Asian Art Midterm #2

3 Realms of Buddhist Cosmology

1. Arudpadhatu: realm of formlessness (where you want to be, highest) 2. Rupadhatu: realm of forms 3. Kamadhatu: realm of desires (us on earth, lowest)

lost wax bronze casting

1. Carve the wax into the desired form, including all details 2. Cover the wax figure in clay, leaving a hole in the bottom 3. Put the figure in a kiln; the heat will bake the clay and the wax will melt out of the form, leaving empty space 4. Pour molten bronze into the mold, and let it harden 5. Break open the mold 6. Polish and perfect

acrobats/entertainers

1. acrobat -doesnt have bulgy muscles -thinner and mobile -not there for strength, there for flexibility/agility -contrast between inexpressive/stoic facial expression and dynamic body 2. Strongman/weightlifter -tendons/muscles are bulging -shows off feats of strength -not wearing clothes, showing off muscles -legs are not tubular, showing off calf muscles

caste system

1. priests 2. rulers/warrirors 3. farmers/artisans/tradespeople 4. servants/slaves

Brihadisvara Temple

1010 Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu Chola Dynasty Dravidian (Southern India) Style Patron: Rajaraja Chola I -wrote his name in the inscription carved into the temple

MET Shiva Nataraja

11th c chola dynasty bronze alloy lord of the dance: Shiva comes to earth at Chidambaram in the form of the mendicant beggar Bhikshatana, performs the "dance of bliss" after neutralizing enemies and their weapons state deity and national icon of chola empire

Beijing

1420 far from the imperial capital at the edge of the wall, thus at the edge of barbarity admire chinese culture as superior, and adopt their imperial city model

portrait of an official in front of the forbidden city

1480-1550 atrr. Zhu Bang the bottom is the foreground (what is closest to us) as you move up, you move further and further away closest level: gate of heavenly peace (Tiananmen) 2nd closest level: Meridian gate 3rd closest level: gate of supreme harmony 4th level: hall of supreme harmony

the forbidden city

2 dynasties (Ming and Qing) in Beijing palace city central axis -guides you to the center; the buildings with the most power/significance why use such an old model (it is 2000 years old)? -works --> ideal and perfect legacy -cultural association and value 1. residential hall (family) 2. entertainment hall (formal/public space for visitors --> living room) 3. guest reception hall (foyer) 4. entrance (offset from axis at southeast corner) mullet (business in the front (politics) and party in the back (residence) all buildings face the south for maximum sunlight and auspiciousness

Qin Dynasty

221-206 BCE 221 BCE: the first moment where we have an empire united under one emperor, 1st emperor Qin She Huangdi, who beat out the rest

Qin Shi Huangdi

221-210 BCE unified the warring states

Pallava Dynasty

275-897 CE South Indian Dynasty Capital: Kanchipuram Port (major maritime trade empire): mamallapuram Ruler: Narasimhavarman I

Gupta empire/period

319-600s ancient Indian hindu empire tolerant of buddhism hinduism largely replaces buddhism the guptan period gave rise to acheivements in architecture, sculpture, and painting that set standards of form and taste that determined the whole subsequent course of art not only in India but far beyond her borders

classical period

400 bce - 600 ce codified early material for the basis of modern hinduism beginning of great devotional cults based on Bhakti multiplicity of gods: manifestations of different aspects around 6th c, image types of hindu deities were firmly established

Warring States Period

475-221 BCE -a bunch of little ununified states

medieval period

600-1600 ce flowering of major devotional cults expansion of hindu art and architecture alongside ritual practice

Round Terraces at Borobudur

72 stupas -perforated so that u can see the Buddha on the inside the central stupa is dedicated to vairocana

Laksmana Temple

954 Madhya Pradesh state, India Chandella Dynasty Nagara (Northern India) Style Patron: Yashovarman temple is dedicated to vishnu approach from the east and circumambulate the plinth clockwise -reliefs are a convenient head height -what we see: soldiers going off to battle, scenes of daily life climb plinth and circumambulate clockwise -Ganesha - remover of obstacles Juncture wall: mithuna "loving couple" -deity and consort or conjoined couples -weird sex poses incorporation of female form is protective and auspicious climb temple steps and pass through the mandate (pillared hall for public rituals/meetings) Darshan with vishnu in the garbagriha

shruti

"that which is hard (revelation)" body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts comprising the central canon of hinduism (the four vedas)

general terracotta warriors v. archers

General -static, inactive -stabilized weight placement -index finger lifted - human quality -general can't show fear in the face of soldiers -furrowed brow Archers -active, dynamic -alert, contorted bodies -weight placement

devaraja

King of the Gods (Hindu-Buddhist deified royalty in SE Asia) -taught that the king was a divine universal ruler, a manifestation of the Hindu god, often attributed to Shiva or Vishnu -the king was viewed as the living god on earth

Srivijaya Empire

X-XI century maritime trade empire in Indonesia Srivijaya-style Buddhist figures -Thailand and Indonesia 8th-9th centuries --> several arms, tapered waist, long tubular arms, see a lot more of the body

Great Relief at Mamallapuram

Pallava Dynasty 630-668 CE 2 large granite boulders with cleft in between (symbolizing the two sides of the Ganges River) cleft helps us see this structure as a riverbank when it rains, water collects and fills the cleft the whole site is one big devotion to shiva Patron: Narasimhavarman; likely in honor in avenging his father's death LEFT SIDE deities a flying and stylized lion is stylized (stylistic depiction maintained from buddhism) Shiva: -tribhanga posture (swaying) -hierarchic size (larger --> more important) -depicted next to an ascetic (ribcage visible, scrappy beard) standing on one leg --> could be Prince Arjuna asking shiva for help on the battlefield or Bhagiratha begging Shiva to break the flow of the Ganges Temple with Visunu statue -samabhanga -a sculpture on a scultpure Nagas: cobra-headed earth and water spirits RIGHT SIDE cat and unsuspecting mice life-like and naturalistically rendered elephants -in comparison to the stylized lion which is the only stylized animal on the left side -take up most of the right half of the great relief Represented political power/strength: -royal patrons -statue Vishnu was captured from a rival empire

kneeling archer

Pit 2 can see traces of pigments braided hair so it wouldn't get caught in the bow realistic ears --> the more realistic, the more powerful why is he kneeling? -ready but not firing one the front lines -we know this because he is wearing much more armor than the general is

seated archer

Pit 2 sitting to use the weight of his feet to shoot the crossbow

mandala

abstract geometric diagram of buddhist and hindu spiritual universes 2 or 3 dimensional sculptural, painted, or architectural forms used for visualization (in hindu practice) and meditation (for buddhist practice) temple plans

Imperial city plan

according to rites of zhou concentric recta-linear form square -3 gates -9 north-south, east-west streets -9 chariot ways --> form a chessboard street pattern -east of the city: temple of ancestors -west of the city; altar of land and grain -south of the city: emperor's audience halls and government ministries (this was the most important, the front of the city) -north of the city: markets -center: the palace --> emperor's throne faces the center as you move out of the center, you get less and less civilized -same applies for city wall boundaries, as you move farther away from the city's walls, the less civilized you are for imperial family members and high rank ministers

yoni

an aniconic womb representation

shiva linga

aniconic (symbolic) phallic representation of shiva and male principle

linga-yoni

aniconic unity of male and female divine principles

puja

basic hindu temple ritual 1. purification outside of the temple complex 2. circumambulation of the complex (clockwise) 3. enter the complex through the gopuram 4. circumambulate the temple and pray at the sub temples 5. enter the inner temple of mandate halls 6. make the visual contact with the deity in the garbagriha (where the icon is) -Darshan is the moment of connection between you and the deity

Bhagavad Gita

battlefield conversation between Pandava Prince Arjuna and Krishna (Vishnu avatar) -moral: it is not about the work you get out of it , but the work you put into it

Rites of Zhou

bureaucratic text that describes imperial city plan

Borobudur

c. 800 Central Java, indonesia Sailendra Dynasty largest Buddhist monument in the world made of stone not hollowed out 27 Buddha statues in niches on each side (108 total, this is a symbolic number)

Shiva with Uma and Skanda (Somaskanda)

c. 950-975 chola dynasty bronze Shiva: Lord of Nature -battle axe, abhaya mudra, deer, varada with fruit Pavarti/Uma: water lily (sacred flower) Skanda: holds lotus in right hand

Freer Sackler Shiva Nataraja

c. 990 chola dynasty bronze

Pit 2

cavalry, infantry, war chariots

prasat

central sanctuary in a hindu temple that symbolizes mt. meru

chola dynasty

chola mandalam = chola kingdom dynasty affirmed the right to rule through acts of public benefaction focus on shiva chola school of art spreads to Southeast Asia and influenced the architecture and art of southeast asia at the peak of influence during the medieval period location allows for maritime trade

middle levels of borobudur

circular platforms perforated stupas

Pit 3

command post horses with chariots and charioteers

square galleries at borobudur

covered in reliefs Jataka tales stories from the sutras (particularly flower garland sutra) -focuses on the journey to enlightenment, but not the same political connotations -pilgrim Sudhana's journeys to enlightenment as described in part of the flower garland sutra --> visits Bodhisattva Manjusri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, instead of avalokitesvara -reliefs showingg the life of the historical buddha

brahma

creator deity

shiva

destroyer deity (not in a negative way) standing posture: usually tribhanga, but can be samabhanga attributes: lotus, meditation beads, trident, spear, battle axe, small drum vahana: bull nandi abode: mt. kelias

four human goals

dharma, artha, kama, and moksa

devi/shakti

divine feminine and creative energy deity consort or independent deity popular representations: -laksmi: wealth, pros -yoni: aniconic womb representation

brahman

divinity universal, unchanging principle underlying all reality, but also undifferentiated from innermost self of all beings of divine

Southern Indian Architecture/Art

dravida style vimana

mandate of heaven

emperor receives the right to rule from the gods -always looking for signs that you still have the mandate of heaven -droughts and natural disasters emperor is considered the "Son of Heaven" everything under heaven (referred to as tianxia) is the earthly domain he is the lynchpin/symbol of 3 components: heaven, earth, and man

bottom level of borobudur

encased foot

mahabharata

epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and Kauryas

sikhara

exterior mountain tower above the garbagriha; tallest point within the temple complex symbolizes Mt. Meru

skanda

first born son of shiva, the "attacker"/hinda god of war and victory

Records of the Grand Historian

first known depiction of the tomb and its contents 700,000 people from all parts of the country worked on the construction of this tomb it is filled with models of palaces, pavilions, and offices, as well as fine vessels, precious stones and rarities -everything you would need to keep the kingdom in place in the afterlife -even recreates the empire in microcosm --> land below, celestial, all of this is protected by crossbows so any thief would be shot -even though no one will see this but hi, there were candles made out of whale oil so that he could see it human sacrifices -women consorts of the first emperor who had no sons were also to follow him to the grave -the artisans who worked on the tomb were buried as well so that they could not disclose the contents of the tomb covered with trees and made into a grassy hill, but everyone knew this was where the first emperor was buried

gopuram

gates at a hindu temple usually 4 at each of the cardinal directions temple is typically on an east-west axis

fengshui

geomantic placement for maximum auspicious -best placement to achieve an environment with positive flow of energy Earth -direction: center -balance/stability -shape: square -color: yellow -symbol: yellow dragon -YELLOW OCCURS THROUGHOUT CHINESE ARCHITECTURE

shiva nataraja

goal: to establish the idealized form -shilpa shastras -manuals prescribing hindu iconography standardized visual vocab and sculpture proportions ring of cosmic fire: destroying the universe as a perpetual cycle of destruction (symbolically represents the cosmic fire that in hindu cosmology creates everything and consumes everything, in cyclic existence or cycle of life) arms are long, like bamboo stalks face is rounded like the moon eye shape resembles almonds, fish, and lotus leaves matted locks of hair (jatas) --> some is contained in crown others are flying as he dances right ear: earring depicting makara left ear: women's circular earring multiple arms: divine power and multitasking lotus = purity dressed richly with delicate jewelry right hand: -damaru (waisted drum) --> drumbeat of creation -cobra -abhaya mudra left hand: -agni (flame of destruction) -gajahasta mudra (elephant hand mudra) --> trunk of Ganesha right foot: -stepping on the demon -pins down left foot: raised in "dance of bliss"

tribhnaga

hip slung pose similar to contrapposto

kama

human and sexual love

vimana

interior space above the garbagriha

Cambodian Architecture/Art

khmer towers prasat

top level of borobudur

main dome 1 main stupa

garbagriha

main sanction "womb chamber" main shrine containing deity to whom the temple is dedicated

vishnu

maintainer/preserver deity standing posture: samabhanga attributes: lotus, mace, conch shell, war discus vahana: eagle garuda abode: mt. vaikuntha boar avatar is called Baraja (has a boar head in this incarnation) preserver --> comes to earth when we need him multiple arms indicate multitasking --> power and control

how can hindu deities be recognized?

mudras vahanas (animal vehicles) standing posture (tribhanga or samabhanga) attributes (weapons, attire, etc.) abode consort (offspring)

The First Emperor's Tumulus

necropolis: city of the dead -elaborate burial ground 3 pits 1. main army 2. cavalry, infantry, war chariots 3. command post 9horses with chariots and charioteers) the terra-cotta warriors are quite a distance from the tomb mound -why is it so far away? the warriors are guards to protect the kingdom/keep any invasions from occurring

vedas

origins of hinduism (1500-600) Hindu text sanskirt oldest veda: Rigveda (1500-1000 BCE) oldest known religious text in the world other vedas: 900-600 ace -instructions for rituals and sacrifices

Bhakti

personal devotional relationships with a particular deity

mandapa

pillared hall for public rituals/meetings

standing archer

pit 2 standing archer with bronze cross bow not wearing any armor stance and body is mid lift, feet are shifted he is a long distance archer, and you need versatility to shoot long distance -he isn't wearing armor because he is protected by the men in the front lines

jagati

plinth solid raised platform on terrace foundation that elevates the temples also found at buddhist temples

artha

prosperity through a profession

Narasimhavarman I

r. 630-668 AKA Mamallan (great wrestler) Devoted to Shiva avenged death of father (Mahendravarman I) in 642 he continued and expanded his father's work at Mamallapuram -him and his father were the two major patrons of the Mamallapuram Monuments (7th c)

ganesha

remover of obstacles

dharma

righteous and ethical living

last pits

sacrificed animals -close by the burial mounds -horse skeleton paired with a standing groom, so the horses were cared for in the afterlife garden with birds pit of acrobats -more individualized by their bodies, while the soldiers in pit 1 are individualized by their faces

makara

sea creature of hindu culture

Bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat

shallow thin carvings in the galleries of the temple

MET Standing Pavarti/Uma

shiva's wife c. 900-925 chola dynasty bronze idealized body form -small waist, big boobs -exaggerated hour glass figure -impossible realization of feminine beauty

Army of Suryavarman II

so long that it can't be photographed the 6th bas-relief in the sequence this is the only one of the 8 reliefs to show suryavarman's story/acquisition of the throne -mostly depictions of vishnu to support his legitimacy Artist suggests the massiveness of the army in this shallow carving by offsetting and only showing parts

Ganesha and Skanda

sons of shiva and pavarti

atman

soul/self immortal element transcends physical body often obscured by avidya (ignorance)

moksa

spiritual salvation by escaping samsara NOTE: samsara is equivalent to nirvana in Buddhism but is reached through the separation of atman and brahman

lower levels of borobudur

square platforms

unification of the warring states

standardization (weights measures, language, road sizes etc.) emperor gains control over this variety of states

samabhanga

straightforward pose

Imperial City Palace

surrounded by walls illustration of power

Angkor Wat

temple at the heart of central Cambodia patron: Suryavarman II (1113-1150) of the Khmer Empire (8th-14th c) known for its God-like size temple built upon water, sitting on flat water plain -Barays: reservoirs that caught rain in the dry season to feed the canal/mote system built temples in stone -demonstration of power -durability temple faces west in the direction of Vishnu (sculpture at West End) and the direction of death also a mausoleum since Suryavarman's ashes were scattered at the temple Main sainctuary: Mt. Meru -tallest tower in the center to represent Mt. Meru Way below - foundation stone (below the cosmic axis around which the universe revolves)

what makes hinduism different from buddhism?

texts are revealed by divine plus human commentaries there is no single founder impersonal, abstract all-encompassing divine (Brahman) -many deities manifest aspects of unified divine personal devotional relationship with particular deity (Bhakti)

shilpa shastras

the ritual texts describing the science and rules of sculpture

Treatment of Hindu Sculptures

the sculptures, when they were displayed as ritual objects, were treated like the deities they are: they were dressed and ornamented as an act of devotion sculptures had holes in them for processions (portable v. stationary in museums) now they are in museums --> out of original context -brings up issues of looting Shiva Nataraja Geographic/Political Importance -state deity and national icon of chola empire

Churning of the Sea of Milk

the ultimate image of Hindu reliefs cosmic tug of war between good and evil Evil: -asuras (demons) -anchored by Ravana (demon king) -holding the head of the snake -visually distinctive from the devas in headwear Good: -devas (demigods) -anchored by hanuman (monkey god) -holding the tail of the snake forces working together to churn the elixir of mortality before the imminent battle evil side looks like its winning because of the stances of the asuras kurma (turtle avatar of vishnu) at the center; Mt. Mandara grows out of Kurma -surrounded by assorted water creatures (real and mythical) in the ocean of milk Apsaras: in the celestial sphere, produced in the heavens by the churned foam (Tiny) -dancing gestures -kept the idealized physical form from the Yakshi at the Great Stupa at Sanchi Indra: Hindu King of the Gods flying overhead (medium sized) whole scene is only 2-3 cm of limestone

Two Shivas in the Brihadisvara Temple

Ardhanarishvara -composite shiva and pavarti (half male, half female) bhikshatana -shiva as a mendicant beggar -basically naked -physically perfect and incredibly beautiful -all women follow/love him

Northern Indian Architecture/Art

Nagara style Sikhara

differences between northern and southern India temples

North: Chandella dynasty -nagaran temple style -sikhara ("mountain peak") is parabolic -Amalka: sun disc or lotus disc seat above sikhara South: Chola dynasty -Dravidian temple style -vimana (kind of like Sikhara?) is pyramidal -domed capstone above the vimana

Pit 1: Main Army

thousands of soldiers in perfect, military standard rows when they were uncovered, they were not found whole -the pit was burned and was contained inside of a timber-frame structure --> since wood is flammable, everything collapsed and the soldiers broke though the soldiers' uniforms were pretty similar, their faces were somewhat individualized -a number of different molds, modified some features, painted in different ways -different hairstyles represented the rank/position of the soldier --> e.g. the archers wore their hair a certain way so that it didn't get caught in the bow the terra-cotta soldiers represented the diversity of the soldiers in the rank, showed the first emperor's power -the different faces represented the people from around the country -diversity of the army originally in full color, ground mineral suspended in lacquer coating, but pigments flaked off over time and stuck to the surrounding earth general (mostly the same, but not just one mold) -had the most elaborate costume and the brightest, most technicolor color -doesn't have full body coverage with armour, because he wasn't actually fighting --> very calm and composed --> in a static inactive pose -heavy and dense bottom half of body -disproportionate to support the weight of the clay (the figure was life-sized) -more focus at the top of the body, where it was individualized -hollow inside

darshan

to see eye contact with the deity that is the climax of hindu puja

Meanings/Interpretations of Borobudur

tracing the journey of enlightenment of pilgrims (around and up) creates a mandala (visualize and meditate to reach the point in the center symbolic of enlightenment stupa (no relics, but just the idea of buddhism sacred mt. meru 3 realms of Buddhist cosmology journey to enlightenment

cheng

wall/city wall/city cities do not exist without a wall -walls demarcate a city/civilization

cakravartin

wheel turning king (Buddhist ideal universal ruler) -refers to an ideal universal ruler who rules ethically and benevolently over the entire world