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JAANUS

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  • Accessories (1)
  • Architecture (123)
  • Aristocratic Dwellings (6)
  • Art History (79)
  • Buildings (6)
  • Castles (7)
  • Crafts (5)
  • Decorations (11)
  • Document (5)
  • Folk Dwellings (9)
  • Gardens (16)
  • Gates (4)
  • General Terms (27)
  • Iconography (8)
  • Joints (2)
  • Lanterns (1)
  • Painting (34)
  • Roofing Tiles (2)
  • Sculpture (30)
  • Shrines (7)
  • Storehouses (1)
  • Structures (6)
  • Tea Houses (26)
  • Tools (2)

Displaying 101 - 200 of 201
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
zahō 坐法

Also referred to as zasei 坐勢 (Sk: asana). A seated position for a Buddhist image. Ancient Indian ascetics used…

Art History, Sculpture
zaimoku 材木 Timber prepared for construction. Architecture, General Terms
zakanshiki teien 座観式庭園

Lit. "seated appreciation style garden." A modern term designating gardens meant to be seen or "appreciated" from a fixed…

Architecture, Gardens
zakkeshitsu-in 雑華室印

A collector's seal, kanzō-in 鑑蔵印, which was impressed on Song and Yuan dynasties paintings *…

Art History, Painting
Zaō Gongen 蔵王権現

Also Kongō Zaō Bosatsu 金剛蔵王菩薩. The deity of Kinpusen 金峰山 in Nara, one of the most important deities of the Japanese…

Art History, Iconography
Zashiki hakkei 座敷八景

Lit. "Eight parlor views"; a parody of eight views *hakkei 八景, in which…

Art History, Painting
zashiki kazari 座敷飾

The *zashiki 座敷 is a guest room; its name deriving from that of the mat…

Architecture, General Terms
zashiki 座敷 ✓

A generic term for a room covered with straw mats *tatami 畳. In the Heian…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
zashikigura 座敷蔵

A two-story fireproof structure of the storehouse type *dozō 土蔵 that…

Architecture, Storehouses
zazen-ishi 座禅石

Lit. "stone for seated meditation." A large, flat-topped stone which is used for, or thought to be appropriate for…

Architecture, Gardens
zazō 坐像

A Buddhist image which is seated, as opposed to standing *ryūzō 立像. The…

Art History, Sculpture
zen'a-in 善阿印

Gourd-shaped shumon 朱文 style seal introduced into Japan from China during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Today there…

Art History, Painting
Zen'e zu 禅会図

Lit. "paintings of Zen 禅 meetings." Paintings that depict a philosophical dialogue between a Zen priest and a layman,…

Art History, Painting
Zen'inshiki no niwa 禅院式の庭

Lit. "Zen 禅 temple style gardens." A modern term designating the various types of gardens associated with Zen sect temples…

Architecture, Gardens
Zen-pa 善派

A school of Buddhist sculptors *bussho 仏所, who often used the character 'Zen' 善…

Art History, Sculpture
Zendō 禅堂 ✓

Also called *sōdō 僧堂; sometimes *masodō…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
Zendō 善導

Commonly known as Zendō Daishi 善導大師 (Ch: Shandao Dashi, 613-81) or Great Master Zendō . The third patriarch of Pure…

Art History, Iconography
Zendōjigata tōrō 善導寺形灯籠

Type of lantern found in the garden of Zendōji 善導寺, Kyoto. Six semi-spherical swellings surround the base and have been…

Architecture, Lanterns
Zenga 禅画

Lit. "Zen 禅 (Ch: Chan) painting." A modern and somewhat ambiguous term often used to indicate painting and calligraphy that…

Art History, Painting
Zengetsuyō rakan 禅月様羅漢

Ch: Chanyueyang Luohan. A type of ink painting of arhats or *rakan 羅漢…

Art History, Iconography
zengo hagi-awase 前後矧合

Also abbreviated to zengohagi 前後矧. A method of making a wooden statue where the statue is carved in two separate…

Art History, Sculpture
zenigata byōbu 銭形屏風

An early type of folding screen *byōbu 屏風, in which panels are individually made…

Art History, Painting
zenigata mizubachi 銭形水鉢

Lit. "coin shape water basin." A type of round water basins *chōzubachi 手水鉢…

Architecture, Gardens
zenjō-in 禅定印

Lit. "meditation mudra." A mudra or hand gesture *in 印, formed by placing the palms…

Art History, Sculpture
zenki-zu 禅機図

Lit. "paintings of Zen 禅 (Ch: Chan) occasions." Illustrations of acts (including dialogues) which led to enlightenment. The…

Art History, Painting
zenkishiki karesansui 前期式枯山水

Lit. "early style dry landscape." The Heian period arrangement of stones in areas with neither a pond nor stream. The 11th-…

Architecture, Gardens
Zenkōji shiki Amida sanzon 善光寺式阿弥陀三尊

Images of the *Amida 阿弥陀 trinity made in the style of the Amida trinity at Zenkōji 善光寺 in…

Art History, Sculpture
zenmon 前門

An especially impressive front gate or entry. Examples are *hirakaramon…

Architecture, Gates
Zenmyōshin 善妙神

Also known as Zenmyō nyoshin 善妙女神. A deity that protects the Kegon 華厳 sect of Buddhism. According to the legend, a…

Art History, Iconography
Zennyo Ryūō 善女竜王

Lit. "Dragon King Zennyo." The subject of a painting by one of the disciples of *Kūkai 空海…

Art History, Iconography
zenpai 前拝

Old name kizahashi 階 means steps (see *hashi 階). The front steps…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
zenshi 全紙

Lit. "full-size paper." Paper having the same size as that produced in the factory. The size varied according to each period…

Art History, Painting
Zenshitsu 禅室

Sometimes an alternative *Zendō 禅堂.

1 A room for…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
Zenshū bijutsu 禅宗美術

The general term used for any art related to the practice of Zen 禅 Buddhism in Japan. Zen flourished in Japan in the…

Art History, General Terms
Zenshū soshizō 禅宗祖師像

Lit. "images of patriarchs of Zen 禅 sects." Paintings of Zen patriarchs. Although all schools of Buddhism create images of…

Art History, Painting
zenshūyō 禅宗様

A style of architecture imported from China during the Song dynasty. It includes the architectural elements that came with…

Architecture, General Terms
Zenshūyō kōran 禅宗様高欄 ✓

Also called Karayō kōran 唐様高欄. A railing or balustrade *kōran 高欄 with…

Architecture, General Terms
Zenshūyō tokyō 禅宗様斗きょう ✓

Also called Karayō tokyō 唐様斗きょう. A Zen style bracket complex. The bracket arms *…

Architecture, General Terms
zentei 前庭

Lit. "front garden." A general term referring to the garden in front of a building. In contrast to the main garden which is…

Architecture, Gardens
zetsu 舌 ✓

Lit. "tongue." A thin ornamental molding *kurigata 繰形, carved on the bottom…

Architecture, General Terms
zō-onna 増女

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面, representing a young angel, goddess or enlightened woman.…

Art History, Sculpture
Zō Tōdaiji Zōbussho 造東大寺造仏所

Also Tōdaiji Zōbussho 東大寺造仏所. A workshop which made statues for Tōdaiji 東大寺 in Nara. In 748, the government set up a…

Art History, Sculpture
zōbana 象鼻 ✓

Also read zōhana. A beam projection or nosing *kibana 木鼻, molded or…

Architecture, Decorations
zōbussho 造仏所

Government-run workshops making Buddhist statues during the Nara period. Post-9th-century independent and temple-run…

Art History, Sculpture
Zōchōten 増長天

Sk: Virudhaka. A fierce-looking guardian deity *funnusō 忿怒相, believed to…

Art History, Iconography
zōgan 象嵌

Inlay. It is also written 象眼 (elephant eye). A decoration technique in which the surface of such materials as metal, pottery…

Art History, Crafts
zōkinzuri 雑巾摺 ✓

Also called hōkizuri 掃摺 or zōkindome 雑巾留. A long thin finishing board, similar to a base board, that is…

Architecture, General Terms
zokutaizō 俗体像

A portrait of a lay person in formal secular dress. This contrasts with the more numerous portraits of Buddhist priests…

Art History, Sculpture
zōmen 蔵面

Offertory mask. Cloth or paper masks used in *bugaku 舞楽 in the pieces *…

Art History, Sculpture
zōnai nōnyūhin 像内納入品

Also nōnyūhin 納入品, tainai nōnyūhin 胎内納入品, tainai nōnyūbutsu 胎内納入物. Objects found in the…

Art History, Sculpture
zōsaku 雑作

Also witten 造作.
All non-permanent parts of a Japanese building in contrast to those parts that are permanent and…

Architecture, General Terms
zōshu 像主

A patron. A person who requests the building of a Buddhist temple or work of art.

Art History, Sculpture
zōzōki 造像記

Also zōzōki daiki 造像題記, zōzōmei 造象銘. A record that keeps track of the completion and repair dates of a…

Art History, Sculpture
zuan 図案

A rough sketch of a building plan including, floor plans, elevations, the placement of doors and windows, etc.

Architecture, General Terms
zuijinmon 随神門

Middle gates *chūmon 中門 with statues of Zuijin 随神, shrine guards…

Architecture, Gates
zuizō 瑞像

A name given to a sandalwood statue of Shaka Nyorai 釈迦如来 (in the same style as the figure in Seiryōji 清涼寺, Kyoto). See *…

Art History, Sculpture
zukō 頭光

Lit. head light. A nimbus or halo that encircles the head of an image of a Buddhist deity. In the case of sculpture it is…

Art History, Sculpture
zumi 棠梨

A yellow pigment *ganryō 顔料, made from the bark of the deciduous…

Art History, Painting
zushi 厨子

1 A miniature shrine in which Buddhist images or rolls of sutras kyō 経 are kept. Reliquary…

Architecture, General Terms
zushi 辻子

1 Also written 図子, 途子. A crossroads or intersection of two roads. See *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
zushidana 厨子棚

Miniature shrine shelf. A cabinet shrine *zushi 厨子, used to store the writing…

Art History, Crafts
zuzō 図像

Iconographic sketches of Buddhist images done in simple ink drawing (see *hakubyō…

Art History, Painting

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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