south and southeast asia before 1200 gardiner chapter 6-1 pp. 157-166
DESCRIPTION
INDUS CIVILIZATION The Indus Civilization 1. Located along the Indus River and extending into India 2. Flourished between B.C.E. 3. Major sites are Harrapa and Mahenjo-daro -> fully developed cities with streets and multistory brick housesTRANSCRIPT
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