Japanese Art Essay, Research Paper
Japan?s Art, all thought sometimes over looked has evolved through many
different periods. Its simplest forms in the Archaic period and last on its more complex
period the Ego Period. Even though some skeptics believe that Japanese art can not
compare to the art of the Greeks or Romans. Japanese Art yet simple is refreshing and
has left Japan with wonderful shrines, paintings and traditions. The periods of Japanese
art are the Archaic, Ask, Heian, Kamakura, Askikaga and the Ego periods. Each
Period has taken Japan to a new level of art.
Starting with the Archaic period, Japan was a prehistoric society where its art
consisted of well crafted vessels, vases, and tools. Most vessels and vases were
constructed to look like they were surrounded in rope but in reality it was part of the
ceramic and clay pieces. They lived in pit dwellings with thatched roofs on bamboo
stilts. The Japanese did however build shrines in this period. These shrines were
consisted of many buildings and were concentrated around a central axis. The
symmetrical system was off set by a gate and a building were only the deity could dwell.
The most famous of these Shrines is the Ise Shrine. This shrine is 55 yards by 127 yards
and is completely fenced in. The Shrine is also made entirely out of wood! With the
building of shrines the Japanese moved into a new period, the Asuka period. The
religion of the people changed to Buddhism which also changed the focus of art. Bronze
sculptures of religious figures (Buddha) sprang up. This period was very short lived.
Still changing though Japan moves into the Heian Period. The Heian period
began at the beginning of the ninth century. The Japanese weren?t just practicing
Buddhism, they were practicing Esoteric Buddhism. Japan also stopped communication
with China, so the Japanese art wasn?t influenced by China. Paintings began to take over
the frames, the scenes were viewed from elevation and dull colors and flat surfaces
where used. This style was known as Yamato-e. Yamato-e was greatly used for the
illustration of stories. This style was cold and lifeless. But things began to look up
towards the end of the period. Towards the end of the period the dull large paintings
were replaced with pictures full of curves, grace and most importantly color.
The Japanese Art always changing and expanding mostly because of the
influence of the rulers. At the beginning of the Kamakura period a new ruler took over
Japan. In this period Artists emphasized on realism! The realism was so life like even
the simplest of details was expressed. Also a more advanced Yamato-e style was
developed with more color and softer lines. Also with realism came a type of formalized
religious art where the figures of Buddha became more uniformed. Yet, civil unrest lead
to another change of rulers.
And with this change of rulers came the Ashikaga period. Communication with
China was restored and once again China had a huge impact on Japanese Art. Yamato-e
which was developed while China and Japan were unable to communicate was
diminished and hardly used. But Japan did begin to develop the Tea Ceremony. The Tea
ceremony was taken from China but Japan adopted this ceremony and made it there own
and added much grace and poise to the event. One author said the purpose of a tea
ceremony “is to produce courtesy, politeness, modesty, moderation, calmness, peace of
body and soul, without pride or arrogance, fleeing from all ostentation, pomp, external
grandeur, and the magnificence.” Basically, a kind of get away from the real world and
place of calmness and tranquillity. In Japan No two tea houses are alike, they harbor the
same philosophies and the same tradition but each on is unique, one theme that is the
same throughout all teas houses is the representation of the love of nature. China may
have started the tea ceremony but Japan embraced it, added to it and made it their own,
and still today it is practiced.
And last but certainly not least the Ego Period the period which brings us from
the end of the Ashikaga period to the present. I find that Japanese art today is very flat
and very symmetrical and balanced. For someone who likes order and balance in life
would certainly go for this kind of art, very clear and crisp! Still today, the Shrines are
being re-built the Ice Shines has be re-built sixty times, its amazing to keep up with
something for that amount of time. But it still stands today. Just like Japanese Art,
maybe it didn?t make a huge impact on the world as a whole but it still survives today
Bibliography
Kleiner Fred and Richard Tansey, Gardner?s Art through the Ages 10th ed.