Term
Reliquary
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Reliquary [Buddhist], Biraman, Afghanistan, c. 50 BCE |
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| container, often made by precious materials, used as repository to protect and display sacred relics |
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diagram of cosmos according to Buddhist tradition
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Plan/Mandala of the Great Stupa at Sanchi, 100 BCE |
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| symbolic representation without images of human figures; for example, early Buddhist art is considered aniconic, with the Buddha being represented by either an umbrella-horse combination or a foot with a thousand-spoked wheel |
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Buddhist monastery in India; Buddhist monks living chambers; "for wanderers"
example - Ajanta Vihara, 400-700 CE |
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tower usually associated with Buddhist temple, with multiple eaves
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Great Wild Goose Pagoda, Ci'en Temple, China, Tang Dynasty, 645-750 CE
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circumambulation; "moving around a sacred object for a good cause"
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distinguishing mark of the Buddha; includes ushnisha (protrudence on head/bun atop the head) and urna (tuft of hair between eyes/dot in center of forehead)
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Term
Bodhisattva
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Bodhisattva figure from the Ajanta Caves, India, c. 475 CE |
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| enlightened beings who postpone nirvana and buddhahood in order to stay & help others achieve enlightenment; differentiated from Buddha by their "earthly" jewelry |
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carving sculpture from two blocks rather than one to prevent warping over time
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Kondo
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Kondo at the Horyuji Complex, Japan, 620 CE |
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| known as the 'golden hall'; main hall for worship in Japanese Buddhist temple complex |
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Term
Avatar
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*gross crying* |
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deliberate descent of a diety to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being; mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"
Most typically depicted Hindu avatar is Vishnu
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Boar Avatar of Vishnu rescuing Earth, Udayagiri, Cave 5, India, c. 401 CE |
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cosmic [phallic] pillar depicted in Hindu sculpture
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"visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity (especially in image form), or a very holy person or artifact
- Concept of seeing the diety and being seen by the diety
- Eye detail added last to "awaken" the image |
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a northern style Hindu temple; features "mountaintop" oblong domes (shikhara) with "cushion" tops (amalakas) and ordamental medicinal fruit atop the cushion (amala)
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Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho, India, c. 1000 CE |
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Southern style Hindu temple; features a single tall, pyramidal tower (vimana)
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Rajarajeshvara Temple, Thanjavur, India, c. 1000 CE |
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Oblong domes on nagara/northern temples that represent the surrounding mountain ranges
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a central pyramidal tower featured in southern style Hindu temples
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Calligraphy
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Page from the Qur'an in Kufic Script, 900 CE |
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art of fine hand lettering; in Islamic art, script from the Qur'an is often incorporated into the intricate architecture
- Kufic script & Nashki script |
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semicircular niche set into qibla wall of mosque
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Tile Mosaic Mihrab, Madrasa Imami, Isfahan, Iran, 1350 CE |
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Hypostyle Hall
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Hypostyle Hall at the Great Mosque in Tunisia, c. 836-875 CE |
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hallways that are open spaces with a roof supported by columns organized in rows
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screened area preceding mihrab, reserved for ruler
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Maqsura, Great Mosque at Cordoba, Spain, c. 965 CE |
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| direction pointing to the city of Mecca in which Muslims must pray towards |
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monumental building used as tomb; prominent in the Mughal Empire in India
Most notable example: Taj Mahal, which is a mausoleum for Shah Jahan and his wife (1631-1648) |
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Large ancestral sculptures that face inland on Rapa Nui (Easter Island); features prominent facial features, coral eyes (sometimes), and redstone-yellowstone construction
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Maoi of Rapa Nui, Polynesia, 1200 CE |
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| bark cloth using in Pacific Islander art; used specifically in the portable anakena sculptures of Rapa Nui |
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| traditional facial and body tattoos of the Maori; highly symmetrical, difficult process of cutting into the skin instead of pecking; used as signatures, where the person can draw out the entire intricate design on paper as their signature |
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series of engaged arches and column supports
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| Lost-Wax Casting Technique |
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| Important sculpture technique where wax is sculpted into an image/bust, melted out of its cast, and replaced with molten metal; allows for intricate details to an image without ruining the metal beforehand |
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| walls that slope inward toward the top (technique used at Great Zimbabwe, 1300 CE) |
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Stories of the Buddha's past lives
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"Hungry Tigress" Jataka, Japan |
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