Midterm Exam Flashcards
What is the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
Marks the site of:
- Temple of Solomon
- Herod’s Temple
- Later Roman Temple
- Center stone = Adam’s grave
- Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of Isaac
- Muhammad’s ascension to heaven
- The third holiest Islamic site, after Mecca and Medina
Define Kufic writing
A specific type of decorative calligraphy that is quite beautiful
Define “aniconic” Islamic artwork
Art without images of the human form out of respect for divine creation
Define “mihrab”
A niche or recess in the center of the qibla wall
Indus Valley Civilization
- Earliest Indian civilization
- ## Around Indus River, Pakistan, Afghanistan and northwest India
Define Tribhanga
“Three Bends”
A dynamic figure type where the body is twisted to
Define Chaitya (hall)
A Buddhist assembly hall and place of worship
Originally, rooms with tall vaulted roofs of bent saplings
Define Bodhisattva
“one who has bodhi (wisdom) as his goal
- a Mahayana Buddhist who forsakes personal attainment of nirvana to help others
Define Mudras
(Think: “Mark”)
Sanskrit for “mark” or “gesture”
A repertoire of symbolic hand and full-body gestured by the Buddha that convey ideas as teaching
Define Sutra
(Think: “Statement”)
Sanskrit, “thread” or “line”
Concise, cleverly worded statement
Define Thangkas (Nepal and Tibet)
“Rolled-up cloth”
A portable hanging scroll that could be rolled up and easily moved
Define Bhakti
(Think: belong-to)
Sanskrit, “to share in or belong to”
A form of spiritual tranquility coming from one’s bond with deities through art
Define Moksa
(Think: No-Sa)
Hindu term for spiritual freedom from Samsara
Define Confucianism
Moral philosophy from teaching of Master Kong aka Confucius
Pays homage to one’s spirit ancestors who could access wisdom of the gods
Define LI (Confucianism)
The perfect harmony with nature and the spirits
Definitions of Qi
Breath
Spirit Resonance
Rhythm
Character
Define Daoism
“The Way”
From the book “Dao de jing” (Book of the way) by Lao Zi
General term for core Chinese beliefs at understanding of world and humankind’s quest for harmony w/ nature
Define Yin and Yang
The female and male principles of nature in Daoist belief
(Female) Yin: Darkness, softness and passivity
(Male) Yang: Brightness, hardness and action
Define Wenren
Literati painters
Educated, upper class, scholar officials from the Song period who did not attempt to make a living from art
Said to be superior to professional court painters
Define crackle glaze
Crackle - Pattern of cracks that develop in glaze on piece of pottery d/t glaze and clay body contract at unequal rates during cooling
Describe Piece-Mold Casting
Sculptor produced a full detailed clay model of vessel
Pieces of clay are pressed against to create negative mold
Mold is removed in sections and fired to give greater strength
What are Xie He’s six canons of painting?
- Sympathetic responsiveness to
the qi - Structural method in the use of
the brush - Fidelity to the object in portraying
forms - Conformity in applying
colors - Transmission of past experience in making copies
- Proper planning in the placing
of elements
Describe Chan (Zen) Buddhism
One can find happiness and success by achieving harmony with nature
Define Koans
“Questions” or “Exchanges”
With a Zen master to break down traditional patterns of though, leading to enlightenment
Define Feng Shui
“wind” and “water”
Daoist belief that people and nature are linked in invisible dialogue and QI flowing along surface and in earth can influence the lives of people near them
