#6 Describe themes associated with Japanese art forms
Japanese were renowned for their art skills. Their art reflected natural beauty and simplicity. They had many types of art forms for example they made wood and bronze sculptures, ink painting, Japanese gardening, flower arranging, and sword making.
The first sculptures that the Japanese made were clay sculptures, but once again due to Chinese influence they advanced. Most of the sculptures that the Japanese made were idols of Buddha or Shinto deities. In these sculptures they used metals such as bronze.
Art in Japan can relate to even their prehistoric times. Drawings of stick figures and geometric shapes have been discovered in pottery that dates back to 300 BCE. One of their earliest forms of art was calligraphy. At first, the Japanese didn't have a writing system but when they met the Chinese they learned how to write like them and they copied their writing style. In calligraphy they used black ink and brushes to write their words. Each character is painted in a set order of brush strokes. By varying the shape and size of each character, the artist is able to suggest different meanings to his reader. The simplicity and the sweeping fluid strokes of calligraphy reflect the Buddhism ideas and discipline.
The Japanese art greatly portrayed their beautiful nature. They drew many pictures of nature. Brush paintings began 600 CE. These paintings were made with ink on paper scrolls and silk. Typical Japanese designs were historical events, landscapes, and daily life. Sometimes the artists wrote a short description of the art. During the Takugawa period, the ukiyoe art depict every day life. They were originally painted on hanging scrolls. These paintings usually depicted tea house women and kabuki actors. Later the pictures went onto the woodblock printers and illustrated into novels.
Japanese gardens is an art form which emphasized natural beauty. This is shown by their special choices of flowers, plants, and stones. The flowers, stones, and plants were supposed to be arranged in perfect harmony with the natural landscape and surroundings. These gardens were meant to be a place of peace beauty and harmony where someone could feel at peace. Garden making is considered to be one of the highest forms of art in Japan. Everything in the garden is sacred and every item has some sort of meaning to it.
The Ikebana was the traditional Japanese flower arrangement. Ikebana was supposed to represent all aspects of the Universe and was introduced to Japan in the 15th century when Buddhists had first arrived in Japan. The Ikebana were offered to the Buddhists as an offering and it was also offered to their dead ancestors. There were three main parts of the Ikebana arrangement. The longest stem which represented heaven. The middle stem which represented Man. Lastly, the shortest stem represents the Earth.
The Japanese also considered sword making an art. A common sword that the Japanese used was called the katana. The Katana were swords used by the samurai. These swords were very hard to make and were also considered a spiritual weapon. The Katana were made of a special metal called tamahagane. Tamahagane was only used by the master sword makers and the metal was only made once a year in a special ceremony that took 3 days to finish.
Japanese art expresses two themes simplicity and the love of beauty. This was portrayed greatly in their art. The early Japanese art was heavily influenced by China. Which gradually developed a distinct Japanese character. Their art represented nature through a spiritual perspective. Japanese is greatly appreciated by many around the world.
