The Art of South and Southeast Asia Before 1200

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The Art of South and Southeast Asia Before 1200
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South and Southeast Asia

• Religion is the main influence on art during this
  period
• Buddhism and Hinduism are the religions of this
  time often coexisting
• Sculpture and architecture became the predominant
  art forms
• Sensuous deities decorated temples and
  monasteries
• More Buddhist influenced art still exists today
  than does Hindu art.

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Buddhism and Its Background

• Buddha (the Enlightened One) was the original
  founder of Buddhism
• The religion focuses on meditation, being
  enlightened, and searching for knowledge
• Buddha preached about the Wheel of the Law and
  the Four Noble Truths (both of which are
  influential in artwork of this period)

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Robed Male Figure

• From Mohenjo-dara, Pakistan, ca. 2000 1900 BCE
• A characteristic of early Indus sculpture was its
  small form.
• Sculpture was influenced by the elite class and
  political leaders.

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Lion Capital

• Polished sandstone, ca. 250 BCE
• Capitals such as this were highly decorated
  sculptural architecture characteristic of this
  period.
• These capitals were displayed throughout the
  Maurya Dynasty during Ashokas reign.
• The Wheel of the Law displayed symbolize the
  kings divine authority.

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Great Stupa

• From Sanchi, India, third century BCE to first
  century CE
• Monument that housed religious relics
• Relief sculpture was displayed on the outer
  architecture
• Consists of many buildings constructed over the
  centuries including the viharas and the chaitya
  halls

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Yakshi

• Detail of eastern gateway of the Great Stupa
  mid-first century BCE to early first century CE
• Goddesses that personified fertility and
  vegetation
• Scantily clad, sensuous women used as relief
  sculpture
• Worshipped throughout India

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Standing Yaksha

• From the Maurya period
• Yakshas are the male equivalent of yakshis
• Characteristics include males depicted as
  powerful, robust, broad shoulders, and open,
  staring eyes
• Buddha statues often resembled yakshas but differ
  in that they are clothed in a monks robe

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Canonical Buddha Statue

• Under the Guptas artists formed a canonical
  figure for the Buddha
• Monastic robe covered both shoulders
• Buddha depicted with soft, full body
• Smooth, unadorned surface that is symbolic of
  Buddhas spirituality
• Eyes downcast in meditation
• Images of the Wheel of the Law are displayed

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Painted Caves of Ajanta

• Image of Bodhisattva Padmapani wall painting in
  Cave 1, Ajanta, India
• These cave paintings are some of the only Indian
  paintings that remain today
• Method of painting differs from other cultures as
  they painted on dry plaster
• Results proved to be less durable than other
  fresco style paintings in other cultures

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Hinduism

• Like Buddhism, Hinduism is a polytheistic
  religion
• Sacrifice is essential as it is meant to please
  deities and gain favor with them
• Hindu deities vary in form and natures
• Three most important deities are Shiva, Vishnu,
  and Devi

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Dancing Shiva

• Rock-cut relief in cave temple late sixth
  century
• Shiva is often shown with multiple limbs and/or
  heads as a sign of his super-human nature
• Hindu deities often represented as part human,
  part animal

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Shiva with three faces

• Shiva as Mahadeva ca. 550 575
• AKA the Great God
• Each face shows a different aspect of the deity
• The main frontal face displays Shivas quiet,
  balanced demeanor
• The right face is a creative female
• The left face a fierce, destructive male

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Vishnu asleep on the serpent Anata

• Detail of façade of Vishnu Temple early sixth
  century
• In this relief Vishnu is meant to be dreaming the
  universe into reality
• Surrounding him are other deities including his
  wife Lakshmi and Shiva
• Also included are personifications of Vishnus
  various powers

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Rock-cut Temples

• Mamallapuram, India seventh century
• Indian architects began to carve freestanding
  temples from rocky outcroppings
• Very rare in relation to other cultures and
  religions
• Five temples were carved out of one huge boulder

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Rajarajeshvara Temple

• Thanjavur, India ca. 1010
• Enormous, grand temples were created during this
  period
• Dedicated to Shiva
• Exterior walls display numerous reliefs in niches

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Vishvanatha Temple

• Khajuraho, India ca. 1000
• Vishvanatha is another name for Shiva
• Rising towers resemble rising foothills of the
  Himalayas, home of Shiva
• Temples are comparable to actual mountain cave
  temples
• Designed with ideal mathematical proportions

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Shiva as Nataraja

• Bronze statue ca. 1000
• One of many examples of portable statues of
  deities
• Use of hand gestures, symbols, etc. all represent
  some deeper meaning
• They viewed the statue not as a symbol of the
  god, but as the actual god himself
• Hindus would care for images such as this by
  feeding, clothing, bathing, and taking it on
  outings

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Death of the Buddha

• Sri Lanka ca. 11th to 12th century
• Largest sculpture in Southeast Asia measuring 46
  feet long
• Buddhas cousin, and chief disciple, stands at
  the left mourning his death

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Borobudur

• Java, Indonesia ca. 800
• Colossal Buddhist monument
• Structure contains millions of blocks of volcanic
  stone
• More than 500 life-size Buddha images
• 1000 relief panels
• 1500 stupas

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Angkor Wat

• Angkor, Cambodia 12th century
• The largest of all Khmer temple complexes
• Purpose was to associate the king with his
  personal god (Vishnu)
• Five towers symbolize five peaks of Mount Meru
• Stone reliefs glorify Vishnu

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Bayon

• Angkor Thom, Cambodia ca. 1200
• Unique in that the combination of circular
  terraces, towers, and giant faces were used
• The king turned from the Hindu traditions of his
  ancestors to worshiping the Buddha