Japanese American Art History

Culture defines art. According to Webster's dictionary, the definition of culture is the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular group, place, and or time. As time progresses and present becomes past, the ability to preserve a society lies on the capacity to transfer history through tangible forms. Art has the capacity to preserve society and its history; it preserves events and emotions that were once meaningful to an era. Animal symbolism in Chinese and Japanese art as seen in a war stallion, duck, imperial seal, scroll, and a Japanese vase suggesting the significance of beauty and power. The pieces link symbolism of animals and their capacity to exemplify harmony with nature.
Beginning in the 8th century Tang Dynasty, the “Caparisoned Horse” concentrates on Chinese political and military superiority. The piece created from Earthenware and brown, green and …show more content…
Nephrite articles were of special significance and virtue since it was considered an imperial stone and was regarded as a lucky charm. Considering the value of the object, the “honorific seal, when not being employed was moved to special rooms” as means to protect the quality of the stone. (Crow Museum). The figurines of the dragon are strongly depicted with pointed ears, sharp teeth and a twisted snake body helping reinforce the idea of strength and domination. Corresponding this, the Kangxi emperor had the main goal of running an effective government at a low expense, he reformed the empire by utilizing military force. The maintenance of a balanced government came from the Confucian philosophy, as well as Buddhist and Daoist teachings which were common among the beliefs of the people. Promoting ethics to maintain social order was useful for administration of the empire and was therefore