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JAANUS

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  • Accessories (1)
  • Architecture (172)
  • Aristocratic Dwellings (9)
  • Art History (106)
  • Buildings (12)
  • Castles (11)
  • Crafts (6)
  • Decorations (12)
  • Document (5)
  • Folk Dwellings (19)
  • Gardens (12)
  • Gates (4)
  • General Terms (40)
  • Iconography (23)
  • Joints (4)
  • Lanterns (2)
  • Measurement (2)
  • Painting (43)
  • Roofing Tiles (7)
  • Sculpture (32)
  • Shrines (10)
  • Structures (12)
  • Tea Houses (30)
  • Tools (4)

Displaying 101 - 200 of 276
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
jabara ita 蛇腹板 ✓

Lit. snake belly board. The boards lined up under the thick eave ends nokizuke 軒付 of a cypress bark *…

Architecture, General Terms
jabara 蛇腹

Lit. snake's belly.

1 A cornice. Called nokijabara 軒蛇腹, at the eaves of a building and …

Architecture, General Terms
jabara shirin 蛇腹支輪 ✓

Also called honshirin 本支輪 (main shirin). A short, curved, non-supporting transitional member that connects…

Architecture, General Terms
jabara tenjō 蛇腹天井 ✓

Lit. snake belly ceiling. An open or exposed ceiling composed of curved, parallel rafters, thought to resemble a snake's…

Architecture, General Terms
jabaragawa 蛇腹皮

Lit. snake skin. The boards lined up under the thick eave ends nokizuke 軒付 of a cypress bark *…

Architecture, General Terms
jaki 邪鬼

Sk: yaksa. Evil spirits believed to harm human beings and hinder Buddhist teaching. Usually appear in sculptures as small…

Art History, Iconography
jari 砂利

Gravel, small stones, or pebbles. A corrupted form of sazare 細 meaning tiny stones. Jari have been given…

Architecture, General Terms
jibori 字彫

Also hikkōbori 筆耕彫. The engravers or block-carvers of written text woodblocks for printed books. From…

Art History, Painting
jibuki 地葺

The traditional method of laying or setting tiles on the sheathing *noji 野地 of…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
jibukuro 地袋 ✓

A small cabinet with sliding doors at the bottom of open, often split-level shelves *…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
jibutsudō 持仏堂

Also called *butsuma 仏間.

1 Small, private buildings or…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
jichinsai 地鎮祭

Also called chinjisai 鎮地祭; jisai 地祭, jiiwai 地祝, tsuchimatsuri 土祭 or tokoshizume no…

Architecture, Shrines
jidaruki 地垂木

Also called omodaruki 母垂木. A base rafter that extends outward from the roof framework, generally the eave purlin *…

Architecture, General Terms
jidō 慈童

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a sprite who possesses the elixir of long life…

Art History, Sculpture
Jie 慈恵

Commonly known as Jie Daishi 慈恵大師 or Great Master Jie. The posthumous name of Ryōgen 良源 (912-85), abbot at…

Art History, Iconography
jien hikaku 地円飛角 ✓

Also read chien hikaku. Double eaves *futanoki 二軒, composed of base…

Architecture, General Terms
jifuku 地覆

1 A sleeper. The lowermost horizontal beam that spans the width of a bay *…

Architecture, General Terms
jifuku-ishi 地覆石

Also written 地幅石. A long horizontal base stone, sometimes called a sleeper, or a continuous plinth course. It is placed at…

Architecture, General Terms
jifuku nageshi 地覆長押 Also jinageshi 地長押. A non-penetrating tie beam that is shaped to fit snugly around the base of a pillar.
Architecture, General Terms
jiga jisan 自画自賛 The practice of adding a poetic inscription to one's own painting. The poetic inscription is typically related to the… Art History, Painting
Jigoku dayū 地獄太夫

A famous courtesan of Sakai 堺 known for her relationship with the Daitokuji 大徳寺 priest *…

Art History, Painting
jigokuhozo 地獄ほぞ ✓

Lit. hell tenon. So named because once it is inserted, it is impossible to withdraw. A blind tenon joint with wedges *…

Architecture, Joints
jiguchi-e 地口絵

A picture based on a word pun, popular around the mid-18th century. Most were drawn by town painters *…

Art History, Painting
jigyō 地業

Also 地形 chikei. The preliminary foundation work on a building. Materials for this include: rubble *…

Architecture, General Terms
jihatsu 地髪 Hair on the head of a Buddha *nyorai 如来 statue, not including the *… Art History, Sculpture
jihiro 地火炉

Also read jikaro.

1 A hearth *ro 炉 excavated in…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings, Folk Dwellings
jihisō 慈悲相

Also bosatsusō 菩薩相. The expression of compassion found on Buddhist images. The opposite is *…

Art History, Sculpture
jikidō 食堂

Also called saidō 斎堂. A refectory. An independent building on temple grounds where priests and monks had their…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
jikirō 食籠

A lidded food container, usually layered and lacquered with decorations of sunken gold *…

Art History, Crafts
jikkai zu 十界図

Lit. Picture of the ten realms. In Buddhism the ten realms jikkai 十界 refer to the ten realms of being, which are…

Art History, Iconography
jikkan jūnishi 十干十二支

Also kanshi 干支 and eto えと. Ch: shigan shierzhi. Lit. ten stems and twelve branches. Referred to…

Art History, Painting
Jikokuten 持国天

Sk: Dhrtarastra. A guardian deity with fierce expression *funnusō 忿怒相,…

Art History, Iconography
jiku 軸

1 A roller used for a hanging scroll *kakemono 掛物 or hand…

Art History, Painting, Tea Houses, Architecture
jikuana 軸穴

Also 軸孔; jikuzuriana 軸吊穴; jiku uke 軸受; tobira jikuana 扉軸穴. The socket into which the pivot hinge…

Architecture, General Terms
jikubu 軸部

The framework or body of a building between the foundation and the roof structure. In traditional architecture it includes…

Architecture, General Terms
jikukakekugi 軸掛釘

Also jikukugi 軸釘, kakemonokugi 掛物釘. A hook for hanging scrolls, *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
jikuzuri 軸吊 ✓

Also written 軸釣, 軸摺. Pivot hinge. A metal covered wooden-core pivot inserted into a socket *…

Architecture, General Terms
jimotsu 持物

Also read jibutsu. Sk: lakasana. The hand-held attributes of a Buddhist image. Along with the mudra *…

Art History, Sculpture
jimune 地棟

A base ridge.

1 A longitudinal timber plate resting upon the principal transverse roof beams *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
jinaimachi 寺内町

Also jinaichō. A type of religious township that developed in the Sengoku period in connection mainly with temples…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
jinbaori 陣羽織

Campaign jacket. A short garment worn over armor. Based on European prototypes introduced by the Portuguese at the end of…

Art History, Crafts
jinbutsu jūhachibyō 人物十八描

Ch: renwu shibamiao. Lit. eighteen types of figural portrayal. A group of brush styles traditionally employed in painting to…

Art History, Painting
jinchū 人中

Also ninchū. A vertical groove between the nose and upper lip of Buddhist images. The jinchū differed…

Art History, Sculpture
jingūji 神宮寺

Also called jingoji 神護寺, jingū'in 神宮院, jinganji 神願寺, miyadera 宮寺, or bettōji…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
jinja kenchiku 神社建築

Lit. shrine architecture. The architecture associated with Shinto shrines, including all the shrine buildings, shaden…

Architecture, Shrines
jinja 神社 ✓

A generic name for a Shinto shrine. Before World War Two shrines were classified into five categorize: first rank, …

Architecture, Shrines
Jinja Taishō 深沙大将

Also read Jinja Daishō. Lit. General Deep-Sand. A divinity said to have appeared in a dream to the renowned Chinese…

Art History, Iconography
jinjiro 陣城

Lit. camp fortress. A temporary fortification constructed on a battlefield or stopping-place by armies on the march, used…

Architecture, Castles
jintai 神体

Lit. God body or God style; also written 神容. A noh mask*nōmen 能面 representing a…

Art History, Sculpture
jinuki 地貫

Also called shimonuki 下貫. A penetrating tie beam at the base of a pillar or a tie beam beneath a building's…

Architecture, General Terms
jinuri 地塗り

A base coat. The process of preparing ancient painting surfaces by completely covering the materials used, such as paper,…

Art History, Painting
jirenge 持蓮華

An object shaped like a lotus bud and stem used in Buddhist rituals, particularly favored by the Ji 時 sect. Usually made of…

Art History, Sculpture
jiro 地炉

Also *ro 炉

1 A hearth constructed in an earth…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
jisanzō 自賛像

A portrait bearing a poetic inscription written by the painter.

Art History, Painting
jishin bansho 自身番所

The office or guardroom provided in each city ward *machi 町, in the city of Edo…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
jissaku 十作

The Ten Greatest Ancient Sculptors of Noh masks *nōmen 能面…

Art History, Sculpture
jisumigi 地隅木

A base hip rafter found at the corners of a roof. Ordinary rafters *jidaruki…

Architecture, General Terms
Jitchikusai shogafu 十竹斎書画譜

Ch: Shizhuzhai shuhuapu. Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Painting, a late Ming period color woodblock-printed…

Art History, Painting
jitō 耳とう

Also nitō. Round earrings found on sculpted Buddhist images. These were used on Chinese figures, but were extremely…

Art History, Sculpture
jitsubushi 地潰し

Also tsubushi 潰し. A plain background of a single color on a woodblock print *…

Art History, Painting
jitsugetsu sansui zu 日月山水図

Also jitsugetsu zu 日月図. A pictorial subject that combines the motifs of the sun and moon in landscapes of the four…

Art History, Painting
jizaikagi 自在鈎 ✓

A pothook. A device that enables a pot nabe 鍋 or tea kettle tetsubin 鉄瓶 to be suspended over a sunken…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings, Tea Houses

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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