Art History

"Deals with all aspects of Islamic art and architecture ranging from the Middle East to Africa to Central, South, and East Asia and includes entries on artists, rulers, writers, ceramics, sculpture, metalwork, painting, calligraphy, textiles, and more"--Provided by publisher.

Table of contents: Taoism and the arts of China / Stephen Little -- Taoism: the story of the way / Kristofer Schipper -- Taoist architecture / Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt -- Mapping early Taoist art: the visual culture of Wudoumi Dao / Wu Hung -- Taoism and art at the court of Song Huizong / Patricia Ebrey -- Catalogue of the exhibition. Part I : The formation of the Taoist tradition ; Laozi and the origins of Taoism ; Heaven and Earth : Taoist cosmology ; Sacred mountains and cults of the immortals ; Part II : The Taoist church ; The beginnings of religious Taoism ; Taoist ritual ; The Taoist pantheon ; Part III : The Taoist renaissance ; Taoism and popular religion ; Divine manifestations of Yin : goddesses and female saints ; Zhenwu, the perfected warrior ; Taoist immortals ; Inner alchemy and Its symbolism ; The sacred landscape -- Chinese names and terms.

"The book traces the development in recent decades of the idea of Shinto as an 'ancient nature religion,' and a resource for overcoming environmental problems. The volume shows how these ideas gradually achieved popularity among scientists, priests, Shinto-related new religious movements and, eventually, the conservative shrine establishment. Aike P. Rots argues that central to this development is the notion of chinju no mori: the sacred groves surrounding many Shinto shrines. Although initially used to refer to remaining areas of primary or secondary forest, today the term has come to be extended to any sort of shrine land, signifying not only historical and ecological continuity but also abstract values such as community spirit, patriotism and traditional culture. The book shows how Shinto's environmental turn has also provided legitimacy internationally: influenced by the global discourse on religion and ecology, in recent years the Shinto establishment has actively engaged with international organizations devoted to the conservation of sacred sites. Shinto sacred forests thus carry significance locally as well as nationally and internationally, and figure prominently in attempts to reposition Shinto in the centre of public space." -- Catalog record

Authoritative reference deals primarily with animal symbolism in Japanese art, with occasional mention of the decorative art of China, India, and Persia. Arranged in the format of a dictionary, the explanatory text is rich with sidelights from literature and legend, while 673 black-and-white illustrations depict dragons, tigers, bats, and other creatures with symbolic significance. --Catalog note

Table of Contents: Eras in Japanese and Chinese history -- The Characteristics of Japanese design -- Symbolism -- The cosmos, heaven, and earth -- Trees and their fruit -- Diverse plants -- Birds and insects -- Land and sea animals -- Demons, deities, and figural groups -- Religion and good fortune -- Objects of everyday life -- Music, board games, and cultural pursuits.

Offering extensive coverage, this Encyclopedia is a new reference that reflects the vibrant, diverse and evolving culture of modern Japan, spanning from the end of the Japanese Imperialist period in 1945 to the present day. Entries cover areas such as literature, film, architecture, food, health, political economy, religion and technology and they range from shorter definitions, histories or biographies to longer overview essays giving an in-depth treatment of major issues. With over 700 alphabetically arranged entries, this Encyclopedia will be an invaluable reference tool for students of Japanese and Asian Studies, as well as providing a fascinating insight into Japanese culture for the general reader. Suggestions for further reading, a comprehensive system of cross-referencing, a thematic contents list and an extensive index all help navigate the reader around the Encyclopedia and on to further study.

"In 'The Sacred and the Profane,' Mircea Eliade observes that while contemporary people believe their world is entirely profane, or secular, they still at times find themselves connected unconsciously to the memory of something sacred. It's this premise that both drives Eliade's exhaustive exploration of the sacred 'as it has manifested in space, time, nature and the cosmos, and life itself' and buttresses his expansive view of the human experience." - description from catalog record