Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavillion)

• Muromachi Period, Kyoto 
• Medium: Wood covered in gold foil
• Function: Religious
• Style: bell shaped windows (Tang style influence), mix of Chinese and Japanese style, thatched roof,
• Subject Matter: Not originally Buddhist Temple Building, 2 Buddhist images (Amida and Kannon)

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavillion) 

• Muromachi Period, Kyoto 
• Medium: Wood
  Function: Religious
• Style: bell shaped windows, raised building, thatched roof, mix of Chinese and Japanese style, phoenix at top, Avaloketeshvara/Kannon inside,
• Subject Matter: Zen Buddhist Temple

Jomon Pot

• Initial Jomon Period 
• Function: Everyday use
• Medium: Clay
• Style: Decorative patterns, motif, made with cord/rope (Jomon), pointed bottom,
• Subject Matter: cord pattern, unknown symbolism, 

Jomon Pot

• Early Jomon Period
• Medium: Clay
• Function: Everyday use
• Style: Use of cord/rope, more complicated motifs compared to initial Jomon,
• Subject Matter: Bamboo sticks, sea shells, finger nails, bottom is flat

Flame-Style Storage Vessel

• Middle Jomon Period
• Medium: Clay
• Function: Everyday use, storage
• Style: Use clay rope over earthenware for 3D patterns/motifs, wave/spiral patterns, realistic depiction of animals and plants, flat bottom,
• Subject Matter: Upward motion, flame patter, symbolism unknown,

Dogu

• Jomon Period, Kamikurokoma
• Medium: Clay
• Function: ritual or religious
• Style: Unique form, cat-like face, suggestive of early use of tattoos by incisions on face, related to hunting culture, small holes on shoulders (patterns on animal fur), maybe female image (by gesture),
• Subject Matter: Early figure image, cat  face,

• Yayoi Period, Kagawa Prefecture
• Medium: Bronze
• Function: Visual, not for music, decorative
• Style: Different shape from Chinese bronze bell, very thin body, many decorative motifs (animals, architecture,), round oval shape, mold technique, shows house for storing rice,
• Subject Matter: Bronze bell , human figures, animal figures

Tomb of Emperor Nintoku

• Kofun Period, Osaka
• Function: Funerary
• Style: Keyhole shaped,
• Subject Matter: Pit-house inside, surrounded by waters and two layers of forest, surrounded by haniwa

• Kofun Period, Kokai
• Function: used to hold soil on side of tomb, to keep shape of
• Medium: Clay
• Style: Simplistic and primitive facial features, seated posture, detailed depiction, geometric patterns at base,
• Subject Matter: female image, necklace, unique headdress, patterns/motifs on waist, bangles on legs,

• Kofun Period, Ota-shi
• Medium: Clay
• Function: Funerary, used to hold soil on side of tomb, to keep shape of
• Style: Clay cylinder, realistic depiction, simple facial features, standing posture, styled, naturalism, rounded, ceramics
• Subject Matter: Guardian-figure, symbolism unknown

• Kofun Period, Nohara
• Medium: Clay
• Function: Funerary
• Style: Humorous characteristics, simple facial features, not very realistic, cylindrical
• Subject Matter: Figures

• Medium: Wood
• Function: Imperial family shrine, not open to public, used to worship Shinto deities like Amaterasu (Shinto sun-goddess),
• Style: naturalistic, granary structure, gold decoration at top, no painting on wood, building raised from the ground, covered by thick thatched roof with bark and reeds, supported by posts,
• Subject matter: Rectangular shaped, entrance facing south, surrounded by torii gate, small building outside torii indicates shrine, small building, 2x3 bei,

• Asuka Period, Nara
• Medium: Wood
• Function: Religious
• Style: Guardians on the side of doors, 6th Dynasty Chinese building style,
• Subject Matter: Buddhist Temple,

• Asuka Period, Horyuji, Nara
• Medium: Wood
• Function: Buddhist temple, public
• Style: brackets, Chinese style, covered in heavy tiles, space stone foundation, post and lintel,
• Subject Matter: Image of Buddha inside, 

• Asuka Period, Horyuji, Nara
• Medium: Gilt Bronze
• Function: Buddhist worship
• Style: Long earlobes, Chinese style, elongated style, long rectangular face, sliding shoulder, elegant body, fluid lines on drapery, slight smile, waterfall drapery, archaic smile,
• Subject Matter: Abhaya mudra, accompanied by two bodhisattvas, iconography, crossed legs, seated posture, styled usinisha, halo similar to Chinese style halo, by Korean Buddhist artist

• Asuka Period, Nara
• Medium: ink and colors,
• Function: iconographic mural painting, religious
• Style: Tang Dynasty style, round face, iron wire lines, fluid lines, wrinkles on neck, chubby face,
• Subject Matter: depicts Western Paradise of Buddhist universe, Amitaba Buddha (Amida), Manjusri (wisdom) and Avalokiteshvara/Kannon (compassion), dharmachakra mudra (teaching of the first sermon),

• Asuka Period, Nara
• Medium: Wood
• Function: represents physical diagrams of Buddhist universe (human earth to heavenly world), holds Buddhist monks remains, similarly to stupa
• Style: 5 stories (only 3 real), cloud pattern to support beams and roof, bracket system,
• Subject Matter: 9 kurin on pole serve same function as yashti, central axis of Buddhist universe (protection of Buddhist universe, shows divinity,), only has 3 real stories, stone platform

• Asuka Period, Tamamushi Shrine, Nara
• Medium: Lacquer on wood
• Function: religious depiction
• Style: Elongated body, Chinese 6th Dynasty style (brushwork and landscape elements), post lentil system, fluent lines, multiple scenes in one composition
• Subject Matter: Famous jataka story: Buddha sacrificing self to save tiger and cubs, first representation of bamboo.

• Nara Period, Nara
• Medium: Gilt Bronze
• Function: Religious
• Style: Tang Dynasty style, round face, naturalistic fall of drapery, folds on neck, realistic, fleshy bodies, waterfall drapery,
• Subject Matter: Yakushi = Medicine Buddha (future Buddha after Maitreya), most Yakushi Buddhas hold bottle in left hand (missing), halo has seven seated Buddha images (previous Buddha), right hand = abaya mudra, representatives of the sun and moon, aspects of the Buddha

• Asuka Period, Toshodaiji, Nara
• Medium: Wood
• Function: Temple dedicated to Tang Chinese monk
• Style: Similar to early Buddhist Buildings, stone platforms, tiled roof, wider & elegant eaves, more horizontal (7 bays instead of 5), 4 layers of bracket system to support roof,
• Subject Matter: Temple, peaceful and stable feeling (bc of wider composition)

• Nara Period, Nara
• Medium: Dry Lacquer with paint, sculpture
• Function: Religious
• Style: Realistic drapery, naturalistic figure, relaxed pose
• Subject Matter: Blind Chinese monk who tried to promote schools of Buddhism in Japan 6 times, failed first 5 times, Toshodai dedicated to him,

• Nara Period, Shoso-in
• Medium: wood with painted leather
• Function: musical
• Style: Painting = Tang Chinese painting style,
• Subject Matter: lute with painting (Central Asian/European people on Elephants crossing river, backed by mountains, as a gift for Chinese emperor),

• Heian Period, Kyoto
• Medium: Wood
• Function: Religious, iconographic
• Style: Ichiboku (single block of wood), Zukuri, Round face, wrinkles on neck, fleshy body, schematic patterns on falls of drapery, snail shell usinisha
• Subject Matter: Yakushi Buddha (medicine Buddha),

• Heian Period, Kyoto
• Medium: ink and color on silk
• Function: Religious
• Style: Chinese Tang style, iron-wire lines,
• Subject Matter: Displays Absolute Buddha’s relationships with phenomena Buddha, 5 jina Buddhas (all represent Vairocna Buddha), represents Compassion

• Heian Period, Kyoto
• Medium: Ink and color on silk
• Function: Religious
• Style: Chinese Tang style, iron-wire lines,
• Subject Matter: Buddhas with other Buddhas and bodhisattvas in center, bodhisattvas surrounding with attributes, resembles Wisdom, earthly plane

• Heian Period, Kyoto
• Medium: Cypress wood
• Function: Religious
• Style: Facial expression of ultimate knowledge,
• Subject Matter: Myo-o = Kings of higher knowledge, sword in right hand, rope in left to catch evil deities, halo of fire to burn evil deities

• By Lady Murasaki
• Heian Period,
• Medium: ink and color on paper
• Form: narrative hand scroll painting
• Function: secular, story-telling, narrative (right to left),
• Style: Facial features and gestures all very unique, emaki painting, use of tsukuri-e technique, simple facial features (dashes for eyes, hooks for noses), almost no facial expressions, stiff postures, not very realistic, use of diagonals, green-blue style of landscape painting within the scroll,
• Subject Matter: motion directly related to text, most depiction is interior (fukinuki yadai = roof removed), division by screens and sliding doors,

• Heian Period
• Medium: ink and light color on paper
• Function: secular, narrative
• Style: vivid postures and gestures, caricature-like, expressions depicted, bird’s eye perspective, fukinuki yadai perspective
• Subject Matter: Legend of Priest Myoren, golden ball flying up to Myoren, no text associated

• Heian Period,
• Medium: Ink and color on paper
• Function: Religious
• Format: Handscroll
• Style: iron wire lines, monochrome, styled after sick impoverished people,  lively postures, characteristic facial expressions
• Subject Matter: depiction of hell, warns people of bad karma,

• Heian Period
• Medium: Ink and color on paper
• Function: Religious
• Format: Handscroll
• Style: iron-wire lines, very active postures, vibrant color, geometric style to blood/river, naturalistic detail,
• Subject Matter: Writing in Hiragana, depicting hell, warning of bad Karma

• Heian Period, Kyoto
• Medium: Wood
• Function: Religious
• Style: Bracket system supporting tile roof, Pure Land Buddhism
• Subject Matter: Amida Buddha is the most important Buddha in Western Paradise, if you have good karma after you die Amida Buddha will welcome you to West Paradise (raigo = welcome), stone foundation

• Heian Period, Kyoto
• Medium: Wooden sculpture
• Function: Religious
• Style: Tang style influence, fleshy body, three wrinkles on the neck, downcast eyes, chubby round face, naturalistic falls of drapery, multiple blocks of wood (53 pieces), Yosegi zukuri (made of joint wood),
• Subject Matter: Amida Buddha of Western Paradise, musicians (in high relief, made of wood) depicted in the sky in background, Amida sitting upon lotus

• Heian Period, Mt. Koya
• Medium: ink on panels
• Function: Religious
• Style: Raigo painting, clouds show figures descending from heaven, Tang style, iron-wire lines, wrinkles on necks,
• Subject Matter: Depicts Amida descending from Western Paradise to earth to welcome the deceased, accompanied by two major bodhisattvas (Avalokiteshvara/Kannon and Manjusri/Monju), backed by Buddhist monks and bodhisattvas (playing instruments), Kannon bearing lotus throne to welcome the deceased, landscape elements (maple trees, mountains, typical Japanese landscape,

• Heian Period, Mt. Koya
• Medium: Color on silk
• Function: Religious
• Style: iron wire lines, Tang Dynasty style, colorful, hierarchical sizing, realistic and naturalistic detailing,
• Subject Matter: Depiction of the death of Shakamuni Buddha on stone platform, surrounded by monks, Queen Maya above, secular people at front, depiction of glorious moment, names identifying individuals,

• Kamakura Period, Kamakura, Japan
• Medium: Wooden structure
• Function: Religious, Zen Buddhist Temple
• Style: mix of Chinese and Japanese style, bell shaped window, thatched roof supported by bracket system, double door opening, double roof,
• Subject Matter: Zen Buddhist Temple

• Muromachi Period, Kyoto
• Medium: Stone, sand, plants,
• Function: religious, help Buddhist monks reach enlightenment,
• Style: karesansui, soothing and flowing pattern, very natural,
• Subject Matter: Dry materials to represent landscape,

• Muromachi Period,
• Medium: Sand, stones, grass,
• Function: Religious
• Style: karesansui, emphasized simplicity and purity
• Subject Matter: sand represents ocean, stones represent islands,

• Muromachi Period, by Josetsu
• Format: shigajiku (painted scroll with poem), hanging scroll
• Medium: ink and light color on silk
• Function: Zen Buddhism
• Style: Vertical writing, like Chinese Ming Dynasty style, misty background, large space empty, poetic feeling, less textstrokes, mainly used ink wash,
• Subject Matter: man trying to do impossible task, inscriptions written by 36 monks related to painting,

• Kamakura Period, By Mincho
• Format: Shigajiku, hanging scroll
• Medium: Ink on paper
• Function: Zen Buddhist
• Style: Like Chinese Ming Dynasty style, axe-cut textstrokes, mist dividing background and foreground,
• Subject Matter: landscape

Landscape 

• Muromachi Period
• By Sesshu Toyo
• Format: Hanging scroll
• Medium: Ink on paper
• Function: Religious, Zen Buddhist
• Style: Haboku style, capture accidental effect (capture spontaneity of Zen Buddhism)
• Subject Matter: landscape

• Muromachi Period, Aichi
• Format: Hanging scroll
• Medium: ink and color on paper
• Function: Religious
• Style: background very different from figure image,
• Subject Matter: Kaika paying respect to Zen Buddhist Daruma,

• Momoyama period, Hyogo
• Medium: Stone, wood,
• Function: Military
• Style: post and lintel structure, built for military purpose, only one access for entry, built with very large stones, small windows,
• Subject Matter: 5 storied main building, white exterior walll covered in tile roof, general and close family living within

• Muromachi Period
• By Kano Eitoku
• Format: Silding Doors
• Medium: ink on silk or paper, gold application
• Function: secular, luxury
• Style: monochrome, Chinese Ming style, axe-cut textstroke, gold color helps illuminate interior space,
• Subject Matter: birds and flowers and plants of seasons

• Momoyama Period, Kyoto
• Attributed to Sen no Rikyu
• Medium: wood, bamboo, paper window,
• Function: Tea Ceremony
• Style: small scale, very intimate, tatami, very simple, thatched roof, wooden structure, unpainted, simplicity purity,  quality of the axis represent quality of entire teahouse, respect to natural materials,
• Subject Matter: Teahouse, toko-no-ma room in center containing painting,

• Momoyama Period, By Tanaka Chojiro
• Form: Raku ware
• Medium: stoneware with black glaze
• Function: Tea Ceremony, ritual
• Style: roughness reflects natural quality
• Subject Matter: tea bowl for tea ceremony

• Edo Period
• By Tawaraya Sotatsu and Honami Koetsu
• Format: emaki handscroll,
• Medium: gold and silver pigment and ink on paper
• Function: Secular
• Style: brushwork very strong contrast with background,
• Subject Matter: Deer and characters

• Edo Period
• By Sotatsu
• Format: pair of folding screens
• Medium: ink, color, and gold on paper,
• Function: secular
• Style: decorated style, very fine lines, bird’s eye perspective on one panel,
• Subject Matter: small island by Honshu, one of the sankei

• Edo Period
• By Okata Korin
• Format: pair of six-fold screens
• Medium: color and gold leaf on paper
• Function: Secular
• Style: blue gold style, irises come from nowhere, backed by gold, very abstract feeling, realistically detailed, decorative feeling,
• Subject Matter: Irises on gold field,