Art History IIInstructor Dustin M Price

Japan

-The era when members of the Ashikaga family occupied the position of shogun is known as the Muromachi period (1392- 1573), named after the district in Kyoto where their headquarters was located

- This period is also known as the Ashikaga era

- the Muromachi period was economically and artistically innovative. This epoch saw the first steps in the establishment of modern commercial, transportation, and urban developments

- Contact with China, which had been resumed in the Kamakura period, once again enriched and transformed Japanese thought and aesthetics

-One of the imports that was to have a far-reaching impact was Zen BuddhismSu Dongpo in Straw Hat and Wooden Shoes,

Muromachi period

Japan

-Although known in Japan since the seventh century, Zen was enthusiastically embraced by the military class beginning in the thirteenth century and went on to have a profound effect on all aspects of national life, from government and commerce to the arts and education

- The samurai were highly fond of Zen philosophy The military elite dominated Japanese politics, economics, and social policies between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries

-Known as bushi or samurai, these warriors, who first appear in historical records of the tenth century, rose to power initially through their martial prowess—in particular, they were expert in archery, swordsmanship, and horseback riding

Japan

- Pure Land Buddhism which had been introduced earlier remained popular but Zen became the dominant cultural force in Japan among the ruling class

- The private villas that the Ashikaga shoguns built there served as elegant settings for the pursuit of art and culture.

- During the Muromachi period brightly covered narrative hand scrolls continued to be produced but ink painting in its monochromatic grays and blacks, introduced to Japan from the continent became the most popular type of brush art

- Muromachi in painting was highly influenced by Zen aesthetics

-Japan’s first great master of ink was the monk-artist Shubun

Portrait sculpture of a Zen priest, Muromachi period (1392–1573), 14th–15th centuryJapanLacquered wood

Japan

- Shubun is known for his influence and his pupils work but no actual works of art by him are known

- One of his students, Bunsei has two surviving landscape paintings one of which Landscape you can see to the left

-You can see heavy Korean influences within the work and because the Koreans copied many Ming Dynasty Chinese works, you can also see their influence

-Sesshu (next slide) was another of Shubun’s students, Sesshu is believed to have outshined his master and is now known as one of the greatest Japanese painters of all time

- Although they completed training to become Zen monks Shubun and his followers specialized in art rather than religious ritual or teaching

Winter Landscape Sesshu 1470’sLandscape Sesshu

Zen Rock Garden

- Dry gardens began to be built in the 15th and 16th centuries in Japan

-Zen rock gardens, or karesansui (translated as "dry-mountain-water"), originated in Japan and are renowned for their simplicity and serenity

- Zen monks in Japan lead simple monastic lives, they meditated daily, and engaged in manual labor to provide for themselves and maintain their temple properties

- Many Zen temples constructed dry landscape courtyard gardens

- Creating, maintaining, and cleaning these gardens was a kind of active meditation

- The most famous of these can be found in Kyoto at the 15th-century Ryoanji, the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon

Zen Rock Garden

-"While there are other similar gardens of great beauty," says James Ulak, curator of Japanese art at Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler galleries, "Ryoanji remains the ur-site of the type—powerful, abstract, Zen Buddhist landscapes designed to invoke deep meditation.“

-Measuring 98 by 32 feet, the Ryoanji garden is about the size of a tennis court and is composed solely of 15 large and small rocks, some encircled by moss, grouped in five clusters on a bed of carefully raked white sand. From a distance, the rocks resemble islands, the sand a tranquil sea

- Many feel the rocks do represent land masses or islands in the sea, or mountain peaks resting above clouds, even a constellation of stars and planets

Zen Rock Garden

-In 2002, a research team at Kyoto University claimed to have cracked the Zen code. Relying on computer models, they found that the garden's rocks—when viewed from the proper angle—subconsciously evoke the tranquil outline of a branching tree

-Over the centuries, however, visitors have discerned images as diverse as a tigress escorting her cubs across water and the Chinese character for "heart" or "mind." Since the anonymous designer left no explanation, the garden's exact meaning remains a mystery, which no doubt contributes to its enduring allure

- Nowadays, (from what I hear) it is overrun by tourists so any attempt at using the facility to meditate is disrupted by people laughing and talking and camera flashes

The Tea Ceremony

-Tea was introduced to Japan in the 9th century, Zen monks used it for meditation and others felt it had medicinal properties

- The Japanese ritual of drinking tea “The Tea Ceremony” has no counterpart in Western culture

- What we commonly refer to as the “Japanese tea ceremony” is called chanoyu ( lit. "tea hot-water") or also chado or sado ("the way of tea") in Japanese

- the Japanese tea ceremony is a multifaceted traditional activity in which powdered green tea, called matcha, is ceremonially prepared and served to others

- Interestingly, Zen Buddhism was integral to its development, and this influence pervades many aspects of it

The Tea Ceremony

By the 16th century, tea drinking had spread to all levels of society in Japan. During this time, Sen no Rikyu, perhaps the most well-known historical figure in tea ceremony, perfected his teachings

- He is largely responsible for the aesthetic of modesty, refinement, and rusticity

-The principles set forward by Sen no Rikyu harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility - are still central to the tea ceremony

- These ideals influenced the Tearoom (next slide) a traditional tearoom combines simple elegance and rusticity. It is made of natural materials such as bamboo and wood

- Every utensil connected with tea, including the water pot, the kettle, the bamboo spoon, whisk, tea caddy is important but the tea bowl is by far the most importantTea Bowl, Called Mount Fuji Hon’ami Koetsu

video

Exam III

Vocab:

Zen rock gardens, or karesansuiJapanese Tea Ceremony, or chanoyu

Artwork:

Winter Landscape Sesshu 25-3Ryoanji Rock Garden 25-4Tea Bowl, Called Mount Fuji Hon’ami Koetsu 25-8The Great Wave Katsushika Hokusai 25-12

Read pages 943 – 959 by Monday