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JAANUS

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  • Accessories (1)
  • Architecture (211)
  • Aristocratic Dwellings (6)
  • Art History (108)
  • Buildings (5)
  • Castles (19)
  • Crafts (8)
  • Decorations (18)
  • Document (5)
  • Folk Dwellings (19)
  • Gardens (19)
  • Gates (6)
  • General Terms (62)
  • Iconography (8)
  • Joints (5)
  • Lanterns (1)
  • Measurement (2)
  • Painting (53)
  • Roofing Tiles (7)
  • Sculpture (36)
  • Shrines (11)
  • Structures (5)
  • Tea Houses (38)
  • Tools (3)

Displaying 101 - 200 of 317
Title Contains Image(s) Description Keywords
chōnabari 釿梁 ✓

Transverse roof beams that span the distance from the center posts of a vernacular house with a thatched roof to the *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
chōnaguri 釿栗

Cutting decorative patterns with an adze *chōna 釿 on chestnut wood …

Architecture, General Terms
chōnahajime 釿始

Also written 釿初, 手斧初. Also called kozukuri hajime 木造り始め or onohajime 斧始め. A carpenter's ceremony performed…

Architecture, General Terms
chōnamekezuri 釿目削 ✓

Also called chōnahatsuri 釿斫. A decorative pattern carved into the visible surface of a timber using an adze *…

Architecture, General Terms
chōren 頂蓮

Also kairen 開蓮. A lotus flower found on the head of a *Fudō Myōō …

Art History, Sculpture
chōsenshiki yamajiro 朝鮮式山城

Lit. Korean type mountain castle. A general term for castle structures in Japan that resemble those in ancient Korea.…

Architecture, Castles
choshi 楮紙

Also read kōzogami and kajigami 梶紙. Formerly called kokushi 穀紙 during the Heian period. Paper…

Art History, Painting
chōshitsu 彫漆

Carved lacquer. A generic term used for many carved lacquer techniques where layers of lacquer are applied to a thickness of…

Art History, Crafts
chōshizenshugi 超自然主義

Lit. hyper-naturalism. The idea of basing a garden, or a single element in it, on nature, but exaggerating the natural…

Architecture, Gardens
Chotō 猪頭

Ch: Zhutou. A painting subject depicting the Northern Song dynasty eccentric priest Zhimeng (J: Shimō 志蒙). He was known…

Art History, Painting
chōyō・taigetsu 朝陽・対月 ✓

Ch: chaoyang duiyue. A Zen painting subject depicting a priest sewing in the morning sun (Jp: chōyō …

Art History, Painting
chōzu-ishi 手水石

Lit. hand-washing stone. One of the seven trump stones *nanatsu-ishi 七つ石…

Architecture, Tea Houses
chōzubachi 手水鉢

Lit. hand water bowl. A water basin used to rinse the hands or as a decorative element in gardens. Usually made of stone,…

Architecture, Gardens
chōzuya 手水舎

Also written 手水屋. Also called suibansha 水盤舎 or temizuya 手水舎. Shrine or temple building for cleaning hands…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
chūban 中判

Lit. medium-size format. A size of *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 print. The term chūban…

Art History, Painting
chūberi 中縁

A part of the mounting of a hanging scroll *kakemono 掛物. The chūberi…

Art History, Painting
chūbō 中房

The central, circular part of a round, eave-end, pendant tile *gatō 瓦当…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
chūdai 中台

The middle base of a lantern *tōrō 灯籠 upon which rests the flame holder and…

Architecture, Gardens
chūdan 中段

Middle area. In upper class residences especially from the Momoyama period and through the Edo period, seating was…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
chūden 中殿

The space *ai-no-ma 相の間 between the sanctuary *…

Architecture, Shrines
chūdō 中堂

Lit. central hall. A hall situated between two Buddhist halls or a hall with corridors attached on either side. The most…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
chūhon 中本

Lit. a middle-size book. A woodblock printed book, popular during the Edo period, which is one-half the size of a …

Art History, Painting
chūjin 中陣

A term used in shrine architecture: a middle area between the *honden 本殿, *…

Architecture, Shrines
chūjō 中将

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 supposedly intended to represent the 9th-century poet and…

Art History, Sculpture
chūkin 鋳金

Metal casting. A technique used in metalwork to produce vessels or sculptures by melting down metal and pouring it into a…

Art History, Sculpture
chūkondō 中金堂

Lit. middle golden hall. An image hall *kondō 金堂 located at the center of…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
chūmon 中門

1 Middle gate. The second or inner gate on the north-south axis of a temple compound in the ancient period…

Architecture, Gates
chūmon-zukuri 中門造り

A type of vernacular house *minka 民家, characterized by one or more wings or…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
chūmonrō 中門廊

1 A Heian-period corridor intersected by gates. In the most elaborate Heian-period shinden style…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
chūnikai 中二階 ✓

A term for a loft or attic occupying the roof space of a vernacular house *minka…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
chūsei kenchiku 中世建築

Lit. medieval architecture. Temple and shrine buildings erected during the Kamakura, Nanbokuchō, and Muromachi periods when…

Architecture, General Terms
chūshikō ganna 中仕工鉋

A smoothing plane, used to further smooth the surface of timber after the general roughing plane *…

Architecture, Tools
chūshin kazari 中心飾

Also tenjō chūshinkazari 天井中心飾. Lit. center flower.

1 A group of decorative patterns in…

Architecture, Decorations
Chūshingura 忠臣蔵

A pictorial subject matter taken from The Treasury of Loyal Retainers Chūshingura, an epic and well-loved story of…

Art History, Painting
chūshinseki 中心石

Lit. center stone(s). A single stone or stone arrangement *ishigumi 石組,…

Architecture, Gardens
chūson 中尊

Also chūdai-no-son 中台の尊. The principal statue in a group of Buddhist statues. The central image in a triad or group…

Art History, Sculpture
chūtō 柱頭

A synonym for the large bearing block *daito 大斗 placed on the tops of pillars…

Architecture, General Terms
chūzō 鋳造

Also imono 鋳物. Casting. A technique used to make cast sculptural forms. 

The base material was heated…

Art History, Sculpture
ibara 茨

Also called iga いが. Lit. cusp.

1 The point where two curved lines or forms meet. The…

Architecture, General Terms
ibaraki 茨城

Lit. thorn tree fortress. A simple and usually temporary fortress surrounded by thorn trees or briar bushes to defend it…

Architecture, Castles
ichi Fuji, ni taka, san nasubi 一富士二鷹三茄子

Lit. first: Mt Fuji; second: hawks; third: eggplant. A tradition which holds that these objects, seen in order in the first…

Art History, Painting
ichi no ji kuzushi 一の字崩 ✓

A decorative pattern used for muntins on sliding doors *shōji 障子, and transoms*…

Architecture, Decorations
ichi no ji tsunagi 一の字繋

A decorative pattern used for muntins on sliding doors *shōji 障子 and transoms*…

Architecture, Decorations
ichi no ma 一の間

Lit. room one. The innermost and most prestigious room, six to twelve straw mats *tatami…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings, Folk Dwellings
ichi no mon 一の門

The first or main gate of a castle. At Matsuyamajō 松山城 in Ehime Prefecture, the gate plan was square *…

Architecture, Gates, Castles
ichi no oni 一の鬼 ✓

The ogre-face tile *onigawara 鬼瓦, placed at the ends of offspring ridges *…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ichiboku kaidan 一木階段

A ladder hewed from a single log during the Yayoi period.

Architecture, General Terms
ichiboku-zukuri 一木造

Also called ichiboku chō 一木彫 or ichiboku chōsei 一木彫成. Antonym of *…

Art History, Sculpture
Ichiji kinrin mandara 一字金輪曼荼羅

A variety of small, decidated mandala *besson mandara 別尊曼荼羅 centered on…

Art History, Iconography
Ichiji kinrin 一字金輪

Lit. One-Syllable Golden Wheel. Also read Ichiji konrin and also known as Kinrin Butchō 金輪仏頂 (Golden-…

Art History, Iconography
ichijōhan no seki 一畳半の席 ✓

Also written 一帖半の席. A very small tea ceremony room *chashitsu 茶室, no more…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ichijūdana 一重棚 ✓

Also ichijū tsuridana 一重釣棚. A single shelf suspended by a slender bamboo pole. It is made of paulownia when it…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ichimai biraki 一枚開

A single window or door opening. Also, a single door or window. They may swing on hinges one way, both ways, or slide.

Architecture, General Terms
ichimai-e 一枚絵

Also ichimaizuri 一枚摺. Lit. single-sheet print. A single *ukiyo-e 浮世絵…

Art History, Painting
ichimatsu 市松 ✓

Also ishidatami 石畳 or *ishidatamimon 石畳文, danshichi 団七…

Art History, Painting
ichimon-e 一文絵

Lit. one mon picture. A small-sized woodblock print, usually depicting a courtesan or actor, printed only in black…

Art History, Painting
ichimonji bokashi 一文字ぼかし

A printing technique for producing graduated tones (shading) on woodblock prints *ukiyo-…

Art History, Painting
ichimonji dana 一文字棚

A term used in all parts of Japan in the Edo period, for a straight shelf *tana…

Architecture, General Terms
ichimonji gawara 一文字瓦

1 Also called ichimonji nokigawara 一文字軒瓦; ichimonji karakusagawara 一文字唐草瓦. A type of…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ichimonji 一文字

1 Two strips of fabric directly above and below a painting measuring the exact width of the painting,…

Art History, Painting, Architecture, Gardens
Ichinotani kassen 一ノ谷合戦

A pictorial subject depicting scenes from the Battle at Ichinotani, a decisive confrontation in the Genpei war Genpei…

Art History, Painting
ichirin ike 一輪生 ✓

A small flower vase which is just large enough for one flower stalk. Most vases of this type were made of ceramic but…

Architecture, Tea Houses
Idaten 韋駄天

Also written 違駄天. The Indian deity Skanda, son of Shiva and general of his army, who became a protector of the Dharma in…

Art History, Iconography
ido 井戸

1 A well supplying drinking water. It may be deep or narrow, depending on the depth of the water table. The…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings, Tea Houses
idoko 居所

Shortened form of idokoro 居所. A name for rooms or spaces in the following contexts:

1 In…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
iejiro 家城

Lit. house castle.

1 A castle in the stage of historical development from a strictly military…

Architecture, Castles
igarakuri 鋳繰

Also ikarakuri. A method of casting metal statues by joining several sections. In the case of a large statue it was…

Art History, Sculpture
igayaki 伊賀焼

Iga 伊賀 ware. A stoneware ceramic made in Iga (now Maruhashira 丸柱 village), Mie Prefecture and in a few nearby villages. The…

Art History, Crafts
igeta 井桁

1 A generic term for any group of structural members set in a grid pattern. 

2 The…

Architecture, General Terms
iji dōzu 異時同図 ✓

A compositional method used to show successive events within a unified background, dōzu 同図, capturing the same…

Art History, Painting
ijō kōbai 居定勾配

Also abbreviated to ijō 居定. The degree of pitch on the underside of a rafter support *…

Architecture, General Terms
ikake 鋳掛

Repairing a hole or crack in a metal object. There are two methods: 1) crack in a metal statue or vessel is…

Art History, Sculpture
ikazuchimon いかずち文

Lit. lightning pattern. A pattern of thick and thin zig-zag lines. A variation of raimon 雷文 (see *…

Architecture, Decorations
ike niwa 池庭

Lit. pond garden. A very general term for any garden with a pond. It includes other terms such as the archaic garden pond *…

Architecture, Gardens
ike no kokoro 池の心

Lit. heart of the pond. The most important part of a pond, which, may be the center, bottom, or surface. The term is…

Architecture, Gardens
ikebana 生け花

Lit. to keep flowers alive. Flower arrangements. Originated in Buddhist flower offerings kuge 供花 from the 6th…

Art History, General Terms
ikegaki 生垣 ✓

Lit. living fence. A type of hedge made of trees, bamboo, or other living plants planted in a row and trimmed so as to form…

Architecture, Gardens
ikekomigata tōrō いけこみ形灯籠

Also written 生込み形灯籠. A lantern which lacks a base; the stem is inserted directly into the ground. Most lanterns of this type…

Architecture, Lanterns
iki いき

The aesthetic ideal of the Edo merchant class during the late 18th and 19th centuries, combining material sensuality and…

Art History, General Terms
ikkaku sennin 一角仙人

One horned hermit. A *noh mask *nōmen…

Art History, Sculpture
ikken ikka 一間一花 ✓

A type of decorative pattern painted on coffered ceilings *gōtenjō 格天井 or…

Architecture, Decorations
ikken'ya 一軒屋

An independently framed urban-vernacular house *machiya 町家 of a more…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
ikkensha zukuri 一間社造

A style of main shrine building that has a small one-bay sanctuary *honden…

Architecture, Shrines
ikkō sanzon 一光三尊

A triad of Buddhist statues arranged in front of a large nimbus *kōhai 光背, that…

Art History, Sculpture
Ikkyū 一休

An abbreviation of Ikkyū Zenji 一休禅師, the Zen 禅 priest Ikkyū (1394-1481) of the *…

Art History, Iconography
ikuwamon 的門

A gate at Heijō palace, Heijōkyū 平城宮 (8th century), in Nara that no longer exists but is mentioned in Shoku Nihongi…

Architecture, Gates
Ikuzanshu 郁山主

Ch: Yushanzhu. Lit. Master of Mt. Yu (Jp: Ikuzan 郁山). A Chinese Chan (Jp: Zen 禅) monk from Hunan (Jp: Konan 湖南)…

Art History, Painting
ima 居間

Lit. living room. A room commonly utilized as the principal space for daily living.

1 The daily…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
imae 居前

The correct seating position for the host when performing tea ceremony. For example, in the Urasenke 裏千家 school, a portable…

Architecture, Tea Houses
imariyaki 伊万里焼 ✓

Imari ware. A general term for porcelain from the Arita 有田 region of Saga Prefecture, but not including the Kakiemon 柿右衛門…

Art History, Crafts
imawaka 今若

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a young man of noble birth. Very similar to *…

Art History, Sculpture
imibiyaden 忌火屋殿

Lit. pure fire hall. A hall for the preparation of food to be offered to the gods at Ise Jingu 伊勢神宮. The character 忌 imi…

Architecture, Shrines
imotsugi 芋継

Same meaning as imomeji 芋目地.

1 A straight-line, end-to-end blind stub tenon *…

Architecture, Joints
in no koguchi 陰の虎口

Defensive castle entrance, or yin entrance. A generic term for various types castle entrance *…

Architecture, Castles
In-pa 院派

A school of Buddhist sculptors *busshi 仏師, based in Kyoto, active from the late…

Art History, Sculpture
in 印

Also inzō 印相 also read insō, shu-in 手印, and mitsu-in 密印. Sk: mudra. A hand gesture…

Art History, Sculpture
in'yō no kuruwa 陰陽の郭

Defensive castle compounds in no kuruwa 陰の郭 and offensive castle compounds yō no kuruwa 陽の郭. In Chinese,…

Architecture, Castles
in'yōseki 陰陽石 ✓

Lit. yin and yang stone. A pair of stones representing male and female principles or genitalia. Also called on'yōseki…

Architecture, Gardens
inagi 稲城

Also read inaki. Lit. rice plant fortress. A small and temporary defensive palisade of bundles or sheaves of rice…

Architecture, Castles
inago 稲子

Slip fasteners. The wooden or bamboo pieces used on the reverse side of the overlapped boards of a board-and-batten ceiling…

Architecture, General Terms

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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