Survey 1 ch12

Copyright © 2018, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Art History
Sixth Edition
Chapter 12
Japanese Art before 1333

Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
12.a Identify the visual hallmarks of early Japanese art for formal,
technical, and expressive qualities.
12.b Interpret the meaning of works of early Japanese art based on their
themes, subjects, and symbols.
12.c Relate early Japanese artists and art to their cultural, economic, and
political contexts.

Learning Objectives (2 of 2)
12.d Apply the vocabulary and concepts relevant to early Japanese art,
artists, and art history.
12.e Interpret a work of early Japanese art using the art historical
methods of observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.
12.f Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an
argument or an interpretation of a work of early Japanese art.

KASUGA SHRINE MANDALA
Kamakura period, early 14th century CE.
Hanging scroll with ink, color, and gold on silk, 39-1/2" × 15-5/8" (100.3 × 39.8 cm).
Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation. Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and
Jackson Burke, 2015. : © 2016. Image copyright The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art
Resource, NY.[Fig. 12-01]

The Origins of Art in Japan
• Human habitation on Japanese islands dates to around 30,000 years
ago.
• Some works of Japanese pottery date to earlier than 10,000 BCE,
making them the oldest known in the world today.

JAPAN
Melting glaciers at the end of the Ice Age in Japan 15,000 years ago raised the sea level
and formed the four main islands of Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
[Map 12-01]

Jomon Period
• The early potters lived during the Jomon period.
• They made functional earthenware vessels and humanoid figures
known as dogu.

Yayoi Period
• Immigrants from Korea during the Yayoi period (400 BCE–300 CE)
helped Japan become an agricultural nation through rice cultivation.
• Korean settlers also brought metal technology.
– Bronze was used to create weapons and bells.

Kofun Period (1 of 2)
• Shinto is a religious belief system centered around the worship of kami
(deities).
– Shinto became more systematized after Buddhism was introduced
to Japan, with shrines, a hierarchy of deities, and regulated
ceremonies.

Kofun Period (2 of 2)
• Haniwa
– During the "old tombs" period (c. 300–552 CE), when a Kofun
emperor died, the hills over chamber tombs were decorated with
ceramic sculpture called haniwa.
– Early haniwa were simple cylinders, but developed into ceremonial
objects and eventually human shapes.
– They were left unglazed.

HANIWA
From Kyoto. Kofun period, 6th century CE. Earthenware, height 27" (68.5 cm).
Collection of the Tokyo National Museum. Important Cultural Property. TNM Image
Archives. [Fig. 12-02]

Shinto (1 of 2)
– Shinto architecture is typified in the wooden piles that raise the
building, horizontal logs, and unpainted cypress wood.

Shinto (2 of 2)
• The Ise Shrine
– The Grand Shrine at Ise has been ritually rebuilt alternately on two
adjoining sites since at least 690 CE.
– The building is both ancient and constantly renewed, like the
Japanese culture itself.
– Its shape derives from raised granaries used in the Yayoi period.

MAIN HALL, INNER SHRINE, ISE
Mie Prefecture. Last rebuilt 2013. Photograph by Watanabe Yoshio (1907–2000), 1953.
National Treasure. Watanabe Yoshio/PPS. [Fig. 12-03]

Writing, Language, and Culture
• At the advent of written Japanese, Chinese characters known as kanji
were used, but proved unwieldy.
• Two syllabaries known as katakana and hiragana aided in the
transcription of spoken language.
• A poem from the Heian period taught the new writing system.

ART AND ITS CONTEXTS: Writing, Language, and Culture

Asuka and Nara Periods
• New aspects of culture from China and Korea flooded Japan during
this period of 552–645 CE.
• Buddhism reached Japan in Mahayana form and became a state
religion.

Art and Its Contexts:
Buddhist Symbols (1 of 3)
• Here are a few important Buddhist symbols.
– The lotus flower symbolizes spiritual purity, the wholeness of
creation, and cosmic harmony.
– Lotus throne
 Buddhas are frequently shown seated on an open lotus, a
representation of nirvana.

– Chakra symbolize both the various states of existence (the Wheel
of Life) and the Buddhist doctrine (the Wheel of the Law).
– Marks of a buddha are distinguished by 32 physical attributes
including ushnisha, urna, elongated earlobes, and chakras on the
soles of the feet.

– Mandalas represent order and meaning within the spiritual
universe.

ART AND ITS CONTEXTS: Buddhist Symbols

Horyuji (1 of 3)
• The most significant surviving Buddhist temple is Horyu-ji near Nara; it
is the world's oldest wooden temple.
– Within are two Chinese-style buildings.
 The kondo is a five-story pagoda and is filled with Buddhist
images, making it a reliquary that is not entered.
– Among the treasures preserved within Horyu-ji is a miniature
shrine decorated with paintings in lacquer.

AERIAL VIEW OF HORYUJI COMPOUND
Pagoda to the west (left), golden hall (kondo) to the east (right).
Nara Prefecture. Asuka period, 7th century CE.
UNESCO World Heritage Site, National Treasure. © Shashinkoubou. [Fig. 12-04]

Horyuji (2 of 3)
• Hungry Tigress Jakata
– The most significant surviving Buddhist temple is Horyu-ji near
Nara; it is the world's oldest wooden temple.
– The paintings on the Tamamushi Shrine tell of the former life of the
Buddha, who sacrifices his life to feed a tigress and her cubs.
 The graceful, slender forms represent an international
Buddhist style.

HUNGRY TIGRESS JATAKA
Panel of the Tamamushi Shrine, Horyuji. Asuka period, c. 650 CE.
Lacquer on wood, height of shrine 7'7-1/2" (2.33 m).
Horyuji Treasure House, Nara. National Treasure. © Iberfoto/Alinari Archives.
[Fig. 12-05]

Horyuji (3 of 3)
• Shaka Triad
– This work is traditionally attributed to Tori Busshi (lit. "Buddhist
image-maker") and reflects an influence of Chinese art in the
Northern Wei Dynasty.
– Here, technical skill combines with knowledge of continental
sculpture modeling.

Attributed to Tori Busshi
BUDDHA SHAKA AND ATTENDANT BODHISATTVAS IN THE HORYUJI KONDO
Asuka period, c. 623 CE. Gilt bronze, height of seated figure 34-1/2" (87.5 cm).
Horyuji, Nara. National Treasure. © Iberfoto/Alinari Archives. [Fig. 12-06]

Nara Period (1 of 2)
• The Nara period is named for Japan's first permanent imperial capital.
• Divisions of the imperial bureaucracy grew as did the city's population.
• Grand Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were built in Nara,
including the Shinto Kasuga Shrine and Todaiji.

Nara Period (2 of 2)
• Many treasures have been preserved in the Shosoin Imperial
Repository at Todaiji.
– One of the items is a five-stringed lute made of lacquered red
sandalwood and chestnut, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, amber,
and tortoiseshell.
• The Buddhist faith permeated all aspects of Nara court society.

FIVE-STRINGED LUTE (BIWA) WITH DESIGN OF A CENTRAL ASIAN MAN PLAYING A
BIWA ATOP A CAMEL
Chinese. Tang dynasty, 8th century CE. Red sandalwood and chestnut inlaid with mother-
of-pearl, amber, and tortoiseshell; length 42-1/2" (108.1 cm), width 12" (30.9 cm), depth
3-1/2" (9 cm). Shosoin Repository, Todaiji. Shosoin, Todaiji, Nara [Fig. 12-07]

Heian Period
• Generally peaceful conditions and a sever with the Chinese
government lent an air of self-reliance to Japan in this period.
• During this time, an efficient method of writing was developed, spurring
literary masterpieces such as The Tale of Genji.

Esoteric Buddhist Art
• Tendai and Shingon Buddhism arose and heavily influenced religion.
• Deities have an intricate hierarchy, and learning this system was
greatly aided by visual works such as Womb World Mandala.
• Works in this style have spiritual potency, especially in depictions of
wrathful deities.

WOMB WORLD MANDALA
Heian period, late 9th century CE.
Hanging scroll with colors on silk, 6' × 5'1-1/2" (1.83 × 1.54 m).
Toji, Kyoto. National Treasure. © Fine Art Images/Superstock. [Fig. 12-08]

Pure Land Buddhist Art (1 of 2)
• Excesses in the Japanese imperial court led the masses to believe a
dark age was beginning, and people turned to the promise of salvation
after death through the Amida Buddha.

• Byodoin
– The Phoenix Hall is the principal building, and its shape evokes
the animal for which it is named.
– The central Amida Buddha carved by Jocho is covered with gold
leaf and lacquer.
 Joined-block construction allowed for a larger but lighter
statue.

BYODOIN (PHOENIX HALL), UJI
Kyoto Prefecture. Heian period, c. 1053 CE.
UNESCO World Heritage Site, National Treasure. © Kenneth Dedeu/Shutterstock.
[Fig. 12-09]

Jocho AMIDA BUDDHA
Byodoin (Phoenix Hall). Heian period, c. 1053 CE.
Gold leaf and lacquer on wood, height 9'8" (2.95 m).
National Treasure. © Prisma Bildagentur AG/Alamy Stock Photo. [Fig. 12-10]

Technique: Joined-Block Wood
Sculpture
• A large statue carved from a single log inevitably cracks due to the
detriment of moisture.
• Japanese sculptors reduced cracking using the joined block technique.
– After carving each part of the sculpture, pieces were joined
together and the interior was hollowed out.

TECHNIQUE: Joined-Block Wood Sculpture
Diagram of the joined-block wood sculpture technique used on the Amida statue by
Jocho. Kathy Mrozek.

Secular Painting and Calligraphy
(1 of 4)
• Kana script was developed in the Heian court and used to write poetry.
• Yamato-e Handscrolls—The Tale of Genji
– The Tale of Genji, written by Lady Murasaki, may be the world's
first known novel.
– Delicate painted lines and bold shapes portray the fictional
courtiers.

(2 of 4)
• Yamato-e Handscrolls—The Tale of Genji
– One scene shows Prince Genji with his wife—neither had been
faithful to one another—with a tone of irony and sorrow.
– Human participants are rendered smaller than a wall with curtains
and blinds.

A CLOSER LOOK: Scene from The Tale of Genji
Heian period, 12th century CE.
Handscroll with ink and colors on paper, 8-5/8" × 18-7/8" (21.9 × 47.9 cm).
Gotoh Museum, Tokyo. [Fig. 12-11]

(3 of 4)
• Calligraphy in Japanese
– The 31-syllable waka was the most popular style of poetry.
– A surviving collection of waka known as the Ishiyamagire consists
of 39 volumes.
 It was decorated with painting, block printing, gold and silver,
and collage.

BOOK PAGE FROM THE ISHIYAMAGIRE
Dispersed volumes, once owned by the Ishiyama Temple, of the anthology of the Thirty-
Six Immortal Poets. Heian period, early 12th century CE.
Ink with gold and silver on decorated and collaged paper, 8" × 6-3/8" (20.6 × 16.1 cm).
Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. (F1969.4). Bridgeman
Images. [Fig. 12-12]

(4 of 4)
• Yamato-e Handscrolls—Frolicking Animals
– Another style of native painting characterized by bold, confident
strokes, little color, and subjects outside the court emerged.
– No text accompanies Frolicking Animals, leaving the viewer to
engage with the animals posed with religious symbolism through
their own lens.

Attributed to Toba Sojo SCENE FROM FROLICKING ANIMALS
Heian period, 12th century CE.
Handscroll with ink on paper, height 12" (30.5 cm).
Kozanji, Kyoto. National Treasure. TNM Image Archives; © akg-images/Erich Lessing .
[Fig. 12-13]

Kamakura Period
• Courtiers became so engrossed in their own refinement that they
neglected their responsibilities.
• The Taira and Minamoto clans took opposing sides to the imperial
conflict.
– Eventually Yoritomo Minamoto prevailed, establishing a military
capital at Kamakura but residing in Kyoto.
• The shogunate endured until 1868.

A Battle Handscroll
• Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace was painted after the actual event,
but the artist conveyed a sense of eye witness.
• Brushwork was lively but refined and included color.
• Action engulfs the scene, from flames to charging horses to court
ladies trying to escape the carnage.

SECTION OF NIGHT ATTACK ON THE SANJO PALACE
Kamakura period, late 13th century CE.
Handscroll with ink and colors on paper, 16-1/4" × 23' (41.3 cm × 700.3 cm).
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Fenollosa-Weld Collection (11.4000). Photograph © 2017
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. [Fig. 12-14]

Art and Its Contexts: Arms and Armor
• Japanese swordsmiths created techniques for a blade with a hard
cutting edge and less brittle support layers.
• Yoroi armor was intended for warriors on horseback.
• Separate pieces of armor protected the left and right sides, as well as
the upper legs.

ART AND ITS CONTEXTS: Arms and Armor
Kathy Mrozek.

• Buddhist priests traveled to spread the gospel and succeeded in
popularizing Pure Land Buddhism.

• Raigo Painting
– "Welcoming approach" raigo paintings depicted Amida Buddha
descending to earth to collect the soul of a dying individual.
– Descent of Amida and the Twenty-Five Bodhisattvas renders an
impressive landscape.
– The artist used the cut-gold leaf technique kirikane.

DESCENT OF AMIDA AND THE TWENTY-FIVE BODHISATTVAS
Kamakura period, 13th century CE.
Hanging scroll with colors and gold on silk, 57-1/4" × 61-1/2" (145 × 155.5 cm).
Chionin, Kyoto. National Treasure. Photo Courtesy of Kyoto National Museum. Property
of CHION-IN. [Fig. 12-15]

Zen Buddhist Art (1 of 2)
• A portrait of Daruma is an early example of Japanese Zen painting.
• The style is created through the use of fine ink outlines and a touch of
color.
• The temple of Kenchoji in Kamakura contained many formal portraits
of his founder, Lanxi Daolong.
– The type of painting found here is known as chinso.

DARUMA
Artist unknown, inscription by Chinese Chan master Yishan Yining (1247–1317).
Kamakura period, early 14th century CE.
Hanging scroll with ink and colors on silk, 39-5/8" × 20" (100.8 × 50.8 cm).
Tokyo National Museum. Important Cultural Property. TNM Image Archives. [Fig. 12-16]

Zen Buddhist Art (2 of 2)
• Zen Buddhism (Chan in China) spread to Japan through its appeal to
self-disciplined samurai.
• Painting and sculpture emphasized realism.
• People in the Kamakura period were concerned with forging personal
connections with heroic exploits and individuals.

PORTRAIT OF THE CHINESE CHAN MASTER LANXI DAOLONG
Inscription by Lanxi Daolong. Kamakura period, dated 1271 CE.
Hanging scroll with colors on silk, 41-1/3" × 18" (105 × 46.1 cm).
Kenchoji, Kamakura. National Treasure. Kenchoji, Kamakura. [Fig. 12-17]

Think About It (1 of 2)
• Discuss the influence of Chinese art on the early Japanese Buddhist
complex at Horyuji, referring to Chapter 11 as necessary.
• Compare the Heian-period Womb World mandala (Fig. 12–8) with the
Kamakura-period Descent of Amida and the Twenty-Five Bodhisattvas
(Fig. 12–15). How do these pictures embody the specific type of
Buddhism from which each emerged? How would they have been
used by believers?

Think About It (2 of 2)
• Discuss a work of art in this chapter that combines aspects of the
foreign traditions of Buddhism with native Shinto traditions. How do the
artists blend the disparate traditions? How would the blending affect
the way the work functioned within a religious context?
• Characterize and compare one representative secular work of art from
Heian courtly culture with one from the warrior culture that replaced it
during the Kamakura period. How do these works relate to the political
climates of these two distinct eras in early Japanese history?

Survey 1 ch12

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