Art of Asia

Karma

-(Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation

Standing Buddha

-319-500, mottled red sand stone, Mathura -Gupta period Abhaya-Mudra -Large halo, embodies wisdom, as well as inner calm and stillness.

Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta

-530, Sandstone, Deogarh Temple, Uttar Praedesh -Careful rendering of snake bodies under Vishnu.

Shiva Relief, Elephanta

-535-550, South wall great cave, Maharashtra -Creator, preserver and destroyer in single depiction (could supplant other deities) -many representations of their female consorts

Shiva

-A Hindu god considered the destroyer of the world.

Vishnu

-A Hindu god considered the preserver of the world.

Mudra

-A mystical ritual gesture with the hands of deities, signifying various actions or powers

Scenes from the Life of Sakyamuni (Sakyamuni appearing from the mountains)

-After his ascetic trials

Scenes from the Life of Sakyamuni (The Great Departure)

-Also called the great renunciation -With the aide of an understanding servant the young prince, under cover of night, flees from his family's palace , abandoning all material riches.

Chaitya Hall

-Cave temple containing columns to define the interior space and a stupa in the apse. -Free standing Chaitya halls in wood and sometimes stone also existed.

Vihara

-Dormitories for the monks

Temple at Kailasanatha, Ellora, India, 760 CE

-Ellora caves, temples carved from caves -Maharashtra, considered one of the most remarkable cave temples due to its size

Scene from the Life of Sakyamuni (Birth)

-He was born born out of his mothers right side, depicted exiting her through her sleeve.

Bhakti

-Hindu devotional movement that flourished in the early modern era, emphasizing music, dance, poetry, and rituals as means by which to achieve direct union with the divine.

Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja)

-Hindu; India (Tamil Nadu), Chola Dynasty. c. 11th century C.E. Cast bronze -It combines in a single image Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe and conveys the Indian conception of the never-ending cycle of time. Although it appeared in sculpture as early as the fifth century, its present, world-famous form evolved under the rule of the Cholas.

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple 1030

-Khajuraho complex, Madhya Pradesh -Largest and most ornate temple in Khajuraho -During reign of tprevailing dynasty of the time many Hindu monumental temples were built to main deities (shiva, Vishnu, Surya, Shakti

Bamiyan in Afghanistan

-Large complex with at least two standing and three seated colossal Buddhas -Rock cute with rope and plaster additions -Mahayana Buddhists

Lingaraja Temple; India mid-late 11th century

-Large tower at center of complex -Khajuraho -Much erotic sculpture -Temple dedicated to Shiva -Belongs to the Khajuraho group of monuments

"Descent of the Ganges" Relief c. mid 7th century CE India Pallava period Rock-cut relief

-Mamallapuram -Ganges; sacred river said to emanate from Shivas hair. -Aka Arjunas relief -High relief depicting elephants in nearly completely sculpted.

Dancing Ganesh 10th century.

-Mottled red clay, Madhya Pradesh -36" -God of wisdom, success and fortune -Sandstone sculptures often finished in geso, not displayed here

Chaitya

-Originally meant any place, but came to be associated with the cave temples

Theravada Buddhism (the Lesser Vehicle)

-Regards Buddha as human spiritual leader -Enlightenment through strenuous discipline -Only the elite few can attain enlightenment -Ideals in the arhat -Especially important in Southeast Asia

Mahayana Buddhism (the Greater Vehicle)

-Regards the historical Biddha (Sakyamuni) as one of a host of Buddhas, all of whom are considered deities -Elightenment is attained through by living a life of faith and devotion to the Buddha(s), and by love and compassion for all fellow beings -All sentient beings possess the Buddha nature in potential, and hence are capable of enlightenment -Ideal is the Bodhisattva, delays entry into Nirvana despite reaching enlightenment

Scenes from the Life of Sakyamuni (Ascetic Sakyamuni)

-Shows the emaciated Siddhartha after following the path of extreme asceticism.

Dharmaraja Shrine mid-late 7th century

-Stone temple built from huge rock formations emanating from the ground. -Stone relief but built to imitate wooden architecture. -Strong horizontal elements embody the southern style.

Jataka Tales

-Stories of the previous lives of Buddha. -Frequently depicted in Indian painting and relief -Also frequently represented in Chinese and Buddhist art, but rarely later in Buddhist art of these countries

Urna

-The "third eye" or tuft of hair in the center of the Buddha's forehead, symbolizing increased powers of understanding and observation

Scenes from the Life of Sakyamuni (Sakyamuni meditating)

-The Buddha meditating Sakyamnui was approached by Mara

Scenes from the Life of Sakyamuni (The Four Encounters)

-The young prince Siddhartha encounters and old man, a sick man and a corpse. Then his encounter with an ascetic reveals to him the path to enlightenment.

Samsara (Hinduism)

-cycle of rebirth

Chaitya form

-horseshoe arch; the form resembles that or a lotus petal.

Buddha (Sarnath)

-sandstone, 5th century -transparent drapery and drooling eyes. -Abhaya-mudra -Delecatly carved nimbus of lotus creates halo behind head of Buddha

Cave 26

600-642, Gupta dynasty -Mahayana Buddhists -The facade partly destroyed would have resembled that of cave XIX. Sculptural arrangement is even more orderly than that of cave XIX, and the small chaita arch is less a frequent motif here. -The interior is more unified less massive and overpowering than that of Cave XIX. -The area above he column is treated almost as one, long, continuous frieze which tends to unify the interior and add emphasis to the focal point, the stupa.

Lomas Rishi Cave

Barbar Hills, Northeastern India, near Gaya mid-3rd century BC (Maurya dynasty) -Constructed for use by a "heretical" Buddhist sect; evidencing Ashoka's toleration of religions other than orthodox buddhism. Earliest extant representative of a building type that must have exited in the Vedic and early Buddhist periods. -Essentially a wooden building type translated into stone, hewn from living rock, with main axis parallel to rock face. -Chaitya form doorway (lotus symbolism), simple decoration. Note slope of door jambs and carved "beam ends" in imitation of wodoen construction. Not "egg-shaped" room.

Four Noble Truths

From the Life and Teachings of Buddha -All life is suffering -All suffering is caused by desire -To eliminate suffering, must eliminate desire -To eliminate desire, must follow the Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path

From the Life and Teachings of Buddha -Right understanding -Right resolve -Right Speech -Right action -Right living -Right effort -Right mindfulness -Right Meditation

Cave temples at Ajanta

Northwestern Deccan, Maharashtra. -Comples of 29 caves ranging in date fram 1st century BC to the 8th or 9th century AD

Cave temple at Karle

Northwestern Deccan, Maharashtra. 120 AD (Later Andhra period) -Hinayana Buddhists. -Not free standing Ashokan-style column placed before entrance. -Facade screen made of weed and stone with more sculptural decorations than at Bhaja. -The small chaitya arches are more numerous here also. -Interior columns are polygonal with "water-jar" bases and lotiform capitals and with elephants and riders topping the inverted stepped avaci.

Cave temple at Bhaja

Northwestern Deccan, Maharashtra. 50 BC, Shunga period -Hinayana Buddhists. Facade originally of carved wood, original wooden ribbing still exists in the vault. -Octagonal columns divide the interior into nave and side aisles. -The focal point in the Stupa, the columns, are plain, without bases or capitals. -Not the vihara at Bhaja, as well.

ushnisha

The Cranial protuberance on the top of the Buddha's head, serving as a literal symbol of expanded wisdom and understanding

Scene from the Life of Sakyamuni Buddha (Conception, the Dream of Queen Maya)

These scenes from the life of the historical Buddha so frequently represented, we will be evaluating the most common -Instead of conceived in the typical way, the historical Buddha as a white elephant, entered his mothers womb through the right side (no sexual conception)

Cave 19, Ajanta

first half of the 6th century, Gupta dynasty -Mahayana Buddhists. -facade entirely of stone arches, smaller than variation and sculptural ornamentation. -Chaitya arches, smaller than earlier examples, are recurrent decoratie motifs. (CHAITYA WORSHIP HALL) -figure sculpture is of increased importance. Interior columns are polygonal with bands of low-relief carving. -The decorated capitals are flat and richly carved with a somewhat massive and overpowering feeling.