Japanese Art before 1392

From the Prehistoric to the Kamakura period

Goggle-Eyed Dogū, excavated from the Tsurugaoka site, Aomori prefecture, 1000-400 BC,

Jōmon period, earthenware, 36.7 cm.

Goggle-Eyed Dogū, excavated from the Tsurugaoka site, Aomori prefecture,

1000-400 BC, Jōmon period, earthenware, h. 36.7 cm.

Goggle-Eyed Dogū, excavated from the Tsurugaoka site, Aomori prefecture,

1000-400 BC, Jōmon period, earthenware, h. 36.7 cm.

Woman of Willendorf, 30,000-25,000 BC, limestone, h. 11 cm.

Goggle-Eyed Dogū, excavated from the Tsurugaoka site, Aomori

prefecture, 1000-400 BC, Jōmon period, earthenware, h. 36.7 cm.

Dragon Quest IV (video game, 1990); “Ancient Japan attacked by Aliens,” a

children’s book, 1970s; a monster character from a live action TV series, 2000s.

Storage Jar, 100-300 AD, Yayoi period, earthenware with incised decoration, h. 25.4 cm;

diam. 22.9 cm.

From left (clockwise): Haniwa Warrior, 6th century,130.5 cm; Monkey, 6th century, 27.3 cm; House, 5th century, 54.5 cm; Dog, 6th century, 47.1 cm; Dancing People, 6th century, 64.1 cm; 57 cm, Kofun period,

earthenware.

Haniwa figurines

Key hole shaped kofun

Tomb of Emperor Nintoku (d.399), Sakai, Osaka, 5th

century, Kofun period, main axis length 486 m; h. 35 m.

Arrangement of haniwa on the roof of a kofun (old mound) tumulus

Haniwa Warrior (from Izuka-chō, Gunma prefecture), 6th century, Kofun period,

earthenware, 130.5 cm.

Haniwa Warrior (from Izuka-chō, Gunma prefecture), 6th century, Kofun period,

earthenware, 130.5 cm.

Terracotta Soldiers, from the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi, c. 210 BC,

earthenware, life-size.

Ise Shrine

Torii gate at Ise Shrine, Mie prefecture.

Shinmei zukuri 神明造り

• 3 bays wide and 2 bays deep• Entrance on the long side• Built on a raised floor, supported by round pillars (hottate bashira)• Surrounded by a veranda• The entire bottom part is capped by the gabled roof• Pillars on short ends support the roof• No windows and the interior contains only one room

Main Hall, Inner Shrine of Ise Shrine, Mie prefecture, last rebuilt 2013.

Hōryūji temple, Ikaruga, Nara prefecture, original 607 (destructed in fire 670), reconstructed c. 711, Asuka-Nara period.

Aerial view of Hōryūji temple, c. 711; reconstruction view of original Hōryūji

temple, 607.

Plan of Hōryūji temple, as it is today.

Five-Story Pagoda, Hōryūji temple.

Great Stupa, Sanchi, India, 3rd-1st century BC, Maurya period.

Golden Hall, Hōryūji temple.

Main Hall, Inner Shrine at Ise Shrine

Tori Busshi, Shaka Triad, Golden Hall, Hōryūji temple, Ikaruga, Nara, 623, Asuka period, gilt

bronze, 116.8 cm.

Tori Busshi, Shaka Triad, Golden Hall, Hōryūji temple, Ikaruga, Nara, 623, Asuka period, gilt

bronze, 116.8 cm.

Shakyamuni Buddha group, Binyangdong, Longmen cave temple, Henan, 6th c., late

Northern Wei dynasty, stone.

Tori Busshi, Shaka Triad, Golden Hall, Hōryūji temple, Ikaruga, Nara, 623, Asuka period, gilt

bronze, 116.8 cm.

Meditating Buddha, Koguryo, Korea, 6th c., gilt bronze, 6.6 cm.

Jātaka Tale of Hungry Tigress, on the side panel of Tamamushi Shrine, Hōryūji

temple, c. 650, lacquer on wood.

Tamamushi Shrine, Hōryūji temple, c. 650, Asuka period, cypress and camphor

wood with lacquer, 233 cm.

Jātaka Tale of Hungry Tigress, on the side panel of Tamamushi Shrine, Hōryūji

temple, c. 650, lacquer on wood.

Yakushi Triad, Golden Hall, Yakushi-ji temple, Nara, late 7th-early 8th c., Nara period, bronze, h. Yakushi (center), 254 cm; Nikkō (right), 317.3 cm; Gakkō (left),

315.3 cm.

Gakkō (Moonlight) Bodhisattva, Yakushi Triad, Golden Hall, Yakushi-ji temple, Nara, late 7th-

early 8th c., Nara period, bronze 315.3 cm.

Buddha, late 1st-3rd c., Gandhara, Kushan period, Phyllite, 182.9 cm.

Gakkō (Moonlight) Bodhisattva, Yakushi Triad, Golden Hall, Yakushi-ji temple, Nara, late 7th-

early 8th c., Nara period, bronze 315.3 cm.

Attendant Bodhisattva, from the Vairocana Buddha group, Longmen cave temple, 672-675, Tang dynasty, stone.

Tori Busshi, Shaka Triad, Golden Hall, Hōryūji temple, Ikaruga, Nara, 623, Asuka period, gilt

bronze, h. 116.8 cm.

Yakushi (Medicine) Buddha, Golden Hall, Yakushi-ji temple, Nara, late 7th-early 8th c.,

Nara period, bronze, h. 254 cm.

Vairocana Buddha, Longmen cave temple, 672-675, Tang dynasty, stone, 13.37 m.

Yakushi (Medicine) Buddha, Golden Hall, Yakushi-ji temple, Nara, late 7th-early 8th c.,

Nara period, bronze, h. 254 cm.

Greek “grape vines” motif

Persian “lotus flower” motif

Indian “yaksha” figures

4 Chinese mythological animals: - Blue Dragon (east) - White Tiger (west) - Red Phoenix (south) - Black Turtle/snake (north)

The base of Yakushi Buddha, seen from the west.

A scene from Kashiwagi chapter, The Tale of Genji Scrolls, 12th c., Heian period, handscroll; ink and color on paper, 21.9 x 41.9 cm.

Kana かな (平仮名 )

The development of kana phonograms, abstracted from kanji (Chinese characters).

47 kana phonograms in modern standard forms

Emaki-mono 絵巻物 (Illustrated Narrative Handscroll)

Meant to be unrolled from right to left and read/viewed in segments of about 2 feet each.

A scene from Kashiwagi chapter, The Tale of Genji Scrolls, 12th c., Heian period, handscroll; ink and color on paper, 21.9 x 41.9 cm.

Formerly attributed to Toba Sōjō, details of Frolicking of Animals, volume 1, 12th c., Heian period, handscroll; ink on paper, 31 cm x 1150 cm.

Detail of Night Attack on Sanjō Palace, from The Tale of Heiji Scrolls, second half of 13th c., Kamakura period, handscroll; ink and color on paper, 45.9 x 774.5 cm.

Detail of Night Attack on Sanjō Palace, from The Tale of Heiji Scrolls, second half of 13th c., Kamakura period, handscroll; ink and color on paper, 45.9 x 774.5 cm.

Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball, vol. 1, 1985.