SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA BEFORE 1200GARDINER CHAPTER 6-1PP. 157-166

SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA BEFORE 1200 - BACKGROUND

Vast geographic area -> India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia

Tremendous cultural and religious diversity

Linguistic diversity

The art of South and Southeast Asia is equally diverse – and very ancient

This chapter examines the art from the beginnings 5 millennia ago to through the 12th century

INDUS CIVILIZATION

The Indus Civilization1. Located along the Indus River and extending into India2. Flourished between 2600-1500 B.C.E.3. Major sites are Harrapa and Mahenjo-daro -> fully developed

cities with streets and multistory brick houses

MOHENJO-DARO Great Bath, Mohenjo-daro,

Pakistan, ca. 2600–1900 BCE.

Robed male figure, from Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan, ca. 2600–1900 BCE. Steatite, about 7 inches high

Indus city which had sophisticated water supply and sewage

In the heart of the city was the Great Bath a brick complex with a sunken pool used for ritual bathing

Little art remains from the Indus Civilization -> all is small in scale

Robed male figure is bearded and might represent a priest-king -> iconography similar to Sumeria

Headband, armband, trefoils decorate the robe

HARAPPA

Nude male torso, from Harappa, Pakistan, ca. 2000-1900 B.C.E., red sandstone, 3 ¾ “ high

Highly polished surface and swelling curves of the abdomen

Pulsating vigor and emphasis on sensuous surfaces -> chief characteristics of South Asian sculpture for thousands of years

INDUS SEALS Seal with a seated figure in yogic

posture from Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan, ca. 2300-1750 B.C.E.

1. Most common Indus art objects are steatite seals

2. Incised with designs3. Most common subjects are

animals or small narratives4. Similar to Mesopotamian cylinder

seals5. Three faces? Erect penis, yogic

posture -> may represent prototype of Shiva

VEDIC AND UPANISHADIC PERIOD

VEDAS Basis of new religious ideas were

the oral hymns of the Aryans = a mobile herding people from Central Asia

1500 B.C.E

UPANISHADS Between 800-500 BCE religious

thinkers composed a variety of texts called the Upanishads

SAMSARA = cycle of rebirths KARMA = an individuals past actions

(good or bad) which determine the nature of future rebirths

NIRVANA = the ending of the cycle of rebirths and the merging of the individual into the vital force of the universe

Key Ideas Indian Art stresses the

interconnectedness of all the arts: architecture, painting, and sculpture.

Buddhist and Hindu philosophies form a background to Indian artistic thought.

A blend of various people who invaded India create the unique culture.

Common Themes of Buddism The Lion = Buddha's initial royalty

The Wheel (chakra) = Buddha's law

The Lotus = Buddha's pure nature

Columns surrounds by a wheel = Buddha's teachings

Empty throne, umbrella, footsteps, lone wheel, Bodhi tree = Buddha

HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM

HINDUISM and BUDDHISM are the two major modern religions originating in Asia

Developed in the late centuries B.C.E and early C.E. Hinduism is the dominant religion of India today -> origins in

Aryan religion

Buddhism founded by the BUDDHA – a historical figure -> advocated ASCETICISM = self-discipline and self-denial as a of freeing oneself from attachments to people and possessions -> thus ending rebirths

BUDDHISM

THE BUDDHA (Enlightened One) Siddhartha Meditating under the Bodhi Tree ->

achieved complete enlightenment THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS 1. Life is suffering2. The cause of suffering is desire3. One can overcome and extinguish

desire4. The way to conquer desire and

end suffering is the EIGHTFOLD PATH

The Eightfold Path1. Right understanding2. Right thought3. Right speech4. Right action5. Right livelihood6. Right effort7. Right mindfulness8. Right concentrationThe Buddha’s path leads to Nirvana

BUDDHIST ICONOGRAPHY

Lakshanas = body characteristics of the Buddha

1. Urna – curl of hair between eyebrows/dot

2. Ushnisha – cranial bump/top knot3. Elongated ears

Mudra = hand gestures1. Right hand over the left palms upward –

meditation2. Right hand down reaching to the ground3. Two hand wheel turning gesture4. Right hand up palm outward

Episodes from the Buddha’s life are popular subjects in Buddhist art

1. His birth2. Achievement of Buddhahood

under the Bodi tree3. First sermon as Buddha at

Sarnath4. Death at Kushinagara

MAURYA DYNASTY – ASHOKA

The Maurya Dynasty was founded by Chandragupta Maurya -> controls almost all of modern India

The greatest Maurya ruler was ASHOKA (272-231 BCE) -> converts to Buddhism and spreads Buddha’s teaching across India and beyond

Lion capital of the column erected by Ashoka at Sarnath, India, ca. 250 BCE, polished sandstone, 7 ft. tall capital -> Ashoka formulated based on Buddha’s teachings and inscribed those laws on columns erected throughout his kingdom

THE STUPA STUPA = grand circular earthen

mound containing relics of the Buddha

The domed stupa represents the world mountain

CIRCUMNAMBULATION = Buddhists walk around stupas in clockwise direction -> bring the devotee into harmony with the cosmos

On top of the stupa is 1. HARMIKA2. YASTI – pole at the center of the

harmika3. CHATRAS – three stone disks atop

the yasti

SANCHI The Great Stupa at Sanchi, India,

3rd century BCE to 1st century CE

Tall stone fence with four gates called TORANAS

The reliefs on the four torana gates depicts the story of Buddha’s life and his past lifes (jatakas)

Lower circumnambulation path Double stairway leads to upper

level walkway Open to all devotees

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GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI – DETAIL Buddha statue,

ground level - Lower circumnambulation path

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GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI – NORTH GATE

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GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI – PLAN AND ELEVATION

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SANCHI Yakshi, detail of eastern gateway, Great

Stupa, Sanchi, India, mid first century BCE to early first century CE.

Carved on the eastern gateway is a scantily clad sensuous woman called yakshi. These goddesses, worshiped throughout India, personified fertility and vegetation

Pose of the yakshi later is used to depict the Buddha’s mother MAYA giving birth -> borrowing of the sensuality of the Indus sculptural tradition

KARLE

Interior of the chatiya hall, Karle, India, ca. 50 CE

CHAITYA HALLS house stupas The chatiya hall carved out of the

living rock at Karle is the best early example of a Buddhist stupa hall

Pillared ambulatory (walking path) allows worshippers to circumnambulate the stupa placed at the back of the sacred cave

Excellent acoustics for chanting

KARLE

section (top), and plan (bottom) of chaitya hall, Karle, India, ca. 100 CE

The Karle hall has a pillared AMBULATORY (walking path) that allows worshipers to circumambulate the stupa placed at the back of the sacred cave

GANDHARA

Meditating Buddha, from Gandhara, Pakistan, second century CE. Gray schist, 3’ 7 1/2” high

In Gandhara, sculptors fashioned representations of the Buddha in both free standing statuary and narrative reliefs. Note the Greco-Roman influences.

The life and death of the Buddha, frieze from Gandhara, Pakistan, second century CE. Schist, 2’ 2 3/8” X 9’ 6 1/8”.

MARTHURA

Buddha seated on lion throne, from Mathura, India, second century CE. Red sandstone, 2’ 3 1/2” high. Archaeological Museum, Muttra.

1. Stylistically distinct from the Gandharan Buddhas

2. Buddha has the body type of a yaksha

3. Wears a monks robe and lacks jewelry and other signs of wealth