Definitions of Beauty and Art Practice Test

Read the passage. Across Japanese history, wabi-sabi (rustic simplicity) prizes modest materials and visible wear: Sen no Rikyu selected plain tea bowls, dim light, and small rooms; mono no aware (pathos of things) appears in Heian literature like Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji; later works such as Hokusai’s wave print and Ozu’s films echo transience. Which aspect of wabi-sabi (rustic simplicity) is exemplified by Rikyu’s preference for weathered tea bowls?

Read the passage. Traditional Japanese beauty prizes restraint: wabi-sabi (rustic simplicity) values modesty and visible wear, shown in Sen no Rikyu’s tea rooms; mono no aware (pathos of things) values poignant transience, seen in Murasaki Shikibu and later in Ozu’s quiet films; modern interiors often keep asymmetry and natural textures. Which aspect of wabi-sabi (rustic simplicity) is exemplified by dim tea rooms and plain utensils?