A

Ancient - in China, this term refers to the period from about 10,000 BC through about 600 AD
Aft - the bottom of a kite or the back of a boat

B
C

Calligraphy - fine handwriting in ink with a quill or brush
Calligraphic technique - the fine art of skillfully carving a perfect composition into a personal insignia on a chop
Chop - a device for stamping a personalized mark on documents, paintings, etc.
Composition - arrangement of the shapes, colors, and lines of art
Cosmic - in matters of religion, this word pertains to the definition, description, and/or location of God, Heaven, angels, etc.
Crossbar - the horizontal member of the kite structure
Cross-spar bow - same as the crossbar after being bent

D

Diagonal - a line or group of shapes on a line which slants from a top corner to a bottom corner of the composition
Dynasty - a set of kings all related to the same family

E

Eddy kite - that type of kite which scuds against the wind and shimmers midair
Emperor - the male ruler of a large land area, which might include many smaller kingdoms
Engraving - cutting a line into a substance to make a reverse image for printmaking

F

Festival - 1. An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals. 2. An often regularly recurring program of cultural performances, exhibitions, or competitions.
Fore - the top of a kite or the front of a boat

G

Gongbi - fine brush painting, which is primarily an outline draing to which color has been added according to the taste of the artist

Gow Family Collection - the extensive collection of art objects donated to the Naples Museum of Art by the Robert and Kay Gow Family Foundation. The items comprise both fine art and museum specimens from all periods of Chinese history dating from the last Century all the way back to the 400s BC. There are paintings and sculpture, books and clothing, musical instruments and toys, as well as personal family effects and objects of religious significance.

H
I
J
K

Knife technique - the art of carving with a confident stroke

L

Linear perspective - a technical system that allows depth to be shown on a two-dimensional surface; in Chinese painting, it generates multi-vanishing-point scenes.

M

Manchu - a member of a people who originally came from Manchuria, the mountainous region of northeastern China comprising the modern-day provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning, and invaded China in the 17th century, establishing a powerful dynasty that lasted until the beginning of the 20th century
Major objects - the focal point of a painting; they should have more details and outstanding colors than other objects in the painting
Marionette - A jointed puppet manipulated from above by strings or wires attached to its limbs.
Minor objects - included to support the major object and direct the viewer's eye to it; they should have fewer details and less-intense hues
Motif - a decorative, repetitive design sewn into or printed on something such as a piece of clothing
Movement - The suggestion or illusion of motion in a painting, sculpture, or design.
Mythology - a group of ancient or traditional stories about heroes or supernatural beings, often explaining the origins of natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior that belong to a particular people or culture and tell about their ancestors, heroes, gods and other supernatural beings, and history

N
O
P
Q

Qi - literally means "steam," a sort of unseen, moving energy that is thought to enter your body when you take your first breath. This is the life-giving channel in the body, concentrated in certain parts of the body, on which you must focus to develop their potential.

The qi permeates the whole of nature. So Chinese people go into the countryside hoping that they will absorb some of the strength of the mountain or the vitality of the waterfall.

Good paintings always have this qi,which is partially derived from the physical act of painting, but it also is transmitted through a mental image onto the painting and thence to the viewer. (Nan, 1997)

R

Rubric - An authoritative rule or direction with a short commentary or explanation covering a broad subject, especially for the purpose of evaluation

S

Sail - the cloth or paper material which makes up the main part of a kite
Scenery - 1. A view or views of natural features, especially in open country.
2. The painted backdrops on a theatrical stage.
Shape sketch - A simple arc or a geometric shape such as a circle or triangle, about which artists decide before drawing their major objects, which should follow the path of the arc or lie roughly within the chosen shape.
Silhouette - A drawing consisting of the outline of something, especially a human profile, filled in with a solid color. 2. Any outline that appears dark against a light background
Silkworm - Any of various caterpillars that produce silk cocoons, especially the larva of a moth (Bombyx mori) native to Asia that spins a cocoon of fine, strong, lustrous fiber that is the source of commercial silk
Spine - the vertical member of the kite structure
Stitchery - Needlework; sewing
Symbol - Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.
Symbolism - 1. The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships. 2. A system of symbols or representations. 3. A symbolic meaning or representation. 4. Revelation or suggestion of intangible conditions or truths by artistic invention.

T

Technique - 1. The systematic procedure by which a complex or scientific task is accomplished. 2.a. The way in which the fundamentals, as of an artistic work, are handled. b. Skill or command in handling such fundamentals.
The Three Excellences - The Chinese grouped together painting, calligraphy, and poetry under this title.
Tone - harmony in colors and values within an artwork
Translucent - Transmitting light but causing sufficient diffusion to prevent perception of distinct images.

U
V

Value - the difference in lightness or darkness of a hue
Village - a small town

W
X

Xieyi - "free brush" painting, which appears to be done with spontaneous, almost careless freedom, but which also follows the mastery of line

Y
Z