Japanese Art Muromachi Period 1392 1568 Momoyama Period

Japanese Art Muromachi Period 1392 -1568 Momoyama Period 1568 -1603 Edo Period 1603 -1868

Japanese History ©Japanese islands once part of Asian mainland (China & Korea) ©Chinese influences ©Buddhism ©Pictographic writing ©Centralized bureaucracy under emperor ©Muromachi period – beginning of rule by the shogun & his samurai ©Zen Buddhism became dominant ©Diane Mankin

Japanese Culture ©Native religion: Shinto – rites of purification & worship of nature deities ©Coexists with Buddhism – search for enlightenment as modeled by Shakyamuni ©Zen Buddhism – austere, highly disciplined; begun by Bodhidharma ©Favored by Samurai ©Diane Mankin

Muromachi Zen Art ©“Dry garden, ” Ryoan-ji temple, c. 1480, Kyoto ©Arrangement of 15 rocks in raked white sand ©Meant to be abstract garden of contemplation & meditation, not symbolic ©Zen goal – achieving enlightenment by going inward ©Diane Mankin

Momoyama Architecture ©Himeji Castle, Hyogo (near Osaka), 1601 -9 ©built during intense civil war time ©Fortified castle high on a hill with difficult access ©Needed to defend against musket and cannon fire (European influence) ©Lavishly decorated inside with gold screens, lacquer ware, silks, etc. ©Diane Mankin

Edo Period ©End of civil wars; centralized government under one shogun family for 250 years ©Neo-Confucianism – loyalty to one’s family & country above all ©Time of isolation from the rest of the world ©Flowering of arts for all levels of society ©Diane Mankin

Edo Period ©Matsushima Screens, 17 th c. , ink, color, gold leaf on paper, under 5’x 12’ ©Ogata Korin, lacquer writing box, 5½x 10¾x 7¾” ©Abstracted natural forms (irises) in rich colors and materials (gold, lead, silver, mother-of-pearl) ©Asymmetrical compositions ©Emphasis on fine craftsmanship ©Diane Mankin

Edo Art ©Revival of Zen, despite lack of official support ©Hakuin Ekaku, Bodhidharma Meditating, ink/paper, 49½x 21¾” ©Depiction of founder of Zen while meditating 9 yrs. facing Chinese temple wall ©Broad, sweeping strokes – act of painting & writing part of Zen discipline ©Diane Mankin

Edo – Ukiyo-e Prints ©Images of the Floating World – art for the working classes ©Geishas & actors; landscapes ©Woodblock prints ©Suzuki Harunobu, Geisha as Daruma Crossing the Sea, color woodcut, 11 x 8¼” ©Humorous religious satire ©Female ideal of beauty ©Diane Mankin

Edo – Ukiyo-e Prints ©Katsushika Hokusai, The Great Wave, c. 1831, color woodblock print, 10 x 14½” (from 36 Views of Mt. Fuji) ©Strong black outlines ©Abstracted forms & flat color areas ©Dynamic asymmetry, strong diagonals ©Design ideas that influenced Whistler, Manet, Impressionists ©Diane Mankin