Kiyomizuware. One of the terms commonly given to similar wares produced by several local kilns and associated with the old…

The rules governing the relative proportions of parts when a wooden statue is made by the joining of several pieces of wood…

A kneeling position for a Buddhist image. Bodhisattva figures *Kannon 観音 and *…

A seated position of Buddhist images in which both legs are stretched out to one side. The name of this position is derived…

Old sketch maps of proprietary estates and temple precincts. The earliest examples are the maps preserved in the *…

A general term for armor, yoroi 鎧（*ōyoroi 大鎧) and helmets *…

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a girl in the first blush of womanhood. The…

Ch: Huang Shangu (1045-1105). One of the best-known calligraphers and poets of the Northern Song dynasty, depicted in…

Ch: Huang Chuping. Taoist immortal figure and magician of the Jin dynasty known for his ability to transform a herd of sheep…

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a fierce, old man. Koakujō's features…

A pictorial subject taken from "The Rose Plum" Kōbai (red plum blossoms), Chapter 43 of Genji monogatari …

Lit. small format. A size of *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 print that is a quarter…

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a demon from hell who dances a fierce dance. A…

A dark grey-brown color. Dye extracted from the bark of the plum tree, momokawa 楊梅皮 is used with an iron mordant to…

Lit. Great Master Kōbō. The posthumous name of *Kūkai 空海 (774-835), the founder…

A small-sized sheet of *hōsho 奉書 paper that is approximately 33 x 47 cm. After…

A pictorial subject based on "Butterflies" Kochō, Chapter 24 of Genji monogatari 源氏物語 (The Tale of…

Ch: hudiezhuang. Lit. butterfly book. A type of book-binding, which, according to some, is the same as *…

Lit. ancient periods. A period that includes the introduction of Buddhisim to Japan in 530/552, the Asuka period (552-646),…

A kind of bronze used in North China and Japan. It was known in Japan by the Muromachi period, with variants including …

Woodblock prints *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 with children as their subject. No adults are…

Burial mound. Also called takatsuka 高塚 or tsuka 塚. These tombs were covered with a sizeable mound of…

The Kofun period (250 - 600). *Kofun 古墳 are the burial mounds or tumuli which…

Lit. Remarks on Old Paintings, a 51 chapter, mid-19th century, painters' biography compiled by Asaoka Okisada 朝岡興禎 (1800-56…

A nail used to secure the molds used in metal casting. When a metal statue was cast using the lost-wax method, a model of…

Also called horikogatana 彫小刀. A knife used to carve a woodblock *hangi…

Incense containers. Also called kōbako 香箱. Small, lidded containers usually made of lacquer or ceramic, and…

Lady Kogō. A late 12th-century beauty described in Heike monogatari 平家物語 (The Tale of The Heike; see…

Halo found on Buddhist images, representing light said to be emitted by the Buddha *gokō…

Also tanehon 種本. An author's manuscript which has been made into a mock-up of a printed book. The manuscript is…

Lit. carp ascending a waterfall. The Chinese legend of a carp that became a dragon after swimming up a waterfall at the…

Lit. Pictures of historical figures, a category of Chinese figure subjects, Kangakei jinbutsuga 漢画系人物画 including…

Originally a Hindi term ghra-pati meaning a householder, trader, or farmer. In China the term came to be applied…

Ch: gushi shanshui. Paintings depicting episodes of quasi-historical accounts, koji 故事 where literary or…

Also read Koshima mandara. A pair of Mandala of the Two Realms *Ryōkai…

A rough small-scale sketch for a painting. Early visualizations of an idea, kojita-e are the first step in…

Also called kōjijō 小牛尉, sometimes pronounced kōshijō. A type of noh mask *…

Bound resist. An early type of resist dying for textiles, along with wax resist rōkechi 臈纈, and carved wooden-block…

Ch: Huxi sanxiao. An allegory in which three Eastern Jin 東晋 literati realize by accident that spiritual purity…

Also kojin kiza 胡人跪坐. A kneeling position for a Buddhist image. The figure sits with both knees fully bent, and a…

Lit. deep color. A color name used since the Heian period to refer to a shade of dark purple, or occasionally dark red. A…

Lit. paring down. The *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 woodblock carving process which reduces…

Lit. humorous books. A witty and humorous type of novel of the late 18th and 19th century. The early kokkeibon were…

Ch: gaogu yousi miao. A brush technique used to create the clothing of figures in ink painting. The brush strokes…

Lit. native Japanese culture. The term is used for the culture which arose during the mid-Heian period (also known as *…

Treatise on Native Painting. A short 18th century essay on painting by Confucian scholar and education reformer Hirazawa…

Lit. treasures of the nation. The appellation has existed since the Meiji period, but currently applies to artifacts which…

Korean: Koguryo. One of the three states in the Three Kingdoms period, Sangoku jidai 三国時代 of Korean history. The era began…

Also kokuso 木屎. A paste that was made by adding wood powder, or plant fibres like hemp, to a mixture of flour and…

Sometimes read Kokuzō. Space/Sky Repository (Sk: Akasagarbha, Khagarbha); also called Kokūyō 虚空孕 and in Japan often…

Also kōkyakubu 光脚部, *ukebana 受花. A part of the nimbus…

A Buddhist image seated on a throne or pedestal having pendant legs that are crossed at the ankles to form an "X". Similar…

Small pictorial cartouches in poem-card *tanzaku 短冊 shapes or…

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the aged, yet beautiful face of the hundred-…

Lit. Korean dog. A pair of lion-like guardian figures placed at each side of a shrine or temple entrance; believed to ward…

Sometimes read komigata. Also warikomegata 割込型. A sectioned mold. A type of mold used in metal…

A type of trick picture, shikake-e 仕掛絵 where a separate picture is affixed to part of a colored print. When folded…

Also known as oranda-e 阿蘭陀絵, also written 和蘭陀絵 or simply ranga 蘭画, meaning Dutch painting. Western-style…

Sk: Virupaksa. A guardian deity, believed to protect the west of Buddha's realm. Usually found as part of a group of Four…

Lit. small pattern. A small-scale repeated pattern usually in a single color against a colored ground. Originally used…

Also kondōzō 金銅造 (gilt bronze construction), kondōzō 金銅像 (gilt bronze statue), …

Lit. the youth Kongara. One of two chief attendants of *Fudō Myōō 不動明王 (the…

Also kongōza 金剛座. Lit. diamond throne. The throne on which the historical Buddha *…

A gigaku mask *gigakumen 伎楽面 and role paired…

Also *Niō 仁王, *…

Also banshi 盤子. A stand or tray on which are placed the *kongōsho…

Lit. Eighty-one Deity Mandala of the Adamantine Realm. A variety of *Kongōkai…

Lit. mandala of the Adamantine Realm (Sk: Vajradhatu mandala). A mandala *mandara…

A bell, usually of gilt bronze, rung during an Esoteric Buddhist service. Around the center of the handle are kimoku…

Lit. vajra pestle. A pestle-like object with pointed ends, derived from an Indian weapon. Usually made of gilt bronze, with…

Also written 金剛薬叉明王. Kongōyasha corresponds to Sanskrit vajrayaksa, which is also the name of one of the sixteen…

Also Kōnin jidai 弘仁時代 or, more frequently in art history, Jōgan jidai 貞観時代. The Kōnin-Jōgan…

A dark blue pigment traditionally derived from azurite or lapis-lazuli *gunjō…

Lit. Barbarian drunkard. Also Suikoraku 酔胡楽 or En'onraku 宴飲楽. A dance piece in *…

A tall (6 shaku 尺, or 181.8 cm), single-panel, standing screen *tsuitate…

Also synonymous with Kubira 宮毘羅. A god and leader of the *Yasha 夜又, the…

Bridal trousseau. An Edo period daimyō 大名 bride brought to her husbands' home a lavish set of household…

The Kōrakuji school. A hereditary school of Buddhist painters *ebusshi 絵仏師…

Also kōrin mon'yō 光琳文様. Decorative designs which resemble the work of the artist Ogata Kōrin 尾形光琳 (1658-1716…

Incense burner. Common materials are metal, pottery, horn, and lapis lazuli as well as various gems and woods. There are a…

Ch: Kunlun baxian. Lit. Eight Hermits of Mt. Konron. Also read Konron Hassen. Alternative name: Tsurumai…

Ch: goule. Also written 鈎勒 or 勾勒 and called sōroku 雙鉤. One of the two primary techniques of Chinese…

Also read yanagui and written 胡禄. A kind of quiver which hangs from the right side of the waist with the arrowheads…

The Kose school which was founded by Kose no Kanaoka 巨勢金岡, who held an important hereditary position in the 9th-century…

Type of screen similar to *makura byōbu 枕屏風 in format. They were slightly…

Ch: Kongzi. Confucius (551-479 BC). The seminal Chinese philosopher of the late Spring and Autumn period. His family name…

Lit: hip wrap. Part of the formal summer attire of elite warrior women, and placed over the *…

Ch: gengzhitu. Lit. pictures of agriculture and sericulture. In China the theme was originally reserved for court…

Lit. small sleeves. A modern generic name for all full-length garments made before the Meiji period. Originally a lower-…

Sometimes called *eden 絵伝. Pictorial biographies of revered Buddhist priests and…

Collection on Painting, a seminal Japanese book on Chinese paintings written in 1623 by Kano Ikkei 狩野一渓 (1599-1662), the…

Statue of a high priest. These portrait statues were often made by pupils as a sign of respect and reverence for their…

Also written 小手. Formerly tamaki 手纏, taōi 臂覆. A gauntlet that protected the arms and hands. It was…

The textual portion of an illustrated handscroll *emaki 絵巻. …

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the spirit of a fox or other…

Dance of the Virtuous Barbarians, a piece in *bugaku 舞楽 and a…

A painting technique used to draw an object or motif in light ink strokes. Used since the Edo period during the final steps…

Also read koto. Also jidaiwatari 時代渡. Lit. Old importation. Foreign objects, including art works, books,…

Also written 香狭間, and abbreviated to *sama 狭間. Formerly called *…

Fine-cutting, the third stage in the making of a wooden sculpture. Following timber-cutting *…