Art of Japan Terms V.2

Question 1

The Priest Ganjin

Answer 1

Chinese priest who introduced the Japanese to correct Buddhist monastic rules and authentic ordination rites

Question 2

Birushana

Answer 2

The Universal (Cosmic) Buddha

Question 3

Esoteric (Tantric) Buddhism

Answer 3

Belief that spiritual truth is hidden or “secret” (esoteric) and requires divine aid in order to be understood

Question 4

Shingon (True Words)

Answer 4

Japanese sect of Esoteric Buddhism

Question 5

Mantra

Answer 5

Group of mystical syllables recited as part of a spiritual practice

Question 6

Mandala

Answer 6

Sacred schematic diagram or cosmic map

Question 7

Vajra and Bell

Answer 7

implements of Esoteric Buddhism

Question 8

Dainichi Nyorai

Answer 8

the Great Illuminator Buddha, source of all existence, absolute and permanent

Question 9

Womb World

Answer 9

mandala of individual, physical world

Question 10

Diamond World

Answer 10

mandala of the universal, absolute, spiritual world

Question 11

Tendai Lotus School

Answer 11

teachings based on the Lotus Sutra emphasizing the eternal Buddha nature in all beings

Question 12

Pure Land Buddhism

Answer 12

Buddhist sect that teaches that anyone can achieve salvation by whole-heartedly believing in the Amida Buddha

Question 13

raigō

Answer 13

image of the Amida Buddha and his entourage descending from the Western Paradise to welcome a new soul into his heaven

Question 14

Yamato-e

Answer 14

Japanese-style painting

Question 15

Senjo Kannon

Answer 15

11-headed, thousand-armed Kannon

Question 16

maki-e

Answer 16

gold or silver powder decoratively sprinkled or sprayed on a damp lacquer surface to create an artistic design

Question 17

emakimono

Answer 17

handscrolls presenting a narrative in both words and pictures

Question 18

otoko-e

Answer 18

masculine painting

Question 19

onna-e

Answer 19

feminine painting

Question 20

The Tale of Genji

Answer 20

11th century romance novel about Japanese court life

Question 21

Lady Murasaki

Answer 21

11th century lady-in-waiting to the Empress of Japan who wrote The Tale of Genji

Question 22

mono-no-aware

Answer 22

the emotionally moving quality of an experience; the pathos of life

Question 23

myabi

Answer 23

courtly refinement—applied mainly to the quiet pleasures savored by aristocrats with educated tastes

Question 24

karmic effect

Answer 24

the consequences of one’s actions

Question 25

sutra

Answer 25

Buddhist scripture

Question 26

mappo

Answer 26

degenerate era at the end of the Ages of Shaka Buddha

Question 27

ashide

Answer 27

“hidden writing” in which words are camouflaged as part of a painting

Question 28

shogun

Answer 28

military dictator

Question 29

rokudō-e

Answer 29

paintings of the six realms of existence into which humans might be reborn

Question 30

likeness picture

Answer 30

14th-15th century realistic portraits of warriors and courtiers painted in yamato-e

Question 31

shaku

Answer 31

thin, wooden ceremonial scepter carried by high officials to show dignity and authority

Question 32

Kei School

Answer 32

realistic style of sculpture from the Kamakura period

Question 33

dōshakuga

Answer 33

depictions of Buddhist themes intended to convey spiritual insights or revelations

Question 34

shigajiku

Answer 34

painting placed at the bottom of a hanging scroll with poems above, all written at the same time, that comment upon the painting

Question 35

koan

Answer 35

Zen thought problem used as an aid in attaining enlightenment

Question 36

haboku

Answer 36

splashed ink style painting associated with Zen

Question 37

kami

Answer 37

Shinto divine spirits and deities

Question 38

heart pillar

Answer 38

wooden post marking the place where a kami resides

Question 39

dry landscape garden

Answer 39

Zen garden created from sand and stone

Question 40

religious syncretism

Answer 40

the fusion of different religions’ beliefs and practices

Question 41

Japanese tea ceremony

Answer 41

a ritual that turns the act of preparing and drinking tea into an aesthetic experience

Question 42

wabi/sabi

Answer 42

the beauty of things that are modest, humble, imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete

Question 43

Sen no Rikyū

Answer 43

one of the first tea masters, famous for developing Raku ware

Question 44

Raku

Answer 44

low-fired pottery most often used in the tea ceremony

Question 45

Rinpa School

Answer 45

Edo artistic movement that revived and updated yamato-e in a bold, free, and individualistic style

Question 46

tarashikomi

Answer 46

painting technique in which colors are blended by applying one over another that is not yet dry

Question 47

Nanga

Answer 47

late Edo painting style influenced by Chinese literati painting

Question 48

ukiyō-e

Answer 48

Edo art movement that celebrated everyday life and the interests of the common people