AP Art History : Asian Sculpture
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
All AP Art History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
This image shows which of the following?
A religious structure that protects relics
An imperial pleasure palace
A covered bathing complex
A monastery that houses monks
A funerary monument honoring the emperor
A religious structure that protects relics
Commissioned by the emperor Ashoka during the 3rd century BCE, the Great Stupa at Sanchi was constructed to house the relics of the Buddha and is the oldest known stone structure in India.
Image: Great Stupa at Sanchi commissioned by Emperor Ashoka, c. 300 BCE–100 CE. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanchi#/media/File:Sanchi_Stupa_from_Eastern_gate,_Madhya_Pradesh.jpg.
Example Question #12 : Asian Sculpture
A stupa is meant to represent __________________.
King Ashoka
None of these
Nataraja
Buddha's entire body
Fertility
Buddha's entire body
Stupas were built to represent Buddha's body. The top of the stupa was his head, the middle was his body, and the bottom was his crossed legs.
Example Question #13 : Asian Sculpture
What do Buddhist practitioners do at a stupa?
Circumambulate the stupa while focusing on the teachings of Buddha
Sit in front of the stupa and meditate
Sit inside the stupa and meditate on the teachings of Buddha
None of these
Perform cleansing rituals in front of the stupa
Circumambulate the stupa while focusing on the teachings of Buddha
The stupa is a solid object. Therefore it cannot be entered. Practitioners were meant to walk around the stupa, which is also known as circumambulation. This was meant to be a meditative walk that could allow the practitioner to think about the teachings of Buddha.
Example Question #14 : Asian Sculpture
For what were The David Vases made?
A Yuan Dynasty Emperor
A Doaist temple
A Buddhist Temple
None of these
An English nobleman
A Doaist temple
The David Vases were made for a Doaist temple alter. One of the most important parts of the vases are a dated inscription.
Example Question #22 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
The work shown here was created with the intention of __________________.
honoring an important ruler
being utilized in religious ceremonies
illustrating a story from history
challenging the conventional culture
being utilized in religious ceremonies
This statue of Shiva was created under the Chola dynasty of southern India in the 10th century, a time and place in which the worship of Shiva was preeminent. Such a statue would have been used in religious ceremonies, particularly as the beliefs of the time held such gods as fully present in believers’ like not dissimilar from the ceremonial role of a monarch.
Image is in the public domain accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shiva_as_the_Lord_of_Dance_LACMA_edit.jpg
Example Question #31 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
Image by Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium (Sanchi, Stupa 1, western gateway) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Sanchi%2C_Stupa_1%2C_western_gateway_%289839922393%29.jpg>.
The Great Stupa at Sanchi is _________________.
a religious structure that protects relics
an imperial pleasure palace
a monastery that houses monks
a funerary monument honoring the emperor
a covered bathing complex
a religious structure that protects relics
Commissioned by the emperor Ashoka during the 3rd century BCE, the Great Stupa at Sanchi was constructed to house the relics of the Buddha and is the oldest known stone structure in India.
Image by Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium (Sanchi, Stupa 1, western gateway) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Sanchi%2C_Stupa_1%2C_western_gateway_%289839922393%29.jpg>.
Certified Tutor
Certified Tutor
All AP Art History Resources
