Asian Art Glossary

Elaborate decorative design of intertwined flowing lines, originally found in Islamic art across Central and South Asia.

A seated or standing posture of a deity in Hindu and Buddhist sculpture, each conveying specific symbolic meaning.

The bodhisattva of compassion, widely depicted across Buddhist Asia as Guanyin (China), Kannon (Japan), and Chenrezig (Tibet).

Sculpture in which figures project slightly from a background surface, widely used in temple decoration across South and Southeast Asia.

Ceramic ware with a distinctive jade-green glaze, produced primarily in China and Korea.

A symbol representing the Buddha's teachings, commonly depicted in Buddhist art with eight spokes symbolizing the Noble Eightfold Path.

Ancient region in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan that produced Buddhist art blending Greco-Roman and Indian styles.

An ornate, pyramidal gateway tower of a South Indian Hindu temple, covered in polychrome sculpture depicting gods and mythological scenes.

A vertical format painting or calligraphy mounted on silk or paper for display on a wall, common in East Asian art.

The study and interpretation of symbolic imagery, attributes, and conventions used to identify deities and narratives in art.

Stories of the Buddha's previous lives, widely depicted in painting and sculpture across South and Southeast Asian Buddhist art.

A paradoxical statement or question in Zen Buddhism used to provoke insight, sometimes expressed visually in ink painting.

Objects coated with refined tree sap (urushi in Japanese), built up in many layers and often decorated with gold, inlay, or carving.

Chinese painting by scholar-officials emphasizing personal expression and calligraphic brushwork over decorative finish.

An almond-shaped aureole of light surrounding the entire body of a sacred figure in Buddhist and Hindu art.

Small-scale, highly detailed paintings from the Persian, Mughal, Rajput, and Pahari traditions of South and Central Asia.

Ritual hand gestures in Buddhist and Hindu art that convey specific spiritual meanings and identify deities.

The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, often depicted in art as the reclining Buddha.

A tiered tower found in East and Southeast Asia, originally evolving from the Indian Buddhist stupa as a reliquary structure.

Vital energy or life force in Chinese philosophy; in art criticism, spirit resonance (qiyun) is the highest quality a painting can possess.

Japanese hand-molded pottery associated with the tea ceremony, characterized by irregular forms and thick lead glazes.

A dome-shaped Buddhist shrine containing relics, originating in India and spreading across Asia in varied architectural forms.

Japanese term for ink wash painting, using black ink on paper or silk with emphasis on brushwork and empty space.

South Indian painting tradition from Tamil Nadu known for rich colors, gold leaf overlay, and depictions of Hindu deities.

Traditional Japanese gate marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine, symbolizing the transition from the mundane to the sacred.