Selected Topics in Cataloging Asian Art
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VRA ulleB tin Volume 16 | Issue 2 Article 1 1-1-1989 Special Bulletin #4: Selected Topics in Cataloging Asian Art Follow this and additional works at: https://online.vraweb.org/vrab Part of the Asian Art and Architecture Commons Recommended Citation (1989) "Special Bulletin #4: Selected Topics in Cataloging Asian Art," VRA uB lletin:Vol. 16: Iss. 2, Article 1. Available at: https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol16/iss2/1 This Feature Articles is brought to you for free and open access by VRA Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in VRA ulB letin by an authorized editor of VRA Online. Special Bulletin #4: Selected Topics in Cataloging Asian Art Abstract Selected Topics in Cataloging Asian Art: 1. Cataloging Tips and Techniques • Country Divisions in Asian Slide Collections • Calligraphy and Scripts in Asia • Guidelines for Cataloging Sculpture • Adaptations in Organizing and Cataloging Asian Slides • Working with the Fogg System 2. South Asian Art • Indian Painting ◦ Rajput and Mughal Painting ◦ Ragamalas and Nayikas ◦ Cataloging Examples • Cataloging Tables for Indian Painting and Sculpture ◦ Indian Museum Abbreviations ◦ Life of the Buddha 3. Southeast Asian Art • Burmese Art • Thai Art • Cambodian Art • Cham Art • Indonesian Art 4. Far Eastern Art • Slide Sequences for Far Eastern Painting • A Classification of Japanese Buddhist Art • Japanese-Sanskrit Equivalents ◦ Japanese-Sanskrit Table ◦ Sanskrit-Japanese Table • A Classification of Japanese Ceramics 5. Asian Numerical Tables • Japanese Numerical Table • Pinyin Numerical Table This feature articles is available in VRA ulB letin: https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol16/iss2/1 Keywords Asian art, metadata, cataloging, art history, research, Southeast Asia, South Asia Author Bio & Acknowledgements Eleanor Mannikka - University of Michigan VRA ubP lications Advisory Committee: Chairman: Nancy Schuller - University of Texas at Austin Elizabeth O'Donnell - Dartmouth College Anne-Marie Logan - Yale University Mary Lampe - Amon Carter Museum Cover design and title page layout: Terry Arzola - University of Texas at Austin This feature articles is available in VRA ulB letin: https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol16/iss2/1 et al.: Special Bulletin #4 SPECTAL BULLBTIN -{ -rfr iDrfr tA A Publiffid ofme Visual Resources Associ4tion No.4, 1989 Selected Topics in Cataloging Asian Art 1 L VRA Bulletin, Vol. 16 [1989], Iss. 2, Art. 1 VRA Special Bulletin No. 4 1989 Selected Topics in Cataloging Asian Art By Eleanor Mannikka, PhD. Senior Associate Curator Slide and PhotograPh Collection Department of the History of Art University of Michigan lggo VRA puhlications Advisory Committee: Nancy Schuller, Chairman, University Logan, Yale of Texas at Austin; Elizabeth O'Donnell, Dartmouth College; Anne-Marie University; Mary Lampe, Amon Carter Museum. at Austin' Cover design and title page layout by Terry Arzola, University of Texas https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol16/iss2/1 2 et al.: Special Bulletin #4 Copynght 1989, Visual Resources Association All Rights Reserved rssN 1050-138X 3 t VRA Bulletin, Vol. 16 [1989], Iss. 2, Art. 1 SELECTED TOPICS IN CATALOGING ASIAN ART TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Preface U. Introduction III. Cataloging Tips and Techniques country Divisions in Asian slide collections 1 A. 2 CalligrlphY and ScriPs in Asia B. 4 C. CuiAEtirieifor Cataloging Sculpurc 5 Adaptations in Organlziqg *O Cataloging Asian Slides D. 7 E. Working with the Fogg SYstem IV. South Asian Art Indian Painting A. 8 1 RajPut and Mughal Painting . 11 Rafamalas and NaYikas 2. 13 3 . C-ataloging ExamPles Cataloging Tables for Indian Painting and Sculpturc B. 16 I tndan Uuseum Abbreviations . 16 2. Life of the Buddha V. Southeast Asian Art 18 A. Burmese An 2l Thai Aft B. 23 C-ambodian Art C. 25 Cham Art D. 28 E. Indonesian Art VI. Far Eastern Art 31 Slide Sequences for Far Eastern Painqg A. 34 B. A Classification of Japanese Buddhist Art JaPanese-Sanskrit Equivalens C. 39 1 JaPanese-sanskrit Table .- 42 2. Sanskrit-JaPanese Table 45 D. A Classification of Japanese Ceramics 47 VII. Asian Numerical Tables 48 Numerical Table A. Japanese 52 B. Pinyin Numerical Table https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol16/iss2/1 4 et al.: Special Bulletin #4 PREFACE would help in cataloging Asian art slides This Special B ulletin wascreated because of the need for materials that professional and academic life, I am very and phoographs. Since Asian art has occupied such a large segmentof my slide curators' pteaseO *--O t"ppy to know ttut there was a demand for this Special Bullerin among Art' University of The staff of the Slide and Photograph Collection in 0re Department of the Hisory of Association' Their Michigan, tus been very supponi".,-.. iruu" the executive officers of 0re Visual Resources though it may seem .n.o,rig"r.nt made the df,ierence in whether or not &is publication came ino existence. Even and}nowing they will bc of odd to thank someone for giving you more work !o do, the reward of seeing the resuls like to thank Nancy schuller who some benefit to the profesiion ii well worth the effort. In particular, I would project. Tina Bissell and Becky Hoort helped me overcome my tendency owards inertia at ttre beginning of this product humorous but more grarnmatically accurate' corrected typos and bloopers in ttre text, making the end less way, which caused me to agree Joy Blouiniust broached the subject of my writing this Bulletin ih a very kind ttraq and Jeri Hollister' wilh immediately that it should be donl, and then wondlr afterw'ards how she had done beginning to the end then' infinite p"ti"n.", guided me through my first steps in computer formatting. From the visual resources profession. 0ranks are due to au of the." coworkers who are a credit to the 5 I VRA Bulletin, Vol. 16 [1989], Iss. 2, Art. 1 INTRODUCTION with unforeseen problems' In the Cataloging Asian art challenges every slide curator at one time or another flower from a multi-floral handscroll' a bricf period of a morning's work, a curab; might have to identify a Chinese These of problems are only one Tibenn dharmapala in a thangka,and a story iro, u mural at Ajanta, Cave l. rypes a considerable variety of art and subject' matter part of a cataloger,s reperoire of puzles. one must also be able o fit to the art. Along with these concerns into one cohesive cataloging system, or in some cases, perhaps fit the system jystems fora few Asian languages, like Chinese and are others regarding problems such as alternate ranscription Bulletin on Asian cauloging' Thai. These are thi icinos of opics which will be aOOrisseO in this Special on art classification and cataloging' That Emphasis has been placed on Southeast Asia and India in rtre sertions art, and most instiurtions will have is because so much material is availabre in English on chinese and Japanese necessariiy the case for South and Souttreast Asia' experts working or teaching in those t*o ,*, which is not tables, and Pinyin and Japanese Cutter tables have been SanskriUJapanese, Japanese/Sanskrit Buddhist terminology classification and reference tables, the first part of this included as reference material. Aside from ttre categoridor.n physically differentiate specific Asian special Bultetinwill provide helpful hinrs in such practical maners as how o slide is upside down, or how to painting sections in a slide drawer, how to r*,ognizeif your Chinese calligraphy for your needs' ieorgan-ire ttre Fogg system in Decorative ArS if it is not s4isfacOry vRA Bulledz (previously ttre International This spec uinulietnis based on the columns published in the summer issue, 1983 up to ttre Spring Bulletinfor photograpilc Documentarion of the viual Arrs) dating from rhe author would prefer !o revise them rather issue, lggg. A few of tt e columns have been deleted becaue the have been left as originally printed' The extensively, orher columns have been updated and expanded, while some columns in the vRA Bulletin' present contenrs of this special Bulletinare meant to supersede the original ll https://online.vraweb.org/vrab/vol16/iss2/1 6 I et al.: Special Bulletin #4 Cataloging TiPs ail Techniques CATALOGING TIPS AN COUNTRY DIVISIONS IN ASIAN SLIDE COLLECTIONS or vice-versa, Whether a slide and photograph collection is arranged by medium and ttren by country, it may be best to simply the sequence of Asian countries or regions should be logical. In some collections feel that arrangement put the coun6ies in alphabetical order, from Bangladesh o Vietnam. I personally put countries in order based would make it easier to find counries in ttre slide drawers. One may also the then the five suMivisions on their shared cultural and artistic trais. If ttre latter arrirngement is followed, in art' literature, and economics listed below cogld serve as a guide. They reflect a frequency of interaction based on geographic location. These divisions are: India and ctrina) CENTRAL ASIA (unif,red by Buddhist rraditions, wirh cultural and artistic ties to bottr Cenral Asia East Turkistan Afghanistan Tibet Sikkim Bhutan Nepal Outer Mongolia Inner Mongolia Manchuria (could also be placed under China) Buddhism, and the THE FAR EAST (unified through painting, architecture, sculpurre, material culture, use of Chinese characters.) China Japan Korea SOUTH ASIA (shared religious and architectural uaditions) India Pakistan Bangladestt Sri Lanka MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA Burma laos Tttailand Cambodia Vietnam 7 VRA Bulletin, Vol. 16 [1989], Iss. 2, Art. 1 Cataloging Tips ad Tecluiqucs ISLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA Malaysia Singapore Philippines Indonesia general (Ihe following eleven islands, arranged in alptrabedcal order, are regions wittrin Indonesia, any be put under Indonesia. scenes of peopte and activities, or oth.r geographically non-specific slides would instead of being please note rhat rtre political divisions oi Borneo have been kept under that one island, divided benveen Malaysia and Indonesia.) 1.