'P'recious Asian Art Terms Trivia Quiz

Answer: Peach

The peach (taozi) tree is a very popular motif in painting, as is the peach blossom. Some famed works of literature that include the name peach include the 'Peach Blossom Spring' and the 'Peach Blossom Fan'. Traditionally, it is also thought that the peach blossom could ward off evil spirits, but I don't think it has ever been proven effective in this regard.

As for its qualities of extending longevity, we'll have to wait and see what experimentation confirms!

Answer: Burma

Like many towers inspired by Buddhist precepts, pyathats are designed to resemble the 'center of the universe'. Pyathat towers can be quite lofty, some over a couple hundred feet, and function to help funnel spirituality into the monks who meditate and pray inside. The roofs of these towers can be quite decorative, as you might have guessed...but they are not funnel shaped!

Answer: Pali

Pali is an Indo-Aryan language, related to Sanskrit (and Hindi), which was spoken in South Asia during ancient times. Most of the key early writings of Buddhism were written using the Pali language, and it retains its sacred stature among Buddhist traditionalists even today.

Answer: Paduk

The game called 'Paduk' in Korea (also called Weiqi or Go) is played on a hollow wooden board with wires that resonate each time the small, stone pieces of each player are moved. The game is played between two people and the pieces are black and white, kind of like Othello. The boards, called padukp'an, are quite beautiful when crafted by an expert.

Answer: Tie-dyed fabric

The Indian state of Gujarat is famous for producing this fabric using the double 'ikat' technique. If you are curious about what 'ikat' means, please try my I/J Asian art terms quiz, but I will say that it is a tie-dyeing technique!

Answer: Prang

A Khmer-style Prang was a tower shrine (stupa) which became common during the reign of the Khmer empire in what is now modern Cambodia during the 11th-13th centuries. The architectural techniques behind the creation of Prangs were quite sophisticated, with highly decorative arches, domes and columns all employed. Typically, within these sorts of structures relics of the Buddha would be placed.

Answer: Pagoda

Like the Prang of the ancient Khmer, a pagoda is a shrine in which sacred relics of Buddhism might be kept. Apparently, the term 'pagoda' was first popularized in the West by Portuguese traders, but the term could have been derived by the Portuguese from the Sinhalese language of Sri Lanka.

Answer: Puxian

Puxian is not originally Chinese, but rather was borrowed by early Chinese Buddhist scholars from South Asia, where his Sanskrit name is Samanthabhadra. Puxian has an elephant for his steed and is symbolized by a small bottle, the sun and a lotus flower. Bodhisattvas are human beings who have reached enlightenment, but have compassion for human beings so remain on Earth to help others along the path to Nirvana.

Answer: True

The pearl is considered to be the perfect jewel, according to Chinese tradition, because of its spherical shape and pure white color. Pearls were also used to symbolize a dragon, along with a wreath of fire. Mother-of-pearl is a substance used in the creation of lacquer-ware in both China and Vietnam, but pearls themselves are rarely used in Asian art.

Answer: False

Though it's true that porcelain can be broken by an angry person with a sledgehammer, true Chinese porcelain is quite sturdy, ranking a seven on the Mohs Scale. I wouldn't suggest testing this theory with your priceless Ming vase though, like I said...a good sledgehammer can do miracles when in the wrong hands! Thank you for giving this quiz a try, I hope you enjoyed it!