Asian art

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What we are looking for:

• Theme

• Subject

• Line, line quality

• Brush Stroke

• Use of text in the artworks

Wang Mian (Chinese, died 1359)Ink Plum, n.d. (ca. 1350s)

The plum, blooming in isolation at the end of winter when it is still often surrounded by snow, became a symbol of renewal and endurance under adversity. Wang Mian’s images of plum branches in cascading S-curves were combined with poems. By combining the poems with the image of the plum he emphasized the plum tree’s importance as a symbol of endurance and rebirth.

Sumiyoshi School Scenes from the Battle of Yashima, ca. mid-17th centuryJapan, Edo period (1615–1868)Six-panel folding screen; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, 37 7/16 x 111 1/4 in. (95.1 x 282.6 cm)Leonard C. Hanna, Jr., B.A. 1913, Fund2002.84.2

This work depicts a battle fought between two rival warrior families in 1185: the Taira (Heike), hoisting their red banners, and the Minamoto (Genji), waving their white banners. The tightly knit formation of the mounted Minamoto warriors predicts their victory over the Taira, who have retreated in scattered boats. The scene is an illustration from The Tale of the Heike. Satō Tsuginobu, shot by an arrow, is shown plummeting headfirst off his horse.

Flying Attendant, 14th centuryChina, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)Wall painting; pigments on plaster, 50 x 50 inWall painting was one of the major formats of Chinese painting before the dominance of scholar painters gradually relegated mural painters to the status of craftsmen. palaces and temples alike were painted by some of the greatest names in the history of Chinese painting. This section of a wall painting from a Buddhist temple, shows the descent through clouds of a winged attendant with tail feathers trailing behind. The figure holds a lotus leaf and is showering flowers onto a deity below. Only the edge of the deity’s halo is seen at lower left. There would have been a similar figure to the left of the halo.  

Andō Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858)New Year's Eve, Fox Fires by the Nettle Tree at Ōji (i), 1857Color wood block print, 14 5/16 x 9 5/8 in. (36.4 x 24.4 cm)

Nettle trees were often planted along highways at every Japanese mile (2.45 Western miles) during the Edo period. The particular tree at Ōji was made famous by a local folk tale. On New Year's Eve, it was believed that foxes gathered by the tree and threw flames of fire out of their mouths. By the amount of the fire, farmers could predict the grain harvest for the next year.

Hiroshige

Hokusai