SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE

Sogod, Southern Leyte

LEARNING MODULE NO. 11

Name: __________________________________________ Score:

________________
Course & Year: ____________________________________ Date:
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Subject: Art Appreciation
Module Title: Japanese Art
Learning Outcome: By the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. identify key characteristics of Japanese art; and
2. discuss the development of Japanese art;
References:
Art Appreciation Book ( Beo Nicolas Caslib. Jr, Dorothea C. Garing, etc.)
Fichner- Rathus, L. (2017). Understanding Art. 11th Ed. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Gilbert, R. (2005). Living with Art. New York: McGeaw- Hill.
White, J.J. (n.d.). "Futurism." In Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed Decwmber 18,
2017. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/Futurism.

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I. Concept Notes/Big Ideas/ Summary
JAPANESE ART
-Covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculptyre, ink printing,
and calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e style paintings and woodblack prints, ceramics,
origami, and more recently manga which is modern Japanese cartoons and comics along with a
myriad of other types.
-the first traces of Japanese art date to a culture known as the Jomon (c. 12,000-300 BC)
*ERAS of Japanese Art Development:

•Early Development of Japanese Art (the earliest artworks consist mainly of simple, undecorated
vessels, figures, and animals made of red clay, many clay figures and aimals have been found
surrounding burial mounds which suggest they were put there to wand off evil spirits andprotect the
dead).

•The Heian Period (Heian was the capiral city of Japan in 784, regarded as a golden age in Japanese art.
Numerous temples and monasteries were built. Members of the royal and heads of great families
commissioned painters to create works of art).

•The Kamakura Period (military government at Kamakura was established by the leader Minamoto
Yorimoto. A succession of military rulers assumed control over various parts of the country for the next
148 years).

•The Momoyama Period (during this era, Hugu Palaces were built that served two purposes: (a)
protective fortress, (b) symbol of power. Inside these structures, sliding doors and large screens were
decorated with gold leaf and delicate painting).

•Rich Era of Japanese Art (peace brought about a prosperous middle class. This period represented the
longest period of peace and one of the richest eras for and in Japan. Artworks that showed the life of
the people rendered in new techniques. Ukiyo-e style developed in this period).

*Introduction of Buddhism (In A.D. 552, the ruler of a kingdom in Korea sent a gilt bronze of the
Buddhism to the emperor of Japan. Along with the sculpture came Buddhist writings andmissionaries.
This is how Buddhism was inteoduced to Japan. At first, there was resistance to the new rwligion
particularly among those that remained faithful to Shinto (the indigenous religion to Japan). Buddhism
eventually became firmly established and came to affect every aspect of Japanese culture.

*The Rise of Zen Buddhism ( introduced from China, had an important impact on later Japanese art.
Resulted in the popularity of art forms associated with that religion. Zen's appeal may have been due to
the fact that it offered people an escape from the chaos that marked daily life).

*Temple Construction (temples were built in the year 594 irdered by the Empress Shiko. The architects,
wood carvers, bronze workers, weavers and other skilled artists came from Korwa to build and decorate
the temples. Temples were similar to China but more richly decorated and more delicately assembled
and because Japan is formed of volcanic rock, there was little hard stone suitable for building so they
used wood).

*The Yamato-e Style (these are kind of paintings in Japanese Art. Paintings done in this style were the
first true examokes of Japanese art. Usually scenes of daily life as theme)

*Giant Buddha (Bronze Sculpture)- is an example of exact symmetrical balance. The two sides mirror
each other. Today, the sculpture sits outdoors surrounding by grove of trees and shows the Buddha in
quiet contemplation.

*Woodblock Printing (since painting produced only one picture at a time, artists searched for other
ways to satisfy the increased demand for art. A solution was fou d in woodblock printing. The process
involves transforming and cutting puctures into wood blocks, inking the surface of the block, and then
printing. Prints originally were made with black ink on white paper. Eventually, multicolored prints was
developed.

II. Examples

Temples: Temple of Horyuji/Temple of Todaiji

Paintings: Historical Buddha Preaching on Vulture Peak and the Landscape of the Four Seasons:"Fall and
Winter Soami Kanguaku Shinso"

Sculpture: The Burning of the Sanjo Palace

III. ACTIVITIES/QUIZ

Direction. Write TRUE if the statement is true. If false, underline the word/s that make it false and write
the correct answer.

1) Shintoism is the native religion of Japan. - TRUE

2) There are Korean and Chinese influences evident in Japanese artwork. - TRUE

3) Japanese developed a kind of carving called the ukiyo-e. -FALSE-Painting

4) Japan did not welcome Western ideas. – FALSE -Welcome/Adapt

5) Hugu palaces were built during Kamakura Period. - TRUE