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JAANUS

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  • (-) Sculpture (55)
  • Architecture (3)
  • Art History (54)
  • Decorations (1)
  • General Terms (1)
  • Iconography (1)

Displaying 1 - 55 of 55
Title Contains Image(s) Description Keywords
gachirin 月輪

Also gatsurin, getsurin. A perfectly round circle meant to represent the full moon, a frequently used…

Art History, Sculpture
ganzō 龕像

Images carved in a niche. In a broad sense the term refers to the Buddhist images of high relief carved into the rock walls…

Art History, Sculpture
gasshō 合掌

1 The triangular frame created by joining a pair of cruck-like members *…

Architecture, General Terms, Art History, Sculpture
geki 戟

Also hoko 鉾. A weapon, found as an attribute of fearsome Buddhist figures such as *…

Art History, Sculpture
Genjōraku 還城楽

Return to the castle dance, Alternative names: Genkyōraku 環京楽 (Return to Capital Dance), Genjōraku 還成楽 (Return of One of…

Art History, Sculpture
gigakumen 伎楽面

Masks worn for performances of *gigaku 伎楽, now-lost temple processions and…

Art History, Sculpture
ginbutsu 銀仏

Silver Buddha. Bronze was the most frequent metal used in the production of Buddhist statues. Where silver was used instead…

Art History, Sculpture
gishi 祇支

Also sōgishi 僧祇支 (Sk: Sankaksika). A robe worn by Buddhist priests under the *…

Art History, Sculpture
gochi hōkan 五智宝冠

Also gobutsukan 五仏冠, gobutsu hōkan 五仏宝冠, gochi nyoraikan 五智如来冠, gohō tenkan 五宝天冠. A…

Art History, Sculpture
Gojo 呉女

Maid of (the country of) Wu 呉. The only female mask in the *gigaku 伎楽 repertory…

Art History, Sculpture
gokō 後光

Also written 御光. Aureole. The light emitted from the Buddha. Often expressed as a halo *…

Art History, Sculpture
Gokō 呉公

Lit. Man of (the country of) Wu 呉, a gigaku mask *gigakumen 伎楽面,…

Art History, Sculpture
gokosho 五鈷杵

A short club with five prongs at each end, usually made of gilt bronze. The central grip is encircled by demons' eyes …

Art History, Sculpture
gōzanze-in 降三世印

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

Art History, Sculpture
gozō roppu 五臓六腑

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

Art History, Sculpture
gunji 軍持

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

Art History, Sculpture
gyōgetsukei 仰月形

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

Art History, Sculpture
gyokugan 玉眼

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

Art History, Sculpture
gyorinbuki 魚鱗葺

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

Art History, Sculpture
gyōsō 形相 All of the visible attributes of a Buddhist figure. These include the countenance, posture, hand positions, and any… Art History, Sculpture
gyōzō 行像

Lit. traveling image. 

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

Art History, Sculpture
tachikibutsu 立木仏

Lit. "standing tree Buddha." A Buddhist image carved on a living tree or on wood that retains the form of the original tree…

Art History, Sculpture
tagane 鏨

Graver. A sharp, pointed steel tool used in metalwork and stone carving. Used for engraving, carving, and chiselling,…

Art History, Sculpture
taiko 太孤

Old Persian man taikofu 太孤父 and young Persian boy taikoji 太孤児, two types of gigaku masks *…

Art History, Sculpture
tainaibutsu 胎内仏

A small Buddhist image that is placed inside a larger one as an offering. In most cases, older images were placed inside…

Art History, Sculpture
taishōtoku 退走禿

"Running in retreat," a *bugaku 舞楽 dance and mask *…

Art History, Sculpture
takama bussho 高間仏所

Also takaya bussho 高矢仏所. A guild of Buddhist sculptors active in Nara *…

Art History, Sculpture
tamen kōhi 多面広臂

An image that has more heads, eyes, or limbs than the human figure.

Art History, Sculpture
tamen tahi 多面多臂

Also *tamen kōhi 多面広臂. A Buddhist image with more heads, eyes, or limbs than…

Architecture, Sculpture
tankei 単髻

A single topknot. Hair tied on top of the head in a simple round topknot *hōkei…

Art History, Sculpture
tekkō 手甲

Also tekō, yubitsugai 指番. A protective piece of leather or metal used to protect the back of a soldier's…

Art History, Sculpture
ten 捻

Also *shō 摂. Clay statue. An old term used in the Nara period to…

Art History, Sculpture
tenbōrin-in 転法輪印

Lit. "mudra for turning the Dharma-wheel." A mudra or hand gesture *in 印…

Art History, Sculpture
tenchigan 天地眼

Also tenchigen. A facial expression found on *Fudō Myōō 不動明王, where the right…

Art History, Sculpture
tendō 天童

Lit. "heavenly youth," also warabemai 童舞 (dancing child). A dance mask representing a young boy with parted hair…

Art History, Sculpture
tengai 天蓋

1 Also sangai 傘蓋, hōgai 宝蓋, kagai 華蓋, kengai 懸蓋. Sk: chatra…

Architecture, Decorations, Art History, Sculpture
tenjin 天神

Lit. "heaven people."

1 The heavenly gods as opposed to the gods of earth, chigi 地祇.
…

Art History, Iconography, Sculpture
tenkandai 天冠台

Also hōkandai 宝冠台. A decorative band around the head found on *bosatsu…

Art History, Sculpture
tenne 天衣

Also tenne 纏衣. A long, narrow strip of ornamental cloth, found on images of *…

Art History, Sculpture
tetsubutsu 鉄仏

A Buddhist statue made of cast iron. Cast iron statues were not as common in Japan as bronze (see *…

Art History, Sculpture
togō 東江

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 of the *…

Art History, Sculpture
tokin 鍍金

Gilding. A decorative technique used in metalwork, where an object was coated with a thin layer of gold. In Japan, this…

Art History, Sculpture
tokkosho 独鈷杵

A pestle with a single sharp blade at each end, found as an attribute *jimotsu…

Art History, Sculpture
tokusajō 木賊尉

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing an old, plebeian man used only…

Art History, Sculpture
tonoko 砥の粉

Powdered burnt clay or pulverized whetstone. Used for polishing swords and coloring wood. Tonoko was mixed with…

Art History, Sculpture
Tori yōshiki 止利様式

A style of sculpture represented by the work of the 7th-century sculptor known as Tori busshi 止利仏師. Tori was believed to be…

Art History, Sculpture
tōshin 等身

Lit. "life-size." A standard unit of measurement for Buddhist statues *hōryō…

Art History, Sculpture
tōshoku 頭飾

Decoration found on the head of a Buddhist sculpted figure. This includes hairstyles *…

Art History, Sculpture
tōza 榻座

A cylindrical seat or round pedestal *daiza 台座 for a Buddhist image. Many images…

Art History, Sculpture
tsubai bussho 椿井仏所

Also written 津波井仏所. A guild of Buddhist sculptors *busshi 仏師 active in Nara *…

Art History, Sculpture
tsūen 通円

Also 通圓. A mask of an old man, used in the kyōgen 狂言 play Tsūen (The Tea Priest, Tsūen…

Art History, Sculpture
tsūken 通肩

An abbreviation of tsūryō kenpō 通両肩法. A style of wearing a Buddhist robe covering both shoulders. The robe…

Art History, Sculpture
tsuriago 吊顎

Dangling chin, a gimmick used on some bugaku masks *bugakumen…

Art History, Sculpture
tsurimanako 釣眼

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the God of Thunder. Great…

Art History, Sculpture
tsutsumi nakago 包み中型

Enclosed inner mould. The *nakago 中型 was a term used in metal…

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