Arts in the World of Avatar
General information
Type Visual art, literature, theater, music, architecture, dance
Examples Paintings[1] Sculptures[2] Dances[3]

There is a diversity of cultural arts in each nation in the World of Avatar, ranging from visual arts, including portraits and paintings, to sacred dances and rituals.

Contents 1 Visual art 1.1 Paintings 1.2 Statues 2 Writing and literature 2.1 Calligraphy 2.2 Haiku 3 Theater 3.1 Ember Island Players 3.2 Puppet shows 4 Music 4.1 Songs 5 Architecture 6 Dance 6.1 List of known dances 7 Trivia 8 References 9 Comments

Visual art Edit

Paintings Edit

• Baby Ozai painting - Found by Katara in Ozai's beach house.^[4]
• Dragon mural - A mural found in the Sun Warriors' ancient city that depicts the origins of firebending; specifically, how it was acquired from the dragons.^[5]
• Fire Lord portraits - A sequence of baroque paintings found in the Fire Nation Royal Palace.^[6]
• Flying bison mural - One of the many ornate paintings present throughout the Western and Northern Air Temple.
• Iroh painting - A portrait taken by Zuko when he left his home.^[7]
• Lo and Li painting - Portrait of young Lo and Li wearing yellow swimsuits in their beach house.^[8]
• Mai and Zuko painting - A portrait of Mai and Zuko kept at the Fire Nation Royal Palace.
• Mural of Earth Kingdom Avatars - An honorific dedication to earth Avatars that is found in the Earth Kingdom Avatar Temple.
• Painting of Fire Lord Ozai - Many were found at the Fire Nation school, which served as a display of the Fire Lord's omnipresent glory.^[3]
• Picture of Fire Lord Ozai made from noodles - Made in a Fire Nation school and owned by Aang. It was later utilized during Aang's training for the Invasion of the Fire Nation.
• Painting of Lu Ten - A portrait owned by Iroh that depicts his son in a black military uniform.^[9]
• Painting of the Fire Nation Royal Family - A painting of Zuko, Azula, Ozai, and Ursa found on Ember Island that was angrily burned by Zuko in a fire.^[8]
• Painting of the former Air Nomad elders - Found in the Northern Air Temple.
• Sokka's drawing - An amateur picture that Sokka quickly drew for Master Piandao as part of his swordsmanship training. It depicts a waterfall, along with a rainbow and a mountain backdrop.^[10]
• Sokka's sketch - A picture made by Sokka in the Jasmine Dragon that crudely represented the members of Team Avatar.^[11]
• The Birth of Kyoshi Island painting - Found within the Kyoshi Shrine, this mural celebrates the day Avatar Kyoshi created Kyoshi Island. The scene depicts Kyoshi addressing the people of her island at sunset, shortly after the separation from the mainland.^[12]
• Ursa painting - A painting of Zuko's mother.
• World map painting - A stylistic map of the world used by Commander Zhao in his Earth Kingdom harbor tent.^[2]

Statues Edit

• Aang's statue - Located in Republic City, on a small island in Yue Bay; it was commissioned by the Fire Nation after the Hundred Year War.
• Air Nomad statues - Located in each of four air temples.^[7]
• Avatar Kyoshi statue - A figure that rests on a tall podium in Kyoshi Island.^[13]
• Avatar Roku statue - A golden sculpture found within the Fire Temple sanctuary on Crescent Island.^[14]
• Avatar statues - Spread out through many tiers encircling the Southern Air Temple sanctuary.^[2]
• Azulon statue - Supports both sides of the netting on the Great Gates of Azulon.^[15]
• Badgermole statue - A stone figure found in Taku.^[16]
• Chin statue - Found in Chin Village.^[12]
• Dancing Dragon statues - Found within a structure of the Sun Warriors' ancient city.^[5]
• Dragon Warrior sculptures - Found within the Cave of Two Lovers.^[17]
• Flying bison statue - Located at the Northern Air Temple.
• Lion turtle statue - Seen in the series' pilot.^[18]
• Statue of Ozai breathing flames - A bronze fire fountain that the corresponding city was named after. The fire is kept burning by a team of firebenders that operate from within the statue.^[19]
• Monk Gyatso statue - Located in the Southern Air Temple.^[2]
• Monk statue - Located in the Northern Air Temple.^[20]
• Monkey statue - A bejeweled sculpture displayed in pirate ship boutique.^[21]
• New Ozai statue - Located at the peak of New Ozai. The gigantic statue was never completed, as it was destroyed by Bumi when he used earthbending to lift it off its foundation and slide it down the city to destroy the governor's palace as well as the bridge.
• Oma and Shu statue - Found within the Cave of Two Lovers.^[17]
• Ozai statue - Located in the Fire Nation school.^[3]
• Painted Lady statue - Erected at the center of Jang Hui to celebrate the return of the Painted Lady after a long absence.^[22]
• Painted Lady statuettes - Small statues depicting the guardian spirit of Jang Hui.^[22]
• Sozin's statue - Found in the Fire Sages Capital Temple.^[6]
• Statue of a monk - Stolen by the Fire Nation from an air temple for use in luring airbenders into a trap as they searched for the artifact.^[23]
• Toph statue - Adorns the facade of Republic City's police headquarters. It is dedicated to the Metalbending Police Force's founder, Toph Beifong.
• Tui and La sculpture - An effigy found behind the artificial waterfall in Tarrlok's City Hall office.
• Wooden totem of Hei Bai - A figure in the scorched forest that is supposed to represent Hei Bai, but is actually modeled after a brown bear.^[14]
• Yangchen statue - Located in the Eastern Air Temple.^[24]
• Zuko statue - Located at the entrance to Central City Station in Republic City; the bronze figure depicts Fire Lord Zuko holding a flame.

Writing and literature Edit

Main article: Writing in the World of Avatar

Writing and literature are an integral part of society across the World of Avatar. All four nations use a common system of characters borrowed from the Chinese system for daily purposes. The four nations primarily use writing for communication and literary purposes, but there are some who practice calligraphy, such as Piandao. There are many books and scrolls in the Avatar World, many of these are located (or at least have a reproduction) in Wan Shi Tong's Library.^[25]

Calligraphy Edit

Calligraphy is a form of art of giving writing a particularly artistic way to emphasize its beauty and shape. Paper, ink, a brush, and an inkstone are all essential implements in calligraphy. A paperweight is used to keep the paper straight and flat on the table, negating the need for one's hand to touch the clean paper. Piandao taught Sokka the basics as part of his swordsmanship training.^[10]

Classical Chinese is primarily a writing form. Being a condensed form, it is particularly difficult to master. People often use the fewest possible characters to express very comprehensive meanings and the specific meaning is almost entirely dependent on the context.^[1]

Haiku Edit

Haiku is a form of traditional Japanese poetry that consists of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively.

In Ba Sing Se, there is a group called 5-7-5 Society that focuses specially on haiku and is led by Madame Macmu-Ling.^[9]

Theater Edit

Ember Island Players Edit

Main article: Ember Island Players

The Ember Island Players were a local acting troupe who performed at Ember Island's only theater. They did not have a reputation for quality acting, but they took themselves very seriously and almost always packed the house, though this is probably because the theater is one of the only sources of night time entertainment on the island. They aired the play, The Boy in the Iceberg, which was an acclaimed work in the nation. Their only other production mentioned is Love Amongst the Dragons which, according to Zuko, who always went to watch it with his family, was "butchered every year".^[26]

Puppet shows Edit

Team Avatar saw a puppet show while visiting a Fire Days Festival in a Fire Nation colony where Fire Lord Ozai was presented as a great hero, facing off against an "evil" Earth Kingdom soldier.^[27]

Music Edit

Main article: Music in the World of Avatar

In the World of Avatar, music is a very important cultural aspect to the people, especially for Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens, and a prime source of entertainment. A variety of instruments are used to produce music such as the tsungi horn and the pipa.^[1]

Songs Edit

Main article: Songs in the World of Avatar

Songs are the most commonly seen musical compositions in the World of Avatar, much more widespread than full orchestral pieces. A popular song variation is the simple, pleasing folk song often performed by several people with the use of instruments.^[1]

Architecture Edit

Main article: Architecture in the World of Avatar

Artistic and creative architecture is seen worldwide in the Avatar World. Examples include the Avatar Temples, the air temples, Wan Shi Tong's Library, and the Sun Warriors' ancient city. Locations, such as the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, are known to boast many ornate houses and architectural buildings. Other regions, such as the Northern Water Tribe, are magnificent civilizations constructed from certain elements common to that particular geographic location. In contrast, Republic City is a true modern urban center due to technological progress over time. The city has developed the architectural sophistication to construct taller buildings, resulting in significant high-rise development.

Dance Edit

Aang described dancing as a form of self-expression that no one can take away.^[3]

List of known dances Edit

• Ba Sing Se Waltz - Performed in the ballrooms of Ba Sing Se; Aang demonstrated this to some students from a Fire Nation school.^[3]
• Tap - Mentioned by Sokka when Zuko and Aang came back after meeting the Sun Warriors.^[5]
• The Camelephant Strut - An old Fire Nation dance demonstrated by Aang.^[3]
• The Phoenix Flight - An old Fire Nation dance, also demonstrated by Aang to the students.^[3]

Trivia Edit

• Many of the hanging paintings seen in the series came from the extensive collection of animator Seung-Hyun Oh.^[28]

References Edit

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "The Southern Air Temple". Michael Dante DiMartino (writer) & Lauren MacMullan (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. February 25, 2005. No. 3, Book One: Water ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "The Headband". John O'Bryan (writer) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. September 28, 2007. No. 2, Book Three: Fire ↑ "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King". Michael Dante DiMartino (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 19, 2008. No. 18, Book Three: Fire ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "The Firebending Masters". John O'Bryan (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 15, 2008. No. 13, Book Three: Fire ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The Avatar and the Fire Lord". Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. October 26, 2007. No. 6, Book Three: Fire ↑ 7.0 7.1 "The Western Air Temple". Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, Tim Hedrick (writers) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 14, 2008. No. 12, Book Three: Fire ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Beach". Katie Mattila (writer) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. October 19, 2007. No. 5, Book Three: Fire ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Tales of Ba Sing Se". Joann Estoesta, Lisa Wahlander, Andrew Huebner, Gary Scheppke, Lauren MacMullan, Katie Mattila, Justin Ridge, Giancarlo Volpe (writers) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. September 29, 2006. No. 15, Book Two: Earth ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Sokka's Master". Tim Hedrick (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. October 12, 2007. No. 4, Book Three: Fire ↑ "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 19, 2008. No. 21, Book Three: Fire ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Avatar Day". John O'Bryan (writer) & Lauren MacMullan (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. April 28, 2006. No. 5, Book Two: Earth ↑ "The Warriors of Kyoshi". Nick Malis (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. March 4, 2005. No. 4, Book One: Water ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Lauren MacMullan (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. April 8, 2005. No. 7, Book One: Water ↑ "The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion". Michael Dante DiMartino (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 30, 2007. No. 10, Book Three: Fire ↑ "The Blue Spirit". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Dave Filoni (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. June 17, 2005. No. 13, Book One: Water ↑ 17.0 17.1 "The Cave of Two Lovers". Joshua Hamilton (writer) & Lauren MacMullan (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. March 24, 2006. No. 2, Book Two: Earth ↑ "Unaired Pilot". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Dave Filoni (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. Unaired. No. 0, Book One: Water ↑ "The Runaway". Joshua Hamilton (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 2, 2007. No. 7, Book Three: Fire ↑ "The Northern Air Temple". Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (writer) & Dave Filoni (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 4, 2005. No. 17, Book One: Water ↑ "The Waterbending Scroll". John O'Bryan (writer) & Anthony Lioi (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. April 29, 2005. No. 9, Book One: Water ↑ 22.0 22.1 "The Painted Lady". Joshua Hamilton (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. October 5, 2007. No. 3, Book Three: Fire ↑ Joshua Hamilton, Johane Matte (w), Johane Matte (a). "Relics" (2011 [Dark Horse Comics edition]), Nickelodeon ↑ "The Guru". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. December 1, 2006. No. 19, Book Two: Earth ↑ "The Library". John O'Bryan (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 14, 2006. No. 10, Book Two: Earth ↑ "The Ember Island Players". Tim Hedrick, Josh Hamilton, John O'Bryan (writers) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 18, 2008. No. 17, Book Three: Fire ↑ "The Deserter". Tim Hedrick (writer) & Lauren MacMullan (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. October 21, 2005. No. 16, Book One: Water ↑ Audio commentary on "City of Walls and Secrets".

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