Painting—Japan
The earliest surviving paintings in Japan date from the Kofun period (300–710 CE), when large tomb mounds (kofun) were constructed for all classes of society and ornamented with various painted designs. Distinctive among them is the black-and-red wall painting found in the mid-Kofun Takehara Tomb in Fukuoka, which contains among its elements a red-spotted animal, a horse and groom, and a boat with waves, all flanked by two standing fans. The recently excavated Takamatsu Tomb of the late seventh century, near Asuka, contains a set of wall paintings that are evidence of contact between China and Japan. The complex imagery in yellow, blue, red, orange, and green covers three walls (the south wall was damaged in the past by pillagers) and the ceiling, and includes mythological beasts, the constellations, and groups of men and women arranged according to Chinese principles of yin and yang.
Late Kofun (552–710 Ce) and Nara (710–794 Ce) Periods
In the sixth century, Japan established close cultural ties with China and Korea. Buddhism appeared at this time, imported from China via Korea, bringing with it elements of Chinese culture including artistic styles and subject matter. The Tamamushi Shrine, named for the wings of the jade beetle (tamamushi) that were once used to adorn the piece, dates from the Asuka period (552–645 CE).
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