07/19 07. Korea and Japan: Court, Buddhist, and Indigenous Traditions Free Online FlashCards

Which states made up Korea’s Three Kingdoms period?

The Three Kingdoms period comprised Goguryeo in the north, Baekje in the southwest, Silla in the southeast, and the Gaya federation between Baekje and Silla.

What do Goguryeo tomb murals reveal about elite identity?

Goguryeo tomb murals portray rulers, attendants, dancers, hunters, warriors, animals, mythological beings, and celestial symbols, linking elite identity with the afterlife.

What did Silla gold crowns communicate?

Silla gold crowns were ceremonial signs of rank and sacred power, using branching forms, vertical projections, and suspended comma-shaped gogok ornaments.

What was the historical importance of Gaya ceramic technology?

Gaya’s high-fired ceramic technology traveled to Japan and became the basis of Sue ware, demonstrating how imported techniques were adapted into a new local tradition.

How did Buddhism support Korean state formation?

Buddhism supported political legitimacy, ritual protection, literacy, and international prestige, so temples and images served both devotional and governmental purposes.

What does Seokguram’s earth-touching gesture signify?

Seokguram’s central seated Buddha uses the earth-touching gesture, or bhumisparśa mudrā, recalling the Buddha’s enlightenment when he calls the earth to witness.

What were haniwa, and where were they placed?

Haniwa are hollow clay funerary sculptures placed around Kofun-period tombs; they could represent houses, animals, warriors, attendants, and musicians.

Why is the Japanese Kofun period so named?

The Kofun period is named for monumental burial mounds, especially keyhole-shaped tombs built for elite individuals.

How did Buddhism first transform Japan?

Buddhism entered Japan through networks connecting Korea, China, and the Japanese court, bringing images, scriptures, temple architecture, writing, and models of centralized government.

What makes Hōryūji architecturally significant?

Hōryūji preserves some of Japan’s oldest surviving wooden buildings, including a five-story pagoda and the Kondō, or main hall.

What is the composition of the Shaka Triad?

The Shaka Triad presents Shakyamuni flanked by two bodhisattvas in a frontal, symmetrical composition attributed to Tori Busshi.

What does Shinto center on?

Shinto is a modern umbrella term for indigenous Japanese practices centered on kami, ritual purity, sacred places, natural forces, and offerings.