miyabi 雅

Lit. "courtliness." The ideal of refined sensibility and courtly elegance associated with aristocratic society, particularly in the Heian period. The external, social and ritualistic aspect of beauty expressed by miyabi contrasts with the more internal, personal aesthetic of *aware あわれ and *okashi おかし. Miyabi is derived from the verb miyabu 雅ぶ, (meaning to act properly; bu, towards the imperial court; miya 宮), but the noun form came to refer to the elegant atmosphere of the court both in physical refinement and in the delicate beauty of its love relationships. The emphasis on miyabi may be said to underlie nearly all Heian courtly art in both conception and style.