allusion – an instance of indirect reference

ancestor – a person from whom one is descended, especially if more remote than a grandparent

bronze – a mixture of copper and tin in various proportions, sometimes with traces of other metals

calligraphy – the art of fine handwriting; traditional Chinese calligraphers use brushes to create their works

celadon – a type of porcelain or pottery having a pale green glaze, originally produced in China

Chan Buddhism – a Buddhist doctrine that enlightenment can be attained through direct intuitive insight (also known in Japan as Zen Buddhism)

Cizhou wares – mass-produced earthenware of the Song dynasty. These vessels had a white slip coating which was painted or incised and then covered in a transparent glaze.

cong – ritual objects made from jade and produced in substantial numbers in Neolithic times

Daoism – philosophical system developed by of Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events

deity – a god or goddess; a divinitydynasty – a succession of rulers from the same family line; the basic political structure of China until 1911

hermaphrodite – an individual having the reproductive organs and many of the secondary sex characteristics of both sexes

jade – either of two distinct minerals, nephrite or jadeite. Commonly pale to dark green in color but sometimes whitish. It is very hard and compact, capable of fine polish, and is used for ornamental purposes and for implements, especially in Eastern countries and among many early peoples.

Jingdezhen - a city of southeast China southwest of Shanghai. Established in the 500s, it has an important pottery industry

Jun wares – lavender-blue ceramics covered with a thick layer of glaze. These wares were popular from the early Song dynasty until well into the Ming dynasty. Some vessels were splashed with copper oxide before firing, which resulted in the brilliant reddish purple spots for which Jun wares are known.

kiln –a brick or stone-lined oven used to bake or fire ceramics

Longquan – ceramics with a monochrome glaze and appliqué decoration

neolithic – of or relating to the cultural period of the Stone Age beginning around ____ in China, characterized by the development of agriculture and the making of polished stone implements

omnipresence - the state of being everywhere at once (or seeming to be everywhere at once)

overglaze – technique in which opaque enamels are painted onto an already glazed and fired vessel before undergoing a second firing

porcelain – a hard, white, translucent ceramic made by firing a pure clay to a very high temperature and then glazing it with variously colored materials

proportion - agreeable or harmonious relation of parts within a whole; balance or symmetry

Shang dynasty – the imperial dynasty ruling China from the 1700s BC to the 1100s BC

Song dynasty - the imperial dynasty ruling China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy

underglaze – technique in which a design is applied to the raw ceramic surface before being covered with glaze and fired

Zhou dynasty – the imperial dynasty of China from 1122 to 221 BC; notable for the rise of Confucianism and Taoism