Unit Test Answers

This is the Mosque of Isfahan. Throughout the mosque, Notice the beautiful, bright colors, geometric designs. On top of the dome, you can see examples of arabesques. Below the dome, on the cylinder piece, there is Islamic writing, probably religious. The facade (image on the right) also includes examples of arabesques and Islamic writing, or calligraphy. It is made of brilliant blue glazed tiles that wrap around the entire courtyard.

This is the Wall of Torah Niche. It depicts a story form the Jewish Torah (sacred scripture). The wall depicts common stories to the Jewish people. The artist has used strong outlines and flat colors.

This sculpture is entitled Nike of Samothrace. It was created during the Hellenistic period. It is thought to have commemorated an important naval victory, or some other type of war victory.

This piece is entitled, Bodhisattva. It was located on the wall of a cave in India. This mural, as was with most murals in ancient India, was painted in mineral pigments on a prepared plaster surface. The piece depicted episodes from the Buddha’s past lives. The subject appeared divine, yet human.

It was found in the Blombos cave in South Africa and dates back more than 70,000 years. This discovery suggests that abstract thought in humans occurred much earlier than once thought, as seen with the complex geometric array of carved lines.

Picture 1: This piece is called, Choiu Giga, and is an example of men’s hand. Picture 2: This piece is called, Scene from The Tale of Genji, and is an example of women’s hand.

Gandhara Mathura Amaravati

The Gandhara school of thoutght combined Hellenistic, Persian, and Native styles. The earliest figures come from the Gandharan region. Gandhara flourished from the first century to the fifth. It was distinctly Greco-Roman in style, with the earliest figures had the head of Apollo with the body dressed in a Roman-style toga.