THE RULE OF TASTE

The illustrated presentation to follow consists of seventy-four images (with accompanying written narration) displayed over a series of forty-two linked screen "pages". It should take approximately thirty minutes to complete (depending largely on the speed of your modem connection). 

1. the historical process whereby the Yamato clan came to exercise imperial power over an increasingly centralized political state;
2. the nature of imported Chinese institutions and forms - the written language, Buddhism, the political organization of the state and numerous cultural attributes - utilized in the emergence of aristocratic power and prestige; and … 
3. the rejection or adaptation of many of these imports by the Japanese themselves and their subsequent impact on developing patterns of religious, artistic, literary and architectural traditions associated with "The Rule of Taste", the cultural style of the Aristocratic period in Japanese history. 

As you proceed, be sure to examine each image for visual information illustrating the point made in the accompanying caption; figure out why that particular picture, diagram or chart was included. 

A written follow-up exercise (on a page that can be printed out for your personal use) concludes the presentation. A comment form for your reactions to the entire experience has also been included. 

Click on the button below to move to the next screen "page" in the presentation.