art history of india and south east asia
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A beautiful presentation on Art History of India and South East AsiaTRANSCRIPT
The Art of South and Southeast The Art of South and Southeast
Asia Before 1200Asia Before 1200
South and Southeast AsiaSouth and Southeast Asia
Religion is the main Religion is the main influence on art during influence on art during this periodthis period
Buddhism and Hinduism Buddhism and Hinduism are the religions of this are the religions of this time; often coexistingtime; often coexisting
Sculpture and Sculpture and architecture became the architecture became the predominant art formspredominant art forms
Sensuous deities Sensuous deities decorated temples and decorated temples and monasteriesmonasteries
More Buddhist influenced More Buddhist influenced art still exists today than art still exists today than does Hindu art. does Hindu art.
Buddhism and Its BackgroundBuddhism and Its Background
Buddha (the Enlightened Buddha (the Enlightened One) was the original One) was the original founder of Buddhism founder of Buddhism
The religion focuses on The religion focuses on meditation, being meditation, being enlightened, and enlightened, and searching for knowledge searching for knowledge
Buddha preached about Buddha preached about the Wheel of the Law and the Wheel of the Law and the Four Noble Truths the Four Noble Truths (both of which are (both of which are influential in artwork of influential in artwork of this period) this period)
Robed Male FigureRobed Male Figure
From From MohenjoMohenjo--daradara, ,
Pakistan, ca. 2000 Pakistan, ca. 2000 ––
1900 BCE1900 BCE
A characteristic of A characteristic of
early Indus sculpture early Indus sculpture
was its small form. was its small form.
Sculpture was Sculpture was
influenced by the elite influenced by the elite
class and political class and political
leaders. leaders.
Lion CapitalLion Capital
Polished sandstone, ca. Polished sandstone, ca. 250 BCE250 BCE
Capitals such as this Capitals such as this were highly decorated were highly decorated sculptural architecture sculptural architecture characteristic of this characteristic of this period. period.
These capitals were These capitals were displayed throughout the displayed throughout the MauryaMaurya Dynasty during Dynasty during AshokaAshoka’’ss reign. reign.
The Wheel of the Law The Wheel of the Law displayed symbolize the displayed symbolize the kingking’’s divine authority.s divine authority.
Great Great StupaStupa
From From SanchiSanchi, India, third , India, third century BCE to first century BCE to first century CEcentury CE
Monument that housed Monument that housed religious relicsreligious relics
Relief sculpture was Relief sculpture was displayed on the outer displayed on the outer architecturearchitecture
Consists of many Consists of many buildings constructed buildings constructed over the centuries over the centuries including the including the viharasviharas and and the the chaityachaitya halls halls
YakshiYakshi
Detail of eastern gateway Detail of eastern gateway
of the Great of the Great StupaStupa; mid; mid--
first century BCE to early first century BCE to early
first century CEfirst century CE
Goddesses that Goddesses that
personified fertility and personified fertility and
vegetationvegetation
Scantily clad, sensuous Scantily clad, sensuous
women used as relief women used as relief
sculpture sculpture
Worshipped throughout Worshipped throughout
India India
Standing Standing YakshaYaksha
From the From the MauryaMaurya periodperiod
YakshasYakshas are the male are the male
equivalent of equivalent of yakshisyakshis
Characteristics include Characteristics include
males depicted as males depicted as
powerful, robust, broad powerful, robust, broad
shoulders, and open, shoulders, and open,
staring eyesstaring eyes
Buddha statues often Buddha statues often
resembled resembled yakshasyakshas but but
differ in that they are differ in that they are
clothed in a monkclothed in a monk’’s robes robe
Canonical Buddha StatueCanonical Buddha Statue
Under the Under the GuptasGuptas artists artists formed a canonical figure formed a canonical figure for the Buddhafor the Buddha
Monastic robe covered Monastic robe covered both shouldersboth shoulders
Buddha depicted with Buddha depicted with soft, full bodysoft, full body
Smooth, unadorned Smooth, unadorned surface that is symbolic of surface that is symbolic of BuddhaBuddha’’s spiritualitys spirituality
Eyes downcast in Eyes downcast in meditationmeditation
Images of the Wheel of Images of the Wheel of the Law are displayedthe Law are displayed
Painted Caves of Painted Caves of AjantaAjanta
Image of Bodhisattva Image of Bodhisattva PadmapaniPadmapani; wall painting ; wall painting in Cave 1, in Cave 1, AjantaAjanta, India, India
These cave paintings are These cave paintings are some of the only Indian some of the only Indian paintings that remain paintings that remain todaytoday
Method of painting differs Method of painting differs from other cultures as from other cultures as they painted on dry they painted on dry plasterplaster
Results proved to be less Results proved to be less durable than other fresco durable than other fresco style paintings in other style paintings in other culturescultures
HinduismHinduism
Like Buddhism, Hinduism is a polytheistic Like Buddhism, Hinduism is a polytheistic
religionreligion
Sacrifice is essential as it is meant to Sacrifice is essential as it is meant to
please deities and gain favor with themplease deities and gain favor with them
Hindu deities vary in form and naturesHindu deities vary in form and natures
Three most important deities are Shiva, Three most important deities are Shiva,
Vishnu, and Vishnu, and DeviDevi
Dancing ShivaDancing Shiva
RockRock--cut relief in cave cut relief in cave temple; late sixth temple; late sixth centurycentury
Shiva is often shown Shiva is often shown with multiple limbs with multiple limbs and/or heads as a and/or heads as a sign of his supersign of his super--human naturehuman nature
Hindu deities often Hindu deities often represented as part represented as part human, part animalhuman, part animal
Shiva with three facesShiva with three faces
Shiva as Shiva as MahadevaMahadeva; ca. ; ca. 550 550 –– 575575
AKA the AKA the ““Great GodGreat God””
Each face shows a Each face shows a different aspect of the different aspect of the deitydeity
The main frontal face The main frontal face displays Shivadisplays Shiva’’s quiet, s quiet, balanced demeanorbalanced demeanor
The right face is a The right face is a creative femalecreative female
The left face a fierce, The left face a fierce, destructive maledestructive male
Vishnu asleep on the serpent Vishnu asleep on the serpent
AnataAnataDetail of faDetail of faççade of Vishnu ade of Vishnu Temple; early sixth Temple; early sixth centurycentury
In this relief Vishnu is In this relief Vishnu is meant to be dreaming the meant to be dreaming the universe into realityuniverse into reality
Surrounding him are Surrounding him are other deities including his other deities including his wife wife LakshmiLakshmi and Shivaand Shiva
Also included are Also included are personifications of personifications of VishnuVishnu’’s various powerss various powers
RockRock--cut Templescut Temples
MamallapuramMamallapuram, India; , India;
seventh centuryseventh century
Indian architects began to Indian architects began to
carve freestanding carve freestanding
temples from rocky temples from rocky
outcroppingsoutcroppings
Very rare in relation to Very rare in relation to
other cultures and other cultures and
religionsreligions
Five temples were carved Five temples were carved
out of one huge boulderout of one huge boulder
RajarajeshvaraRajarajeshvara TempleTemple
ThanjavurThanjavur, India; ca. , India; ca.
10101010
Enormous, grand Enormous, grand
temples were created temples were created
during this periodduring this period
Dedicated to ShivaDedicated to Shiva
Exterior walls display Exterior walls display
numerous reliefs in numerous reliefs in
nichesniches
VishvanathaVishvanatha TempleTemple
KhajurahoKhajuraho, India; ca. , India; ca. 10001000
VishvanathaVishvanatha is another is another name for Shivaname for Shiva
Rising towers resemble Rising towers resemble rising foothills of the rising foothills of the Himalayas, home of Himalayas, home of ShivaShiva
Temples are comparable Temples are comparable to actual mountain cave to actual mountain cave templestemples
Designed with ideal Designed with ideal mathematical proportionsmathematical proportions
Shiva as Shiva as NatarajaNataraja
Bronze statue; ca. 1000Bronze statue; ca. 1000
One of many examples of One of many examples of portable statues of deitiesportable statues of deities
Use of hand gestures, Use of hand gestures, symbols, etc. all symbols, etc. all represent some deeper represent some deeper meaningmeaning
They viewed the statue They viewed the statue not as a symbol of the not as a symbol of the god, but as the actual god god, but as the actual god himselfhimself
Hindus would care for Hindus would care for images such as this by images such as this by feeding, clothing, bathing, feeding, clothing, bathing, and taking it on outingsand taking it on outings
Death of the BuddhaDeath of the Buddha
Sri Lanka; ca. 11Sri Lanka; ca. 11thth to to 1212thth centurycentury
Largest sculpture in Largest sculpture in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia measuring 46 feet measuring 46 feet longlong
BuddhaBuddha’’s cousin, and s cousin, and chief disciple, stands chief disciple, stands at the left mourning at the left mourning his deathhis death
BorobudurBorobudur
Java, Indonesia; ca. 800Java, Indonesia; ca. 800
Colossal Buddhist Colossal Buddhist
monumentmonument
Structure contains Structure contains
millions of blocks of millions of blocks of
volcanic stonevolcanic stone
More than 500 lifeMore than 500 life--size size
Buddha imagesBuddha images
1000 relief panels1000 relief panels
1500 1500 stupasstupas
Angkor Angkor WatWat
Angkor, Cambodia; 12Angkor, Cambodia; 12thth
centurycentury
The largest of all Khmer The largest of all Khmer
temple complexestemple complexes
Purpose was to associate Purpose was to associate
the king with his personal the king with his personal
god (Vishnu)god (Vishnu)
Five towers symbolize Five towers symbolize
five peaks of Mount five peaks of Mount MeruMeru
Stone reliefs glorify Stone reliefs glorify
VishnuVishnu
BayonBayon
Angkor Thom, Cambodia; Angkor Thom, Cambodia;
ca. 1200ca. 1200
Unique in that the Unique in that the
combination of circular combination of circular
terraces, towers, and terraces, towers, and
giant faces were usedgiant faces were used
The king turned from the The king turned from the
Hindu traditions of his Hindu traditions of his
ancestors to worshiping ancestors to worshiping
the Buddhathe Buddha