Art of Asia

vedas

that souls are locked in an endless cycled of rebirth (samsara) until release from the cycle is attained by one's own actions and beliefs (karma).

Ayrans

the nomadic, warlike people who invaded the Indus Valley. invaders who brought Sanskrit & new religous indeas to India. an Indo-European people who, about 1500 B.C., began to migrate into the Indian subcontinent.

Chattra

the royal parasol; stone ornament placed atop a Buddhist stupa, a number of diminishing umbrella-like discs on a central stem (the yasti) representing Buddhism. the vertical post at the top of a stupa representing the axis of the earth fixed to the cosmos.

Buddhism

the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth. Belief system that started in India in the 500s BC. Happiness can be achieved through removal of one's desires. Believers seek enlightenment and the overcoming of suffering.

Lakshanas

various symbols, Marks/characteristics of existence/universal truths (dukkha, anicca and anatta), that mark Buddha's body and face

Jinas

victors or conquerors. One who has brought forth the highest in his or her being (perfect individual)

Bodhisattva Maitreya

- Gandhara, c. 100-300 CE - sleeping; waiting for when the world needs Buddha - Kushan period 3rd century CE - schist - reborn and restart wheel of law - with a luxurious mustache and jewelry and sandals - standing with slightly bend knees

Krishna Killing the Horse Demon Keshi

- Gupta period, 5th century. - terra-cotta - Uttar Pradesh - The great hero is shown slaying Keshi, a demon who has taken the form of a hose. The heroic struggle is conveyed by the dynamic pose of Krishna, who pushes the beast back with his food while choking it with one arm and preparing to strike it with his (now missing) other arm. - wears chakra

Vishnu

- Gupta period. late 4th and early 5th century. - sandstone - Northern central India - A Hindu god considered the preserver of harmony to the world. The god embodies the qualities of mercy and goodness; the savior of man and creator of the universe. - He has four arms that bear a conch shell, a disc, a mace, and a lotus flower or seed. He wears a jeweled crown, has a mask on his chest that symbolize good fortune (shrivasta) and gears a garland around his neck. - dressed in a princely clothing while Shiva is more aesthetic with charcoal smeared. - has 10 avatars; Rama (long epic) and Krishna (religious text).

Torso of a Priest-King

- India, Indus River Valley - c. 2,000 BCE. Harappa/Mohenjo-Daro, (modern Pakistan), ca. 2000-1900 BC, Indus Valley Civilization. 2600 - 1900 BCE with detailed robe, headband, and jewelry. White low fired steatite. 6 -7/8" x 4 - 3/8" (175 x 11 cm).

DOORWAY AND SANCTUM WITH A SHIVA LINGA

- Kadariya temple - 1030 CE - Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh - Dedicated to Shiva in the form of Sadashiva, the Eternal Shiva, depicted with three heads facing different directions, Symbolizing the contradictory nature of the divine. - The Garbhagriha is a linga representing Shiva in his most primordial form, framed by an entrance evolved from the basic sanctum doorway for as seen at Deogarh, composed of multiple jambs and lintels, images of the river goddess Ganga and Yamuna.

patolu cloth

- Late 18th century - Gujarat (for the Indonesian market) - Unlike the dyed cotton cloths, Patolu survived only from the eighteenth century onward, despite a much longer history of production. - The long fabric with imagery of royal elephants would have been intended for use at court ceremonies of for clothing of the elite. - difficult to make; each thread have tiny design and had to dye so much to the point of too much color. - by dyeing is putting designs on cloths

Exterior of Cave 6, Udayagiri

- Madhya Pradesh - A Garbhagriha fronted by a porch with reliefs bearing images of the gods, their female consorts, and other divine beings.

Seated Buddha with Two Attendants

- Mathura of Kushan Period (82 CE). - Red sandstone, - 36 - 5/8" x 33 - 5/8" x 6 - 5/16. - naturalistic compared to fertility goddess. - High relief; back is flat and front is 3D. - attendants are nicely dressed due to Buddha leave life of luxury.

Ajanta Caves

- Once were sponsored by normal people - Caves in India that have frescos inspired by the Buddha upon their walls. - 200-500 CE; 2nd to 1st century BCE and 5th to th century CE.

cell containing a jain tirthankara

- Vimala temple - Completed 1032 - repaired 1300 - Mount Abu, Rajasthan - The temple is oriented east-west, with three halls leading up to a sanctum. The first 2 halls are open while the third is enclosed and connected to the sanctum. - A separate pavilion in front of the temple has a ceiling depicting the cosmos.

Jina with Attendants

- ca. 500 CE - sandstone - 49 cm in height - Mathura - shaded by 3 parasols above the nimbus and accompanied by two heavenly beings in the sky offer garlands, while two servants below carry fly whisks. - Typical of the Later Gupta Period - started with founder; Mahavira the most important hero who announced enlightenment among followers. similar to Buddha - renounce life from palace - stand on a lotus with nicely dressed attendants. Considered as an angelic being.

Deogarh Temple

- ca. 530. - Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh - The building is among the earliest free-standing temples to survive. A simple square structure that stands on a square plinth; the buildings' original roof and the four corner shrines are now missing. - one of the monolithic temples that is still standing - meant to walk around in clockwise direction

CEILING IN THE VIMALA TEMPLE

- completed 1032. - Repaired 1300. - Mount Abu, Rajasthan - shown as made up of concentric rings of animals and peoples, with the images of 12 goddess of esoteric knowledge positioned across them.

fragment of an Indian cloth

- dated 1340 +- 40 years - Gujarat (found in Fustat, Egypt) - Gujarat cloths were decorated with repeating floral and geometric patterns - The applications were utilitarian--they were made into clothes, covers, curtains, and , when worn out, were employed to wrap bodies for burial. - preserved in temple and family homes

a shvetambara monk instructing a princely figure

- folio from an illustrated copy of the Katakacharyakatha - 13th century - Gujarat - A monk seated on a throne preaches to a male decode, who clasps his hands in veneration.

buddhist symbols

lotus flower, dharma wheel, chakra, double lotus flower

Shrivasta

lotus flowers carved on the feet and an auspicious mark on the chest. Compare that to the Buddhist, Jina is completely nude and in a state of meditation

Stupas

mounded stone structures built over holy relics

Pagoda

multistoried Buddhist temple with eaves that curve up at the corners. The Buddhist place of worship. A multistoried Chinese tower, usually associated with a Buddhist temple, having a multiplicity of projecting eaves.

Sanchi

original era (250 BCE) and marion era (2500 BCE). 50 -25 BCE. major site for Buddhist South Asia. Location of, Buddhist pilgrimage site, "Great Stupa" commissioned by Ashoka.

Shvetambaras (Jainism)

"White-clad". Who wear simples robes and believed that the Mahavira emerged from the state to travel and teach his followers himself.

Aniconic

"no images"; referring to traditions that do not encourage visual imagery in religion

mendicant

(n.) beggar; (adj.) depending on begging for a living

Rajarajeshwara Temple to Shiva

- 1010 - Thanjavur (Tanjore) - Tamil Nadu - Temple raised on a tall platform and consists of a long roofed madcap leading to a square sanctum, which houses a Shiva Linga, may be circumambulated in passages at the ground and second-story levels of the building. - The top-level niches each hold an identical statue of Shiva in his form as Tripurantaka, the destroyer of forts, who must have been chosen in connection with Rajaraja's military successes.

the bodhisattva samantabhadra

- 1015 Ce - Nepal - it's copy is proof that this was a well developed tradition. - 85 illustrations depicting the eight great events of the buddha's life and the different buddhist entities, and include images of buddhist sites of India, Sri Lanka, China, and Java.

Sun Temple

- 1026 CE - Modhera, Gujarat - An eleventh-century temple dedicated to the sun god Surya that is oriented due east, positioning the shrine to receive the full force of the sun's rays during the equinoxes.

detail of cover and leaf of an illustrated copy of the ashtasaharika

- 1097 CE - Produced at the Buddhist Monastery of Nalanda, Bihar. - Pigments on palm leaf - Text is a Buddhist sutra (sacred script), the prajnaparamita, which translates as the perfection of wisdom

Dancing Ganesh

- 10th century - El Anatsui - Mottled red sandstone - 36" in height - Kalachuri, Madhya Pradesh - The human son whom Parvati created from her body one day when Shiva was away. - Considered to be auspicious; whom removes obstacles and therefor is invoked before starting any undertaking. - dancing is important to Hindu statues and Hinduism.

painted panels on the ceiling of the sumstek lhakhang

- 11th to 12th century - Aichi, Ladakh - Were originally painted onto the ceiling of the Sumset Lhakhang ("Three-Tiered Temple") in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and show an amazing range of designs incorporating human figures, animals, and geometric patterns.

Standing Figure of Buddha

- 2 - 3 century (200 AD). - 95 cm. - Northern Pakistan. - Ermgerd in Ganhara, the modern regions of Pakistan and Eastern Afghanistan. - Schist (grey stone). - draperies are simple from greek. - not standing straight. - hair influenced by Greek along with the third eye and draped ear lobes.

Jina

- 2nd - 3rd center CE - sandstone - Mathura - 44.5 cm in height - completely nude and in a state of meditation. In a posture of "Body Abandonment". - curls of hair resemble Buddha. - Difference is Jina is more aesthetic; dedicated to life. extreme self denial.

two women

- 2nd to 4th century - Ivory - Begram, Afghanistan - The medium of ivory and the wholly royal nature of the objects are not attested to in the record of relies works. - Debate of the place of origin and date arose after their discovery, though the carving style is spectulated to attributed to India.

Chaitya

- 462 to 500 CE - Ajanta - Cave 19 - Buddhist assembly and worship hall. a rock-cut shrine in basilican form with a stupa at the endpoint. - a sacred space, often applied to arcaded assembly halls that enclose a small stupa.

SANCTUM DOORWAY

- 530 CE - Deogarh temple, Uttar Pradesh - There is a composition of multiple jambs (doorfame sides) and lintels (horizontal beams at the top of a doorway) adorned with the river goddess Ganga and Yamuna. - an ensemble of motifs and figures that would become standard at the entrance to temple sanctums in both the Hindu.

Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta

- 530 CE - Sandstone - 5' in height - Back wall, Deogarh temple, Uttar Pradesh - on the south side of the temple is a scene of Vishnu reclining on the serpent of infinity, Ananta. - the relief relates the story of the creation of the universe, which the recumbent Vishnu dreams into existence. - other hindu gods wait to dream into existence

Great Cave, Elephanta

- 535 - 550 CE - Maharastra - The Garbhagriha has entrances on all four sides that are guarded by greater than life size attendants supported by dwarves.

Shiva Relief

- 535-550 CE - South wall of the Great Cave - Elephanta, Maharashtra - inspired the creation of icons that were a focus of meditation and contemplation - Shiva depicts his multiple opposing personalities. - three heads of manifestations,

Durga Killing the Buffalo Demon Mahisha

- 8th century - sandstone - 43 x 29 cm - Orissa - The fierce and relentless destroyer of the buffalo demon who threatened the gods. - third important god - many arms mean being multi tasking and show importance.

Durga Temple

- Aihole, india - late 7th to early 8th century - has a curved (apsidal) end around the inner sanctum. The building is raised on a platform with multiple moldings (decorative strips)

Lingaraja Temple

- Bhubaneshwar, India - 1050-1150 AD - 3 separate halls precede the garbhagriha (sanctuary) at the end of the processional axis; ach hall has a distinctive roof profile so the the composition builds toward the high Shihara. - belonged to Shiva

ceremonial cloth and sacred heirloom (mama or ma'a)

- Dated by inscription to 1500. - Gujarat (found in Sulawesi, Indonesia) - Indian cloths in Indonesia were hung from tall bamboo poles during ceremonies perform to protect a settlement from evil. - While this textile features tows of women (probably dancers). Designed with a row triangular motifs called tumpal.

RELIEF SHOWING EITHER THE DESCENT OF THE GANGES OR ARJUNA'S PENANCE

- Early-mid-7th century - Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu - Include mythical stores about Vishnu, Durga, and Shiva. - One composition covers a massive rock formation made up of two boulders with a cleft between them. Measures 98 feet (30 meters) across and 49 feet (15 meters) high. The faves those arriving at Mamallapuram by sea. - three stories

Linga with Face of Shiva

- Ekamukhalinga - Gupta period, first half of the 5th century. - sandstone - 17.5 cm in height - Madhya Pradesh - The god is represented in the form of an erect phallus and in fully manifest human form, with a third eye and long locks of matted hair. He typically wears a tigger skin and carries a trident and a small drum. - Based on Jinas - in Hindu, Shiva is known as a creator and destroyer. good destruction for rebirth. - one of the major gods - Shiva has dreadlocks, lived in the wilderness. pull concshell represents victory. - has a third eye.

Indus Valley Civilization

An early civilization with an advanced culture, located in the Indus River valley on the Indian subcontinent.

Mathura

-City where early images of Buddha were sculpted -Regional school of Buddhist sculpture during the Gupta Period -Round faces, full lips, broad noses, transparent robe material (seemingly a combination of Mathura and Gandhara styles) -Drapery: series of regular strings hanging over the body -Standing Buddha from Mathura, Gupta Period, Mahayana Buddhism, 4th century CE, red sandstone

Indus Script

-Differs from Mesopotamia and Egypt in structure -Largely undeciphered -Short texts compared to Mesopotamian texts -Cylinder seals found in Mesopotamia are evidence for trade

Jain Temples

-Plain on the outside but elaborately decorated inside -Reflect focus on inner, spirit world -Mount Abu, India -11th - 13th centuries

Mohenji-Daro

First Urban State of 2600 - 1900 BCE; 2500 BC. The largest civilization of 500 acres with two districts: Citadel and Lower Town.

Garbhagriha

Womb chamber; the dark innermost sanctuary of a Hindu temple where the statue is placed. from the sanskrit word meaning "womb chamber" a small room or shrine in a hindu temple containing a holy image. The "womb chamber" or shrine room at the heart of a Hindu temple

Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

1) All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. 2) The cause of suffering is nonvirtue, or negative deeds and mindsets such as hated and desire. 3) The only cure for suffering is to overcome nonvirture. 4) The way to overcome nonvirtue is to follow the Eightfold Path

Lower Town

20,000 - 40,000 with a grid system and collapse before 600 year; theorized towards river as cause.

ROYAL WOMAN OR GODDESS

200 BCE. Molded terra cotta plaque. 8" (21.3 cm) height. Tamluk, Bengal. The purpose is unknown, though the details of the woman's adornment is precise. From her tiny animal buckles on her waist sash and the granulated beads of her necklace.

Column Erected by Ashoka

246 BCE. polished, buff sandstone. Ashoka converted to Buddhism and erected columns around the Empire of

Lion Capital of Ashoka

250 BC, sandstone, Sarnath India. 84" (215 cm). Erected at Sarnath, the site of Buddha's first sermon, where he shared the four noble truths. The top of the column - the capital - has three parts; first, a base of a lotus flower, the most ubiquitous symbol of buddhism. Then a drum represent West (horse), East (ox), South, (elephant), and North (lion), as each four lion face directions. Lastly, the lotus represents the water of the mundane world and the four animals.

Dancing Girl Figurine

2500 BCE. 4 inch tall (10 cm) bronze statue with bracelets on long arms and used to had a braid.

Male Figure

2600 - 1900 BCE. Red sandstone. 9.3 cm height. Headless and armless with reveal of male genetalia. Most naturalistic of all the Indus Valley sculptures. represents a departure from the other excavated material and its questionable dating. Though placed in Harappan Civilization.

Mandhata Jataka Crossbar Medallion

2nd century CE. Limestone. Great Stupa at Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. Tells the story of Mandhata and how his desire leads to suffering.

Stamp Seal with a Seated Male Figure

3000 - 1500 BCE. read sandstone, 3 - 2/3" (9.3 cm). used for ritual purpose and contain undeciphered scripture. Represent a mother goddess and were probably a kind of votive offering (token of worship) to her. Mohenjo Daro.

Bracket of a Woman and a Mango Tree

50 - 25 BCE. East gateway.

Great Departure of the Buddha

50 -25 BCE. Stone 53. 75 cm in height. 31 cm depth. Central architrave, East gateway, Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh. Tells the story of Prince Siddhartha's exit from his palace, whom started with poverty and meditation. Although none of the figures represent the prince, yet theorized that his absence depicts an re enactment and symbols indicate his presence

Figurine of a Mother Goddess

7" (18 cm). Ca. 2600-1900 BCE. terra cotta stature with jewelry, headers, and a fertility figure from Mohenji-Daro

Shiva

A Hindu god considered the creator of life and destroyer of the world. The divine ascetic who meditates on the nature of the universe while seated on the peak of the sacred mountain, Kailasa.

Bhagavad Gita

A book, called Mahabharata, in popular Hinduism that was a response to Buddhism and made reaching moksha way easier. The most important work of Indian sacred literature, a dialogue between the great warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna on duty and the fate of the spirit.

reliquary

A container where religious relics are stored or displayed (especially relics of saints)

Literary Gathering in the Apricot Garden

A painting thought to be a copy after Xie Huan, 1370 - 1452. Demonstrates the erudition of a group of Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644).

Viharas

Buddhist monasteries. Buildings that house monks and nuns. A stupa in a form of a corn cob.

Stupa

Buddhist shrine that is shaped like a dome or mound.

Mahavira (Jainism)

Founder of Jainism, a religion that grew out of Hindu traditions and that is still practiced today. the religious and moral duties of an individual

Indo-Aryan Migration

Group of Europeans, traveling on horses, who assumed control of the region. 2000 BC. Waves of migration into the Indus Valley from people from Eastern Europe & Central Asia.

Indus Valley cities

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Well organized, built on mounds, and had a grid pattern for wide straight streets.

Lakshmi

Hindu goddess of fortune and prosperity; wife of Vishnu

Circumambulation

In Buddhist worship, walking around the stupa in a clockwise direction

Chaityas

In India, a traditional village memorial erected over the grave of an honored person. It is a structure built to enclose such a memorial and permit circulation around it

Kandariya Temple

Khajuraho, India, 1020. sculptures of the karma sutra (sexual beings), high platform, rich exterior, vertical emphasis, exterior articulations, shows horizontal roof lines to the interior. garbha griha, womb tower supported theological narrative of marriage of gods shiva and parvati. made in honor of shiva. erotic sculptures conceived for a religious building hindu temple.

Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja)

Location: India (Tamil Nadu) Type of Art: Hindu People: Chola Dynasty Time Period: 11th Century C.E Material: Cast Bronze Facts: 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. Shiva's dance is set within a flaming halo. The god holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarflike figure being trampled by his right foot represents apasmara purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). Shiva's front left hand, pointing to his raised left foot, signifies refuge for the troubled soul. The energy of his dance makes his hair fly to the sides. The symbols imply that, through belief in Shiva, his devotees can achieve salvation.

Patronage

One of the key inducements used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone. (politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support.

Mandalas

Patterned icons that visually excite; used in Vajrayana Buddhism to enhance meditation.

Brhamins

Priests, at the top of the caste system which the Aryans made

Vaishyas

The artisan and merchant varna of the caste system Which the Aryans made.

Shudras

The laborers and servants varna of the caste system which the Aryans made.

Kshatryas

The warriors varna, under Brahmins (priests), of the case system which the Aryans made

Finial

a distinctive ornament at the apex of a roof, pinnacle, canopy, or similar structure in a building.

Citadel

a district of Mohenji-Daro, of great baths and 700 fresh water wells. No worship or government.

Indus Valley

also known as Harappan civilization,located in India along the Indus River,near the Thar Desert and the Himalayas Mountains. A civilization extending from what today is now Pakistan to northwest India and northeast Afghanistan. It flourished in the basins of the Indus River. At its peak it had a population of over five million. The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large non-residential buildings.

relic

an object considered holy because it belonged to, or was touched by, a saint or other holy person

Gandhara

area of Indo-Greek interaction, influential in the creation of Buddhist art. Kingdom in modern Pakistan and Afghanistan established by the Persian emperor Darius in about 520 BCE. 180 BC - 320 AD: rule by foreign kings, lots of trade, spread of Mahayana Buddhism, a "middle period" between Mauryan empire and Gupta empire, capital at Taxila

Brahmanism

early religion of the Aryans. religion of Vedic India, based on priests and rituals, particularly sacrifices to the gods. ancient ritual traditions in which Brahmins played a key role; it grew out of older Vedic religious beliefs and helped lead to Hinduism.

anthropomorphic

having human characteristics; attributing human characteristics or qualities to objects, animals, or gods

Shamanistic

religious practices in both Korea and Japan. The animistic religion in which mediation between the visible and spirit worlds are effected by shamans (religious leaders). Having the character of a shaman—one who can fall into a trance-like state and have knowledge of the spirit world.

brocade

rich, figured fabric The sofa was covered with expensive brocade.

RELIEF OF THE BUDDHA STANDING IN THE GATEWAY OF A STUPA

second half of the 3rd century CE. Limestone. Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh. A state of the Buddha whom stands inside, above, and either side of its doorway.

Digambara

sky clad. "Clothed in sky"; a member of the Jain sect in which monks ideally do not wear clothing. A highly ascetic order of Jain monks who wear no clothes