1. JAPAN BEFORE 1333
Gardner chapter 8 pp

2. HEIAN PERIOD/ESOTERIC BUDDHISM
In 784 the Imperial house moves from Nara -> eventually establishes new capital at Kyoto
The Heian Period lasted from > in the early period there close ties with China -> later the ties are cut and Japanese culture became more self directed
Major development in the Heian Period is the introduction of Esoteric Buddhism from China
Believed that individuals possess the Buddha nature and can achieve enlightenment through meditation and careful living
Emphasis on ritual and meditation

3. In the Heian period the Pure Land Buddhism sect which preaches universal salvation spreads to all classes of Japanese society
The most important monument to Pure Land beliefs in Japan is the Phoenix Hall temple
Elaborate winged form evokes the Buddha’s palace in the Western Pure Land
Situated on a reflective pond it suggests the floating weightlessness of celestial architecture
PHOENIX HALL, UJI

4. TALE OF GENJI
Japan’s most admired literary classic -> written around > author is Lady Murasaki
It tells of the lives and loves of Prince Genji and his descendants
This is the best known work of literature in Japan

5. KAMAKURA PERIOD
In the late 12th century a series of civil wars between rival warrior families led to the end of the Japanese imperial court as a major force
Actual power moves from Imperial court in Kyoto to the “shoguns”
Kamakura shogunate( )-> military government

6. (8-203/1) NIGHT ATTACK ON THE SANJO PALACE Kamakura Period, Japan c
(8-203/1) NIGHT ATTACK ON THE SANJO PALACE Kamakura Period, Japan c C.E. Handscroll (ink and color on paper)
FLASHCARD
Painted 100 years after event depicted
Elevated viewpoint
Swift active brushstrokes
Unrolls like a film sequence
Burning of the imperial palace at Sanjo in Kyoto -> rebels seize power and the emperor is captured

7. Lone archer leads the escape from the burning palace with equestrian Japanese commander behind him
(8-203/2) NIGHT ATTACK ON THE SANJO PALACE - DETAIL Kamakura Period, Japan c C.E. Handscroll (ink and color on paper)
FLASHCARD

8. (8-207/1) RYOAN-JI, WET GARDEN Kyoto, Japan Muromachi Period c. 1480 C
(8-207/1) RYOAN-JI, WET GARDEN Kyoto, Japan Muromachi Period c C.E. Current design most likely dates to the 18th century
FLASHCARD
Garden as a microcosm of nature
Contains a tea house
Seemingly arbitrary in placement -> plants are actually placed in a highly organized and structured environment symbolizing the natural world
Water symbolizes purification; used in rituals

9. (8-207/2) RYOAN-JI, DRY GARDEN Kyoto, Japan Muromachi Period c. 1480 C
(8-207/2) RYOAN-JI, DRY GARDEN Kyoto, Japan Muromachi Period c C.E. Current design most likely dates to the 18th century
FLASHCARD
gravel acts as water -> raked in wavy patterns
Rocks are mtn. ranges
Fifteen rocks arranged in three groups -> interpreted as islands in a floating sea; mtn. peaks above clouds; constellations in the sky
Served as a focus for meditation
Bounded on two sides by a yellow wall

10. (8-207/3) RYOAN-JI, PLAN Kyoto, Japan Muromachi Period c. 1480 C. E
(8-207/3) RYOAN-JI, PLAN Kyoto, Japan Muromachi Period c C.E. Current design most likely dates to the 18th century
Ryoan-ji is a temple complex located in north Kyoto and associated with Zen Buddhism
It is regarded as an expression of Zen art and a symbol of Zeb Buddhism and Japanese culture
Zen is about “enlightenment” through self-introspection
FLASHCARD

11. WHITE AND RED PLUM BLOSSOMS

12. (8-210/1) WHITE AND RED PLUM BLOSSOMS Ogata Korin c. 1710-1716 C. E
(8-210/1) WHITE AND RED PLUM BLOSSOMS Ogata Korin c C.E. Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper
FLASHCARD
Simple landscape theme -> two flowering trees on either side of a brook
White plum blossoms on left and red on right
Black ink with gold leaf background on a pair of folding screens
Image seems both abstract and realistic at the same time
Japanese Rinpa style meaning “School of Korin” -> influenced western painters like Klimt

13. FLASHCARD
(8-210/2) WHITE AND RED PLUM BLOSSOMS Ogata Korin c C.E. Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper
Right side of folding screen
Stream cuts rhythmically through the scene -> swirls in paint surface indicate water currents

14. (8-211) UNDER THE WAVE OFF KANAGAWA, also known as the Great Wave From the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji Katsushika Hokusai C.E. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
FLASHCARD
Perhaps the most iconic work of Japanese art
Thousands of copies of the print were produced and sold cheaply
The wave frames Mount Fuji -> considered sacred -> fisherman in boats about to be swamped
Example of Ukiyo-e (wood block printing) -> marked a shift from genre images to landscape