s style was known as Yamato-e. Yamato-e was greatly used for the illustration of stories. This style was cold and lifeless. But things began to look up towards the end of the period. Towards the end of the period the dull large paintings were replaced with pictures full of curves, grace and most importantly color. The Japanese Art always changing and expanding mostly because of the influence of the rulers. At the beginning of the Kamakura period a new ruler took over Japan. In this period Artists emphasized on realism! The realism was so life like even the simplest of details was expressed. Also a more advanced Yamato-e style was developed with more color and softer lines. Also with realism came a type of formalized religious art where the figures of Buddha became more uniformed. Yet, civil unrest lead to another change of rulers.And with this change of rulers came the Ashikaga period. Communication with China was restored and once again China had a huge impact on Japanese Art. Yamato-e which was developed while China and Japan were unable to communicate was diminished and hardly used. But Japan did begin to develop the Tea Ceremony. The Tea ceremony was taken from China but Japan adopted this ceremony and made it there own and added much grace and poise to the event. One author said the purpose of a tea ceremony "is to produce courtesy, politeness, modesty, moderation, calmness, peace of body and soul, without pride or arrogance, fleeing from all ostentation, pomp, external grandeur, and the magnificence." Basically, a kind of get away from the real world and place of calmness and tranquillity. In Japan No two tea houses are alike, they harbor the same philosophies and the same tradition but each on is unique, one theme that is the same throughout all teas houses is the representation of the love of nature. China may have started the tea ceremony but Japan embraced it, added to it and made it their own, and still today...
