belief that the face could reveal important clues about the subject; solemn look shows wisdom and dignity Context: Royal Bureau of Painting (a government agency staffed with artists) created portraits of officials; skilled artists may have collab, one paint robes, one face; Jesuit missionaries intro Western painting techniques; Sin Sukju was scholar & politician who became Prime Minister; named meritorious subject 4 times; he compiled Hwagi (commentaries on paintings) which revealed Korean interest in Chinese paintings and help identify works; Confucianism emphasized filial piety

Borobudur Temple Central Java, Indonesia. Sailendra Dynasty. c. 750-842 ce. Volcanic-stone masonry.

Form: shaped like 3-D mandala; series of open-air pathways radiating around central axis mundi (cosmic axis); relief stone sculptures on walls, balustrades, and path; 504 statures of Buddha; 160 more relief sculptures that are concealed behind stone buttresses (stability); 72 stupas; 3 upper terraces Function: help adherents achieve enlightenment (circumambulate); reliefs narrate Buddha's teachings and his past lives Content: temple's apex has large central stupa, a symbol of the enlightened mind; physical movement along path symbolizes spiritual path of enlightenment and the paradoxical message of impermanence paths lead gradually up, pilgrims higher state of consciousness; idea of moving from dark to light, dark galleries representing earthly realms of desire to world of forms to formless as symbolized by open-air circular terraces; light is important Context: largest Buddhist temple; orig Hindu; built around 800 CE, disuse, then rediscovered; built high on hill at confluence of 2 rivers; Enlightenment means embracing the concept of "no-self"

Jade cong Liangzhu, China. 3300-2200 bce. Carved jade.

Form: square, hollow tubes that are decorated with lines and circles; some shorter, some longer; true jade/nephrite, an extremely hard; some bas relief some high relief Function: found in graves; possibly show power, protect in after life/ tell what happens after death; connection to nature Content: designs may represent faces; circles and rectangles could symbolize earth(rect) and sun/heavens/sky; engravings are very precise, so held importance (took time to make) Context: made these by rubbing sand because to hard to cut (with their tools)Liangzhu created agricultural surplus by growing rice; no traces of writing (whether preliterate or just no surviving)

Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat, and the city of Angkor Thom, Cambodia Hindu, Angkor Dynasty. c. 800-1400 ce. Stone masonry, sandstone.

Form: stone carved and treated with intricate narrative and decorative details; 1200 square meters of carved bas reliefs at Angkor Wat; expansive enclosure wall separating temple from protective moat surrounding it; three galleries Function: temple dedicated to Vishnu and may have been a tomb for King Suryavarman II; the building of temples by Khmer kings was a claim to political legitimacy and a means of protection and powers of the gods; not a place for religious congregation, home for gods; Content: carved bas reliefs represent eight different Hindu stories; creation story (churning of the milk) with battle between demons and gods; five stone towers mimic five mountain ranges of Mt. Meru, the mythical home of the gods, galleries and empty spaces represent the oceans and mountain ranges surrounding Mt. Meru Context: largest religious monument in the world; translated from Khmer (the official language of Cambodia), means City Temple but had a different name when it was built in the 12th century possibly because it was such an important monument that it didn't need a name; built by King Suryavarman II Form: almost entirely stone; everything's covered in narrative or decorative details; bas relief; enclosure wall; temple has 3 galleries, or passageways running length of temple; central sanctuary; 5 stone towers; moat around whole complex Function: temple dedicated to Vishnu (protector); king Suryavarman II's mausoleum in death; legitimize kings claim to political office and also lay claim to protection and powers of gods; temples are home of god, NOT for congregation Content: angkor wat means 'City Temple'; depicts 8 stories; Churning of the Ocean of Milk is story about creation and beginning of time where devas (Gods) work with asuras (demons) to churn the ocean of milk to release the elixir of life, producing maidens and once released, Indra, Vedic king god, descends and catches elixir; 5 stone towers mimic 5 mtn ranges of Mt. Meru, the mythical home of the gods and moat like ocean; Mt. Meru also an axis-mundi (cosmic/ world axis connecting heavens and earth) so symbolize king's central place in universe; central axis supposed to be aligned with planets so temples are microcosms of universe; mandals are diagrams of universe Context: we lost original name; King Suryavarman was major patron; built in 1100s CE; never completely finished building; on Cambodia's flag; Buddhists use this temple since 15th century

Taj Mahal. Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Masons, marble workers, mosaicists, and decorators working under the supervision of Ustad Ahmad Lahori, architect of the emperor. 1632-1653 CE. Stone masonry and marble with inlay of precious and semiprecious stones; gardens.

Form: tomb centrally placed under dome; typical Islamic feature of one large arch flanked by two smaller arches; square plan with chamfered corners; onion-shaped dome shaped like a crown rises gracefully from the square facade; small kiosks around dome lessen severity; intricate floral and geometric inlays on facade; glistening white marble; tree-lined reflecting pools punctuate the garden leading to it; strict proportions (exactly as wide as it is tall) Function: mausoleum built to serve as Mumtaz Mahal's tomb; may have been built to salute the grandeur of the Shah Jahan and his royal kingdom, as much to honor his wife's memory Content: symmetrical harmony of design; grounds represent a vast funerary garden, the gardens found in Islamic tradition; minarets act like a picture frame, directing our view and sheltering the monument; absence of any visible means of ascent to the upper platform (stairway hidden) supports illusion of being suspended above water Context: translated in English as "Crown Palace", known as Luminary Tomb in contemporary Mughal times; named for Mumtaz Mahal, deceased wife of Shah Jahan (she died while giving birth to her fourteenth child); Shah Jahan was interred next to her after his death, placed asymmetrically next to her; once formed part of a larger ensemble of buildings; follows the plan of Iranian gardenterm-14 pavilions, except the building stands at one end rather than in the center; in Islam, the most revered place of burial is beneath the throne of God and the mausoleum symbolizes this; Mughal focus on structural balance and harmony

White and Red Plum Blossoms Ogata Korin. c. 1710-1716 ce. Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper.

Form: two flowering trees on either side of a brook; stream has swirls black ink and mineral color on a pair of folding screens; background gold leaf; 67in tall; ink and water color Function: To portray a mastery of interplay of forms, execution of colors and texture, and use of unconventional ink painting methods. -To establish Korin's reputation -To preserve and perpetuate the values and characteristics of the Rimpa movement -To create a piece that matched the function of a traditional Japanese folding door Content: both abstract and realistic (tree); can only see lower part of tree so viewed from near; methods of tarashikomi, or dilute washes of color blended while very wet mokkotsu, or "bonelessness," which creates forms without exterior outlines Context: Rinpa style balances abstract and natural, sometimes refered to as school of Korin but was around a century before Korin, he just revived; his family did textiles

Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui). Han Dynasty, China. c. 180 bce. Painted silk.

Form:The T-shaped banner; 4 horizontal registers Function: tell us about lifestyle and cosmological beliefs; has some connection with the afterlife; may be "name banners" used to identify the dead during the mourning ceremonies, or maybe burial shrouds intended to aid the soul in its passage to the afterlife (debated) Content: early example of pictorial (representing naturalistic scenes not just abstract shapes) art in China; Lady Dai's portrait in lower central register along with servants on a platform framed by dragons; this is her in the afterlife as she ascends toward heaven enjoying comforts of her tomb; below that is sacrificial funerary rituals taking place in a mourning hall, with lady Dai wrapped in finest shawl; banner has great depth seen through overlapping bodies of mourners, size of foreground and background objects, etc.; toward top, near cross of the 'T,' 2 men guard gates to heaven; above them is deity w/ human head and dragon body; left, toad on crescent moon; right, 3-legged crow in sun; sun and moon rep a supernatural realm above the human world; below is underworld (2 black fish, red snake, 2 blue goats, deity; beings in the underworld symbolize water and earth, and they indicate an underground domain below the human world Context: 3 tombs discovered in China 1972: a high-ranking Han civil servant, the Marquis of Dai, Lady Dai (his wife), and their son; banner on top of innermost of four nesting coffins in Lady Dai's tomb; banner features the earliest known portrait in Chinese painting

Longmen caves Luoyang, China. Tang Dynasty. 493-1127 ce. Limestone.

rulers wielded this foreign religion to affirm assimilation and superiority. Form: steep limestone cliffs about a mile long; 2300 caves and niches contain 110000 Buddhist stone statues, 60 stupas, and inscriptions on steles (vertical stone markers); carvings painted blue, red ochre, gold; Low relief carvings cover cave walls Function: Foreign Wei rulers used Buddhist images for authority and power and assimilation; Tang used Buddhist iconography to asser sovereignty Content: central Binyang Cave has Buddha & pentad (5 devotional grouping of figures) and relief carvings on walls depict emperor's and empress's processions, commemorating historic events; Shakyamuni is historical Buddha, Maitreya is Buddha of the future; Fenxian Temple Vairocana Buddha (55+ ft high including pedestal) flanked by a bodhisattva (heavenly king) and thunderbolt holder represents power of one supreme deity over all others the 9 ppl carvings mirror political situation, with dignified Buddha and sumptuous, engaged, animated, attendant boddhisattvas Kanjing Temple (tang, Empress Wu) realism Context: complex located on both sides of Yi River south of Luoyang; Wei (nomads) moved capital to Luoyang and made Central Binyang Cave and adopted Chines style; Tang age of 'international Buddhism'; Empress Wu and Emperor Gaozong sponsored Fengxian temple