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Afghanistan
(n)
landlocked country approximately the size of Texas in the center
of south-central Asia. Its longest border of 1,125 miles is with
Pakistan, to the east
and south. It also borders Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,
and China. During the Gandhara empire
(first through fifth centuries A.D.), artists in the region first
portrayed the Buddha in human form, modeling
his figure on the Greek god Apollo. The region that comprises current-day
Afghanistan once had been controlled by the Greek conqueror Alexander
the Great (fourth century B.C.). Even in the first century A.D.,
Kushan rulers of the Afghan-Pakistan
border region maintained contacts with Rome. |
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androgynous (adj)
having both male and female characteristics |
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ascetic (n/adj)
one who rejects wordly attachment, going without basic needs and
experiencing hardship, in the belief that this deprivation will
lead to spiritual wisdom; adopting the ways of an ascetic |
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attribute (n)
object or characteristic closely associated with or belonging to
a specific person or thing; in art, often used to identify representations
of known individuals, such as gods or saints |
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avatar (n)
incarnation or appearance
of a god, who may assume many forms |
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background (n)
in art, part of a painting or drawing representing the space behind
the figures or objects in the foreground |
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biography/biographer
(n)
account, usually written, of a person's life; one who creates
such an account |
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bodhisattva (n)
compassionate being destined to become a buddha who refrains
from entering nirvana
to guide others on the path to Buddhahood |
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Brahma (n)
Hinduism's creator
god; one of the three major Hindu gods, which include Shiva
and Vishnu
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brocade (n)
fabric woven with a raised, overall design
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bronze (n/adj)
alloy (blend) of copper and tin and sometimes other elements;
a metal object made from such an alloy; made of or characteristic
of bronze
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Buddha/Buddhist/Buddhism (n/n or adj/n)
historical figure, Buddha Shakyamuni,
who lived in India
in the sixth century B.C. During this lifetime, Shakyamuni discovered
a means to escape the endless cycle of death and rebirth that,
according to his teachings, is determined by an individual's karma.
Through meditation Buddha attained a state of being known as nirvana,
signifying the merging of the inner spirit with the void from
which all reality is believed to emerge. Buddha's teachings developed
into what in known today as Buddhism; literally means "the
enlightened one;" a follower of the Buddha's teachings; the
religion born of Buddha's teachings.
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Cambodia
(n)
The Kingdom of Cambodia; a country in the southwestern Indochinese
peninsula of Southeast Asia. It is bordered on the west and northwest
by Thailand, on the northeast by Laos, on the east and southeast
by Vietnam, and on
the southwest by the Gulf of Thailand. |
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capital (n)
uppermost portion of an architectural column
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cast (v/n)
to pour liquid metal, plaster, or other material into a mold and
let it harden; an act or result of casting |
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caste (n)
division within a society, in this case, Hindu,
that is determined by birth and is based on an occupation that is
handed down from parent to child. There are four main castes, which
are ranked high to low; members of a caste usually do not marry
outside of their caste. |
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central Asia
area defined by the Caspian Sea in the west to the border of western
China to the east and including the republics of Kazakstan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan |
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chakra (n)
a powerful weapon that symbolizes dharma;
its circular shape suggests that the circles of existence are assured
by proper behavior |
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Chola
dynasty (n)
south Indian dynasty that flourished from the end of the 9th century
until the 13th century. The socially and economically prosperous
Chola kingdom was marked by a flowering of Hindu
culture. Chola rulers are reknowned for their construction of complex
Hindu temples decorated with stone sculpture. Chola artists also
excelled in bronze casting. |
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classical (adj)
of or having characteristics of antiquity or ancient Greek
or Roman cultures |
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columnar (adj)
shaped like a column or other rigid, upright support
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composition (n)
in art, the arrangement of formal elements, such as space,
shape, and color
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conch shell (n)
horn-shaped sea shell that produces a loud, resonant sound when
blown |
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consort (n)
companion or spouse (husband or wife), usually of a god or royal
person |
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cosmos/cosmic (n/adj)
universe; of or relating to the material universe of planets
and galaxies outside the earth |
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