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JAANUS

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  • h (41)
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  • j (18)
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  • y (12)
  • z (16)
  • (-) Sculpture (44)
  • Art History (44)

Displaying 1 - 44 of 44
Title Contains Image(s) Description Keywords
a-un 阿吽 ✓

Sk: a-hum. 'A' is the sound of the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet and is pronounced with the mouth open.…

Art History, Sculpture
agedatamiza 上畳座

A raised platform with a *tatami 畳 mat on top, often having a brightly…

Art History, Sculpture
Agyō 阿形

A statue of a figure with its mouth open. Usually seen on one of a pair of guardian kings *Niō…

Art History, Sculpture
akobujō 阿古父尉

Also written as 阿瘤尉. A Noh mask *nōmen 能面, representing a dignified, old man who…

Art History, Sculpture
Ama 案摩

A dance piece in *bugaku 舞楽, as well as the mask *…

Art History, Sculpture
ama 尼

Lit. nun. A character in kyōgen 狂言 plays, represented by a masked figure *…

Art History, Sculpture
Amida keka 阿弥陀悔過

One of a group of chanted prayers used to express penitence to various Buddhist deities. Prayers of repentance to *…

Art History, Sculpture
Amida kubon-in 阿弥陀九品印

Also read Amida kuhon-in. Lit. Mudras of the nine grades of Amida. The Pure Land jōdo 浄土 into which *…

Art History, Sculpture
andae 安陀衣

The simplest form of robe that a Buddhist priest wears when he is either resting or at work. The andae is one of…

Art History, Sculpture
Annamiyō 安阿弥様

A style of Buddhist statuary originated by Kaikei 快慶 (?-1189-1221-?), a devout believer in the Pure Land sect, Jōdokyō …

Art History, Sculpture
arabori 荒彫

Lit. rough cutting. The second stage in the making of a wooden statue. The first stage is to cut a large block of timber the…

Art History, Sculpture
aratsuchi 荒土

Lit. rough clay. Clay mixed with other materials (known as *susa すさ),…

Art History, Sculpture
asakurajō 朝倉尉

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing an old man. The broad bone structure, direct…

Art History, Sculpture
asao 麻紵

Also written 麻緒, 麻苧, asahimo 麻紐, asa-ito 麻糸. Cord or thread made from hemp, asa 麻, and Chinese…

Art History, Sculpture
ashihozo 足ほぞ

Lit. foot-tenon. A rectangular piece of wood that projects from the sole of a standing wooden statue and fits into a…

Art History, Sculpture
awaotoko 阿波男

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 of the basic emaciated *…

Art History, Sculpture
ayakashi 怪士

Also written 霊神, 網像, 危. Noh masks *nōmen 能面, representing a wraith or a…

Art History, Sculpture
Ayakiri 綾切

Also written 阿夜岐理 and called Aikirijo 愛嗜女. A dance piece in *bugaku 舞楽 and a…

Art History, Sculpture
mabisashi 眉庇

A visor that projected from the front of a soidier's helmet *kabuto 冑. First…

Art History, Sculpture
maedachi 前立

Also omaedachi 御前立. Lit. "standing in front." A Buddhist sculpture, positioned on the altar in front of the shrine…

Art History, Sculpture
maedate 前立

Abbreviation of maedatemono 前立物. Also tatemono 立物. An upstanding decoration found on the front of a…

Art History, Sculpture
magaibutsu 磨崖仏

Also written 摩崖仏. Ch: moyafo. Also known as magai sekibutsu 磨崖石仏 or 摩崖石仏. A Buddhist image carved into the…

Art History, Sculpture
magojirō 孫次郎

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a young woman. The gracefully curved mouth…

Art History, Sculpture
maijō 舞尉

Dancing old man. A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing an old god or…

Art History, Sculpture
manbi 万媚

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a young woman in her first bloom. Very similar…

Art History, Sculpture
manmōsō 縵網相

Also shusokushi manmōsō 手足指縵網相. A web-like membrane between the fingers and toes found on sculpted Buddhist…

Art History, Sculpture
marubori 丸彫

A statue completely carved in the round, as opposed to relief *ukibori 浮彫. A…

Art History, Sculpture
marubuki 丸吹

Also *itchū 一鋳. A metal casting technique where the statue is cast in one…

Art History, Sculpture
masugami 十寸髪

Also written 増髪. Long, tangled hair. A Noh mask *nōmen 能面…

Art History, Sculpture
megata 雌型

A type of mould used in metal casting and ceramics. Megata refers to a hollow mould into which molten metal,…

Art History, Sculpture
mibu kōhai 壬生光背

A type of halo *kōhai 光背 found on Buddhist images. A square…

Art History, Sculpture
mida-no-jōin 弥陀定印

Also mida jōin. Lit. "Amida's meditation mudra." Mida is an abbreviation of *…

Art History, Sculpture
miei 御影

Also *eizō 影像 or *shin-ei…

Art History, Sculpture
mikazuki 三日月

Lit. "crescent: three moons." Noh masks *nōmen 能面 representing a…

Art History, Sculpture
mikenkō 眉間光

Lit. "forehead light." A curl of white hair on the forehead of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. It is said to emit a bright light…

Art History, Sculpture
mikkyō hōgu 密教法具

Utensils used during ritual incantation and prayer in Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō 密教. Introduced to Japan in the…

Art History, Sculpture
misogi kaji 御衣木加持

An incantation in esoteric Buddhism to purify and sanctify *misogi 御衣木, the wood used for…

Art History, Sculpture
misogi 御衣木 A piece of wood out of which a Buddhist statue is carved. Wood that has been struck by lightning is often used, as it is… Art History, Sculpture
mokakeza 裳懸座

Lit. "hanging skirt base." A pedestal *daiza 台座 which is covered by the skirt of…

Art History, Sculpture
mokoku 模刻

Also mosaku 模作, mosha 模写, mokosaku 模古作. Works of art such as statues which are copies of…

Art History, Sculpture
mokuchō 木彫

Wooden sculpture. While wooden sculptures are relatively rare in India and China, wood has traditionally been the chief…

Art History, Sculpture
mokushin kanshitsu 木心乾漆

Also mokushin kanshitsuzou 木心乾漆像, mokushin kanshitsu-zukuri 木心乾漆造. Lit. "wood-core dry lacquer." A method…

Art History, Sculpture
munagō 胸甲

Also pronounced kyōkō. A protective breast-plate found on Buddhist guardian deities *…

Art History, Sculpture
myōga akujō 茗荷悪尉

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a fierce, old man. The shape of…

Art History, Sculpture

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JAANUS is the on-line Dictionary of Japanese Architectural and Art Historical Terminology compiled by Dr. Mary Neighbour Parent.

Originally built by the Atsumi International Scholarship Foundation, it is now hosted and maintained by the Media Center for Art History at Columbia University