Asian Art
Japanese Screens and Scrolls
Seated Buddha,
Tang dynasty
Credits
Many artists, such as Impressionist painters
Cassatt and Monet, were heavily influenced by
Asian Art. Vincent Van Gogh once said…
Bamboo and Rocks,
Yuan dynasty
Credits
“If we study Japanese Art, we see a man who is
undoubtedly wise, philosophic and intelligent,
who spends his time doing what? In studying
the distance between the earth and moon? No.
In studying Bismarck’s policy? No. He studies a
single blade of grass."
Self-portrait Van Gogh Credits
geography
Japan- a nation of islands that were
able to avoid invasion and develop
a homogeneous culture.
The terrain of Japan affected the
kinds of landscapes that were
produced.
Nearby countries, such as China,
affected Japan.
Map of Japan Credits
Religion
How did religion affect
Japanese Art?
*Mood or feeling
*Subject Matterillustrating the teachings
of their beliefs
Would you like to hear of example of a tale that would
have been told to to help pass on Buddha’s teachings?
Click here.
Religion
What religions can you think of that might
have been prevalent in Asia?
Buddhism
Hinduism
Jainism
Taoism
Sikhism
Shinto
Confucianism
Buddhism
This sculpture depicts
Buddha- “Enlightened One”
which means perfect human.
Buddhism- founded in India by
Sidhartha Gautuma.
Zen Buddhism- from Chinathe art of meditation.
Seated Buddha, Tang Dynasty
Credits
Would you like to hear a story about a young man
trying to attain Enlightenment? Click
Bodhisattva
Boe- dee-saht-vuh
What is a Bodhisattva?
A Bodhisattva is someone who has
stopped one step short of becoming a
Buddha to help other attain
enlightenment. Guanyin (gwan yin) is
the Chinese name of this bodhisattva.
Would you like to hear another tale
by the Zen masters? It’s called
Baby Snake in a Cup. Click here.
Head of Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy
Credits
Composition
Let’s take a closer look at the composition in
the battle scene in this screen painting:
The Battles of Hogen and Heiji, Edo period Credits
Composition
How would you
describe the space
in this painting?
Detail of The Battles of
Hogen and Heiji Credits
Detail of The Battles of Hogen and Heiji
Credits
Detail of The Battles of Hogen and Heiji
Credits
Media
What media (materials)
did the artists use to
create this screen
painting?
Ink- permanent. There’s
no correcting or
repainting it.
Ink wash creates an
atmospheric perspective
in the background.
Bamboo and Rocks, Yuan dynasty
Credits
What is Monochrome?
The Old Plum, Edo period Credits
Chinese style Monochrome
ink paintings were a
popular style in Japanese
screen Paintings.
Monochrome- or
monochromatic is a color
scheme that uses tints and
shades of one color.
Hanging Scrolls And Hand Scrolls
Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Shrine (Kitano Tenjin
Engi), Kamakura period Credits
Hand scrolls or Emakimono (E mock e mo no) were introduced
from China in the 8th Century. Within a century, Japanese painters
were producing the most exquisite hand scrolls on the continent.
Hanging scrolls were used in the Japanese tea ceremony (as we’ll
discuss later). Scrolls were usually silk or paper.
This scroll contained illustrated legends of Zen for a religious shrine.
Would you like to hear a tale from Buddha’s teaching about 4 men who
learn an important lesson while practicing Zen? Click here.
Folding Screens
Other than
decoration- what
purpose did folding
screens serve?
Landscapes in the Style of An Kyon, Choson dynasty Credits
Woodblock Prints
Woodblock print- very popular
in Asia during this time.
This famous landscape print by
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
was one of 36 views of Mount
Fuji.
The Great Wave at Kanagawa Hokusai Credits
Describe what you see in this picture- look closely.
Who do you think Hokusai believed was in controlman or nature?
The Way of Tea
*The tea ceremony was to
be enjoyed in a small room
with selected “tea” scroll
paintings.
*Tea began as a medicine
and grew into a beverage.
*Teaism- purity and
harmony, the mystery of
mutual charity, the
romanticism of the social
order.
*Worship of the imperfect
Ewer for use in tea ceremony,
Momoyama period Credits
Selected Bibliography
Addiss, S. and Seo, A. Y. (1996).
How to look at Japanese art. Harry N.
Abrams, Inc, Publishers: New York.
Lee, S. E. (1997). Screens
and Scrolls: Japanese art from the
collection of the Ackland Art
Museum. The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill: Chapel Hill,
NC.
Baker, J. S. (1984). Japanese Art.
Thames and Hudson Ltd: London.
Man-Tu Lee (1999). The
Japanese Tea Ceremony. Element
Books Limited: Shaftesbury, Dorset.
Johnson, N. (1993) Selected
TeaHyakka Magazine: The
Readings for Anthropology 1999, pt. 1:
Encyclopedia of Japanese Tea
gardens, shrines, and temples of Japan. Ceremony. Available at:
http://www.teahyakka.com/
Copytron: Chapel Hill, NC.
Martin, R. (1995). One hand clapping: Zen stories for all
ages. Rizzoli International Publications, Inc: New York.
Image Credits
Seated Buddha, Tang dynasty (618?07), ca. 650 China. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at:
http://www.metmuseum.org/
Bamboo and Rocks, Yuan dynasty (1279?368), 1318. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at:
http://www.metmuseum.org/
Van Gogh Self Portrait (1990’s) Courtesy of Jim Grattan
JIM'S FINE ART COLLECTION. Available at: http://www.spectrumvoice.com/art/index.html
Landscapes in the Style of An Kyon, Choson dynasty (1392?910), 5th century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Shrine (Kitano Tenjin Engi), Kamakura period (1185?333), 13th century. The
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/
The Old Plum, Edo period (1615?868), ca. 1645 Attributed to Kano Sansetsu (Japanese, 1658?716) Japan
purchase, Louisa Eldridge McBurney Gift, 1953 (53.7.1-2) The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at:
http://www.metmuseum.org/
The Battles of Hogen and Heiji, Edo period (1615?868), 17th century Japan Rogers Fund, 1957 (57.156.4-5).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Eight-Planked Bridge (Yatsuhashi), Edo period (1615?868), 18th century Ogata Korin (Japanese, 1658?716)
Japan Purchase, Louisa Eldridge McBurney Gift, 1953 (53.7.1-2) . The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at:
http://www.metmuseum.org/
The Great Wave at Kanagawa (from a Series of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji), Edo period (1615?868), ca.
1831?3 Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760?849) Japan Polychrome Ink and color on paper; 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in. (25.7 x
37.9 cm) (Oban H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (JP1847). The Metropolitan Museum of
Art. Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Ewer for use in tea ceremony, Momoyama period (1568?615), early 17th century Japan Stoneware with
overglaze enamels (Shino-Oribe ware); H. 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm) Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1988 (1988.156ab) . The
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Seated Buddha, Tang dynasty (618?07), ca. 650 China. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at:
http://www.metmuseum.org/
Dry lacquer with traces of gilt and polychrome pigments; 38 x 27 in. (96.5 x 68.6 cm) Rogers Fund, 1919
(19.186). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Head of Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy. Gilded and painted cast iron, 13 th century Ackland Fund Northern
Chinese Jin Dynasty (115-1234).