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icon (n)
object of worship in the form of a picture, image, or other representation,
often of a sacred being |
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incarnate/incarnation
(adj/n)
possessing a body, especially human; embodiment of a deity
or spirit in some earthly form |
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India/Indian
(n/adj)
country occupying the central part of south Asia; with nearby Bangladesh
and Pakistan, it forms
a triangle-shaped subcontinent that juts into the Indian Ocean to
the south and is set apart from the rest of Asia by the Himalayas
in the north; of or characteristic of India |
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Indo-Corinthian (adj)
Indian design influenced by Corinthian (of ancient Greece) characteristics;
the Corinthian column, for instance, is characterized by a deeply
carved capital decorated with acanthus leaves; more ornate than
other Greek styles
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Indonesia/Indonesian (n/adj)
country in Southeast Asia that is an archipelago of more than 13,500
islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, parts
of Borneo, New Guinea, and Timor; Indonesia extends 3,000 miles,
forming a natural barrier between the Indian and Pacific oceans;
of or characteristic of Indonesia |
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Indra (n)
king of the ancient Vedic gods of India; god of rain and thunder |
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Indus
Valley civilization (n)
ancient civilization that flourished in Pakistan and northwest India
from around 2500 to 1750 B.C. |
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inscription (n)
text that is carved (engraved) into or written onto the surface
of an object such as a coin, the base of a sculpture, a painting,
or a manuscript |
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Islam/Islamic (n/adj)
religious faith of Muslims, as set forth
in the Koran, the text that teaches that Allah is the only god and
that Muhummad is his prophet; of or characteristic of Islam |
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jade (n)
either of two minerals, jadeite or nephrite; sometimes green; a
highly-valued, ornamental stone for carvings and jewelry |
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Jainism/Jain (n)
faith founded in India in the sixth century
B.C. by Mahavira, a reformer, as a reaction against the caste
system and the elaborate spiritual beliefs of Hinduism.
Jainism emphasizes the renunciation of the material world and advocates
nonviolent, humanitarian behavior; follower of Jainism |
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karma (n)
effect of past actions; influence of past deeds in determining one's
status in this life and the next |
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Kushan
empire (n)
people who ruled over most of northern India,
Afghanistan, and parts
of central Asia during
the first three centuries A.D. The Kushans became affluent through
trade, particularly with Rome. They were instrumental in spreading
Buddhism in central
Asia and China. The Kushans also developed schools of art in the
regions of Gandhara
and Mathura (Kushan's Indian capital) that produced some of
the earliest known Buddhist sculpture. |
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linga (n)
phallic form of the Hindu
god Shiva, symbolizing
his cosmic energy
and power as regenerator |
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lotus (n)
graceful flowering water plant, which in India
and other eastern civilizations is and has been a symbol of purity,
perfection, and enlightenment
since its growth in ancient times. The enlightened state is
symbolized by its blossom, which grows on top of the water, compared
to its roots in the mud below, symbolizing earthly existence. |
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Mahishasura (n)
powerful demon who took the form of a buffalo and terrorized the
earth and heaven, causing the Hindu
gods to create the goddess Durga by combining all of their might
in a single deity.
After a ferocious battle, Mahishasura was decapitated by Durga.
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mandala (n)
sacred maze-like diagram of circles and squares representing the
cosmos in miniature
and serving as both a guide to and an object of meditation. A sacred
symbol or deity is
usually shown in the center. |
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manuscript illustration (n)
image made for a book, document, or letter that is drawn or painted
by hand |
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middle ground (n)
in art, the portion of picture space that is behind the foreground
but in front of the background |
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monastic (adj)
characteristic of monks, men who have withdrawn from the world for
religious reasons and live (often in secluded quarters) according
to particular rules of obedience |
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mudra (n)
one of numerous symbolic hand gestures that indicate concepts, such
as reassurance or meditation, of Hinduism
and Buddhism |
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Mughal (adj)
of the dynasty of Islamic emperors who
reigned in India from A.D. 1526 to 1858
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Muslim (n/adj)
a follower of Islam; of, relating to, or
characteristic of Islam |
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Nepal
(n)
the Kingdom of Nepal; an independent nation in central
Asia laying along the southern slopes of the Himalayas.
It is a landlocked country between India
to the east, south, and west and the Tibet.
An autonomous Region of China to the north. Both Buddhism
and Hinduism are
practiced in Nepal. |
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niche (n)
in architecture, an ornamental recess, usually set in a wall, for
a statue or other decorative object |
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nirvana (n)
Buddhist concept referring
to release from the endless cycle of rebirth caused by one's accumulated
karma; the end of suffering; salvation |
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