Q&A Hero

Q: The rock-cut relief Descent of the Ganges (Fig. 10-26) is probably meant to A. serve as an allegory of the kings penance. B. teach Hindu beliefs through dramatic narratives. C. provide a focus for meditation and ritual devotion. D. record a historical event.

Q: What helped preserve the colossal sculpture Parinirvana of the Buddha at Gal Vihara (Fig. 10-31)? A. the monastery B. the environment C. the superstructure D. the granite

Q: The bodhisattva in the wall painting of Cave 1 in Ajanta (Fig. 10-19) is identified as Avalokiteshvara through the A. lotus flower in his hand. B. princely garments. C. distinctive headdress. D. use of color.

Q: The Female Figure Holding a Fly-Whisk (Fig. 10-7) is characteristic of Maurya period sculpture in the A. figures fleshy sensuality. B. high polished sandstone. C. representation of a yakshi figure. D. decorative adornment.

Q: The Eternal Shiva at the temple of Shiva at Elephanta (Fig. 10-24) conveys the range of Shivas powers through multiple A. pillars. B. arms. C. expressions. D. heads.

Q: What visible characteristic distinguishes Gandhara sculptures of the Buddha? A. the ushnisha B. the use of red sandstone C. the defined folds in the robe D. the Abhaya mudras

Q: The erotic sculptures decorating the Kandariya Mahadeva (Fig. 10-30) are thought to express A. Shivas consorts. B. ceremonial rituals. C. human divinity. D. human lust.

Q: Built of stone blocks, what kind of construction was in the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho (Fig. 10-29)? A. corbelled arch B. post-and-lintel C. barrel and groin vault D. waddle-and-daub

Q: Which describes the garbhagriha, where a statue of the temples main god is kept in Hindu temples? A. a windowless space B. a light-filled chamber C. a tower D. a covered porch

Q: What are used in Buddhist and Hindu art as physical expressions of different states of being? A. mithuna B. erotic figures C. mudras D. yakshi

Q: Stories of the Buddhas past lives are called A. Jataka tales. B. Mandapas tales. C. Garbhagriha tales. D. Toranas tales.

Q: What do the lions represent in the Lion Capital from Sarnath (Fig. 10-6)? A. four great rulers B. four great temples of Sarnath C. four buddhas of the earth D. four cardinal directions

Q: A fully enlightened beingwho sees the ultimate nature of the world and is no longer subject to the cycle of samsarais known as a A. buddha. B. chakravartin. C. yakshi. D. bodhisattva.

Q: How does the Male Torso (Fig. 10-5) found at Harappa forecast essential attributes of later Indian sculpture? A. its small, intimate scale B. the sensuous emphasis on the body C. the use of nudity D. the removable arts and head

Q: The Indus Valley civilization thrived around the same time as A. Etruscan culture. B. Old Kingdom Egypt. C. Classical Greece. D. Imperial Rome.

Q: In addition to their carved imagery and inscriptions, Ashokan pillars (Fig. 10-1) conveyed symbolic meaning as A. a flag-bearing standard. B. geographic markers. C. a stupa. D. the axis mundi.

Q: Compare and contrast the Plan of the Great Mosque, Cordoba (Fig. 9-8) and the Plan of the Sultan Hasan Madrasa-Mausoleum-Mosque Complex, Cairo (Fig. 9-15).

Q: Discuss the style, composition, and content of The Maqamat of Al-Hariri (Fig. 9-1).

Q: How does Islamic architecture reflect Muslim beliefs and religious practice?

Q: How do secular objects reflect the aesthetic and religious traditions of Islamic culture?

Q: How does Islamic art synthesize a broad range of cultural traditions with its own stylistic concerns?

Q: What were tugras and what purpose did they serve?

Q: What artistic formats did artists of the Herat School study?

Q: How do Muslim manuscript pages resemble carpets, and why?

Q: In the mid-twelfth century, what prompted the use of brass for inlaid work?

Q: What attributes make the Alhambra so beautiful?

Q: What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

Q: Why is the madrasa-mausoleum-mosque in Cairo a public display of piety, personal wealth, and status?

Q: How does the Masjid-i Shah of Isfahan display aesthetic continuity?

Q: Why did the use of Muslim tombs increase after the eleventh century?

Q: What is the difference between a Shiite Muslim and a Sunni Muslim?

Q: In the Lusterware Jar (Fig. 9-13), what makes the figures enigmatic? A. their posture B. the reflective luster C. the surrounding inscriptions D. their hoods

Q: What does the Minai Bowl with Bahram Gur and Azada (Fig. 9-14) represent? A. interest in ancient customs B. establishment of new laws C. religious devotion D. prowess in love and hunting

Q: In the citadel of buildings in the Alhambra, the windows that frame specifically intentioned views are called A. muqarnas. B. iwans. C. miradors. D. masjids.

Q: What kind of arch has flat sides and slopes where other arches are curved? A. horseshoe B. keel C. semicircular D. muqarnas

Q: What is a blocky, angular formal script that may have developed first for carved or woven inscriptions? A. Minbar B. Tugras C. Kufic D. Qibla

Q: The huge tower from which the faithful are called to pray is called a A. minaret. B. mihrab. C. qibla. D. masjid.

Q: Which word means submission to Gods will? A. Quran B. Maqamat C. Torah D. Islam

Q: Which device is used to divide the garden in the Court of the Lions (Fig. 9-20)? A. four-iwan mosque B. garden carpet C. cross-axial walkways D. joggled voussoirs

Q: What decorative feature of the minbar (Fig. 9-10) from the Kutubiya Mosque in Marrakesh reflects its original architectural surroundings? A. the stair risers B. the inlaid ivory C. the wooden panels D. the ablaq strapwork

Q: What language serves as a powerful unifying force within Islam? A. English B. Latin C. Arabic D. Farsi

Q: Lusterware refers to a technique used to make ceramic surfaces resemble A. glass. B. metal. C. enamel. D. porcelain.

Q: Because they were shared by multiple readers simultaneously, early Quran manuscripts A. had only three to five lines per page. B. were vertically oriented. C. employed naskhi script. D. were large and elaborately decorated.

Q: Under the Ottoman rulers, what were used on coins, seals, buildings, and imperial edicts that supplemented Muslim law to denote the sultans authority? A. firmans B. barakas C. tiraz D. tugras

Q: In Sultan Muhammads The Court of Gayumars (Fig. 9-30), the king elevated above a mountaintop is surrounded by A. the prophet Muhammad and his family. B. members of his family and court. C. the artists self-portrait. D. geometric designs.

Q: What is a notable difference between the design of the Mosque of Sultan Selim (Fig. 9-26) and the church on which it was modeled, Hagia Sophia? A. There are no windows at the base of the dome. B. There is no longitudinal pull toward the apse. C. The structure employs the horseshoe arches characteristic of Islamic buildings. D. The ornamental use of muqarnas obscure the domes physical structure.

Q: Figural imagery is most common in what type of Islamic art? A. illuminated pages of the Quran B. palaces and manuscripts C. glass mosaics D. architectural ornament

Q: The Islamic Mosque and Cultural Center in Rome reconciles Islamic cultural identity with A. literacy. B. classicism. C. Christianity. D. modernity.

Q: How is Islamic religious belief reflected in the art of calligraphy? A. Reverence for the Quran and for writing extends the word of God. B. The written word promotes literacy and intellectual development. C. Calligraphy serves as a common visual language uniting the Muslim community. D. The variety of cursive scripts reflects the diversity of Islamic culture.

Q: Sinans crowning achievement as an architect was the A. Hall of the Abencerrajes. B. madrasa-mausoleum-mosque. C. Mosque of Sultan Selim. D. Court of the Lions.

Q: Which culture invaded and caused a dramatic rift in the Central and Eastern Islamic worlds? A. Mongols B. Visigoths C. Crusaders D. Umayyads

Q: Which of the following is commonly used as a decorative element in Islamic architecture? A. fire B. sand C. water D. sky

Q: How do the mosaics in the central dome of the Great Mosque of Cordoba (Fig. 9-9) demonstrate cultural and artistic exchange in the medieval period? A. Just as with Christian churches, they probably symbolize a celestial canopy. B. They were installed by a Byzantine master sent by the emperor in Constantinople. C. The imagery was appropriated from pagan and Christian sources. D. The melon-shaped, ribbed dome was adopted from Roman temples.

Q: The wall of the prayer hall that is closest to Mecca is called the A. qibla. B. hypostyle. C. surah. D. mihrab.

Q: A key feature distinguishing the Dome of the Rock from Early Christian and Byzantine buildings is A. the central-plan structure. B. the decorated exterior. C. the use of glass mosaic. D. the use of abstract imagery.

Q: The Muslim place of worship is called the A. cathedral. B. basilica. C. mosque. D. temple.

Q: Describe the formal and stylistic elements of David Battling Goliath (Fig. 8-1). How does this exemplify the Byzantine aesthetic?

Q: Compare and contrast the representation of the Virgin Mary throughout the Byzantine era.

Q: Discuss the floor plan of the monastery at Hosios Loukas. What role did it play in the life of the monks?

Q: Compare and contrast the image of Christ in Figure 8-11 and in Figure 8-3 What developments can be described from sixth century to the fourteenth century in Byzantine art?

Q: Discuss the iconographic motifs that developed during Byzantine periods for representing events from the Life of Christ.

Q: How does math play a role in Late Byzantine works, such as The Hospitality of Abraham (Fig. 8-36)?

Q: What inspired the doge of Venice to commission the Cathedral of Saint Mark (Fig. 8-24)?

Q: How do the mosaics in the monastery church of the Dormition at Daphni (Figs. 8-21 and 8-22) convey a mood and message?

Q: What was established by the Kievan mosaics (Fig. 8-20)?

Q: What caused the iconoclasm of 726 CE, and what was the result?

Q: What were the purposes of Byzantine manuscripts?

Q: How does the dome of Hagia Sophia (Fig. 8-4) differ from the dome of the Pantheon (Figs. 6-48 and 6-49)?

Q: How is the main dome of Hagia Sophia (Fig. 8-4) supported?

Q: What does the term Byzantine mean, and what is the significance of the location?

Q: What are the three golden ages of Byzantine art, and when did each occur?

Q: In the Icon of Saint Michael the Archangel (Fig. 8-29) from the Middle Byzantine period, the archangel is depicted as A. a messenger. B. a military commander. C. a Roman deity. D. a disciple.

Q: Which work of art is related to the Harbaville Triptych (Fig. 8-25) in figure style and composition? A. Crucifixion and Iconoclasts B. The Hospitality of Abraham C. Christ Pantokrator with Scenes from the Life of Christ D. Christ Crowning Emperor Romanos II and Empress Eudokia

Q: On the back of the central panel of the Harbaville Triptych (Fig. 8-25B), what symbolized paradise? A. bust-length portraits of saints B. vegetation inhabited by animals C. the archangel Michael D. portraits of monks

Q: Small, portable luxury items created in the Middle Byzantine period combine exceptional beauty and technical skill with A. altruistic flair. B. philosophical virtues. C. religious meaning. D. pagan motifs.

Q: The Lamentation with Standing Monastic Saints Below (Fig. 8-23) at Nerezi focuses on A. the Virgins anguish. B. the activities of the onlookers. C. the background landscape. D. the moment of the Crucifixion.

Q: Which description of the image of the Lamentation with Standing Monastic Saints Below (Fig. 8-23) at Nerezi reflects art under the Komnenians? A. short, squatty figures B. aloof and emotionless quality C. flat, two-dimensionality D. painterly spontaneity

Q: The monastery church of St. Panteleimon at Nerezi was built under the patronage of A. Basil I. B. Prince Vladimir. C. Alexios Komnenos. D. Romanos II.

Q: The inscription accompanying the image of the Virgin and Child in the Apse of Hagia Sophia (Fig. 8-16) credited emperors with A. reviving the use of images. B. being great patrons of the arts. C. saving the city from its enemies. D. following religious decrees.

Q: Which refers to an intensified interest in the styles and themes of Classical art during the Middle Byzantine period? A. Chora Revival B. Palaeologue Renaissance C. Macedonian Renaissance D. Venetian Period