The Great Wave
The Great Wave
D: 1830-1833 C.E. p/s: Edo Japan A: Katsushika Hokusai P: Unknown OL: Japan M: Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper T: ukiyo-e woodblock F: Express human vulnerability against nature C: Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings, principally produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries and featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters DT: woodblock, print, nature, vulnerability, weakness M: The wave is about to strike the boats as if it were an enormous monster, which symbolizes the irresistible force of nature and the weakness of human beings
Shiva as Lord of Dance
Shiva as Lord of Dance
N: Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja) D: c. 11th century p/s: Hindu (Chola Dynasty) A: Unknown P: Unknown OL: Tamil Nadu, India M: Cast Bronze T: Sculpting F: Praise Shiva C: Nataraja is a depiction of the god Shiva as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for the god Brahma to start the process of creation. DT: Hindu, creation, reincarnation, bronze, loose, green, balanced, M: Nataraja combines a single image Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe and conveys the Indian conception of the never-ending cycle of time. Shiva's dance is set within a flaming halo. The god holds in his upper right hand the damaru. His upper left hand holds agni. With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra. The dwarflike figure being trampled by his right foot represents apasmara purusha, Shiva's front left hand, pointing to his raised left foot, signifies refuge for the troubled soul. The symbols imply that, through belief in Shiva, his devotees can achieve salvation.
Todai-ji
Todai-ji
N: Tōdai-ji D: 734 C.E. P/S: Nara architecture A: Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei. P: Emperor Shōmu OL: Nara, Japan M: Bronze and wood (sculpture); wood w/ ceramic tile (architecture) T: Irimoya, Kōn-do F: Place of worship C: Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples. Tōdai-ji is a temple of the Kegon sect of Buddhism, which reveres the Buddha Vairocana (Birushana in Japanese) as the cosmic, central Buddha. The principal image of the temple is a bronze statue of Vairocana, colossal in scale. DT: Temple, Buddhist, ceramic, pagoda, garden M: Tōdai-ji represents the culmination of imperial Buddhist architecture. C: "Todaiji unveils museum to show ancient treasures". The Japan Times.