Bright, strong color applied in layers to a painting, Buddhist image or architectural structure. The technique involves…

The space created by the coffers or ribs *gōbuchi 格縁 of a coffered or latticed…

Small buildings at Buddhist temples of Shingon 真言 and Tendai 天台 sects, used especially for Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō…

Also gomazuki ごまずき. A woodblock print *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 technique whereby a…

Also *kariden 仮殿, karidono; utsushidono 移殿. A temporary…

Also called ishinoma-zukuri 石の間造, *yatsumune-zukuri 八棟造, and…

Lit. row of five stones. One arrangement of stepping stones *tobi-ishi 飛石. It…

Type of a chamfers cut on a square timber or square post with a ratio of 1/20 is called gorinmen along each corner…

Lit. five-ring pagoda. Also gorin 五輪, gorin sekitō 五輪石塔, hōkaitō 法界塔, gorin tōba 五輪塔婆,…

Lit. rolling stones. Small round stones about 10 cm in diameter used for the drainage areas around the stooping basin *…

Lit. five seasonal festivals. A popular pictorial theme in Edo period art. The five Chinese-inspired festivals are: …

An *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 subject depicting ladies and noblemen in formal attire, which…

Imperial carts. Ox carriages used by the emperor and empress, or aristocrats. Gosho 御所, meaning the Imperial Palace…

Also called gosho oni-ita 御所鬼板 or goshomune oni-ita 御所棟鬼板. Lit. the ridge of an imperial palace. The main…

Ch: Wuzu. The Chinese priest Kōnin 弘忍 (Ch: Hongren, 601-75). The fifth patriarch of the Zen (Ch: Chan) sect. Representations…

A coffered ceiling. A ceiling with ribs framing recessed panels.

1　The simplest type of coffered…

Painters who were given a salary in the service of the shogunate or daimyō 大名. Although the Imperial Court and…

Lit. five leaves. A decorative pattern carved into the shape of five petals, and used on a gable pendant *…

Lit. mudra of the Vanquisher of the Three Worlds (SK: trailokyavijaya mudra). A mudra or hand gesture *…

Also Shōzanze Myōō 勝三世明王. Lit. *myōō 明王 who subjugates the three worlds…

The internal organs of the body as defined in Chinese medicine kanpō 漢方. A model of the internal organs, made of…

Also called Butō 武塔, Gion Tenjin 祇園天神, or simply Tennō 天王. The deity of Yasaka Jinja 八坂神社 in Gion 祇園, Kyoto, also called…

White pigment *ganryō 顔料 including shell lime *…

Applying an undercoat to paper to be used for painting. The undercoat consists of a thin solution of animal glue *…

Lit. *Amida 阿弥陀 with Red Skin. An image of Amida depicted in red, or less commonly…

A light-colored, opaque pigment *ganryō 顔料 made by mixing white pigment such as…

Lit. pictures of herds of horses. One of several horse themes popular in 16th- and 17th-century screen painting. Unlike…

Also Kanro Gundari 甘露軍荼利 (Sk: Amrtakundalin); also known as Kirikiri Myōō 吉里吉里明王. One of the five great myōō *…

Also written 君持 or 軍遅. Sanskrit kundika. A vase with two spouts, found as an attribute *…

Also *iwa-gunjō 岩群青. A blue pigment made from pulverized azurite, randōkō…

Also written 呉利, and pronounced gori or gurin. A design of stylized bracken-leaf shapes forming repeated…

Lit. Shelves to display armor. They are placed next to an alcove *tokonoma…

Ch: Judiyizhi. A 9th-century Chinese Zen monk famous for his one-finger isshi Zen. According to the Wumenguan…

A name often used for *Shōkannon 聖観音, it refers to the simple (non-esoteric) form of…

An opaque, dark grey pigment *ganryō 顔料 made by mixing black carbon ink *…

Lit. inverted perspective. A visual technique sometimes employed in Chinese and Japanese painting. While the Western…

The reverse arrangement of the fire-box or hearth in a tea ceremony room, or when the guest's mat *…

Also sakabasu 逆蓮, kaikaren 開花蓮, *yuiwata 結綿. A shape that…

Also read gomotsu. The emperor's property. The Imperial Collection of art objects, books, etc., which are either of…

A set of double cabinets with four sliding door panels attached to the ceiling next to the decorative alcove *…

Also written 仰覆蓮華. A type of lotus flower design pattern *rengemon 蓮華文. The…

A smile found on Buddhist images, where both ends of the mouth curve upward into the shape of a crescent moon. This smile is…

A type of smooth, lipless, semi-cylindrical cover tile that tapers from its broader front end to a narrower back end.…

Tuff or tufa. Popularly called shōkōseki 松香石. A porous stone composed of volcanic ash or from the material loosened…

Lit. crystal eyes. Eyes made of crystal which were inserted into the head of a wooden buddhist statue in order to produce a…

An arrangement of sculpted lotus petals *renben 蓮弁 on a lotus pedestal *…

Ch: yuqiao wenda. A pictorial theme of a philosophical dialogue between a fisherman and a woodcutter. The origin of…

1　Small buildings or huts where village representatives used to stay en route to or upon return from a…

Lit. traveling image. 

1　Buddhist images shown in the position of walking, often used in…