appeal to the luxurious tastes of aristocrats

demonstrate the depth of his religious devotion

create a work influenced by Byzantine icons

facilitate meditation for its purchaser

The expressiveness of the figures in the wind

The alternating, horizontal bands of blue and green

The inclusion of a view of Mount Fuji in the background

The subtle gradation of color in the background and sky

incorporate symbols that were reserved for funeral rituals

combine imagery that represents both human birth and death

were made from precious materials and deposited in graves

were found alongside texts guiding the soul through the underworld

serve as an observatory in which priests could chart the sky

provide the formal setting for the emperor, who was known as the son of Heaven

allow the gods to come down from the heavens to a high place on Earth

serve as an axis mundi symbolizing the Forbidden City’s place at the center of Earth

Landscape painting should be above all a means of self-expression.

Nature should be depicted as a metaphor for moral and orderly life.

The depiction of nature should be as faithful as possible to what is observed.

Landscape is a preferred subject because it is immoral to depict individual people.

the elephant-head handles document the derivation of their forms from bronze objects

their blue color suggests that the vases were intended to serve as gifts to the Mughal court

their inscriptions make them one of the earliest dated examples of blue-and-white porcelain

the use of cobalt for the blue glaze provides evidence of trade between China and the Middle East

The symmetry of the composition

The scale of the figure in the composition

The use of aerial perspective to create the illusion of space

The close attention to detail in the foreground

The use of only black and its tints instead of a range of colors

The overlapping forms of the foreground, middle ground, and background

The strong horizontal division created by the roadway near the bottom of the work

The rhythm created by the lines that indicate the rock formations of the mountains

oil paints

perspective

a printing press

a camera obscura

were created for display in Buddhist temples

use costly pigments imported from the Middle East

include stylized dragon motifs as symbols of power

were recovered from ancient royal tombs

was created as a luxurious object, intended to appeal to the tastes of a wealthy patron

features calligraphic inscriptions of historical texts, inspired by a rise in patriotic awareness

features imagery with deep religious symbolism, inspired by the rise of new Buddhist teachings

was designed as the model for woodblock prints, intended to be widely distributed

commemorating ancestral death

enforcing order to keep society safe

increasing status by accumulating wealth

meditating to reach enlightenment

sacred tree in the royal precinct

dragon to symbolize power

map of conquered territories

temple to show royal piety

belief that these model soldiers would enhance the efforts of his troops in this life

desire to surpass the reputation of his father and the grandeur of his father’s tomb

wish to persuade the pantheon of deities of his worthiness for entering the afterlife

vision of an army comparable to his earthly army that would accompany him to the afterlife

painted eyes onto the statue

rubbed palm oil into the statue

embedded nails in the statue

painted clothes onto the statue

paintings of celestial beings on the walls and ceilings

fierce guardian figures created to protect the complex’s sacred space

rock-cut niches used for individual study and meditation

large-scale relief carvings depicting life in the imperial court