1. Paths to Enlightenment The Art of South and Southeast Asia Before 1200

2. Robed Male Figure, Indus Civilization, Pakistan, 2000-1900 BCE
Most impressive Indus Civilization sculpture
Soapstone
Depicts male w/ half closed eyes, closely trimmed beard and shaved upper lip
Circular emblem
Trefoils (cloverlike designs)

3. Seal with seated figure in yogic posture, Indus Civilization, Pakistan, 2600-1900 BCE
Steatite (local soapstone) seals- most common Indus art objects
A boss- circular knob with a hole permitted string to pass through
Frequently show: humped bull, elephant, rhino and tiger- all profile
Sacred trees

4. BUDDHISM Prince Siddhartha Guatama- THE Buddha, 563 BCE
At 29- left palace
6 years later achieved complete enlightenment while meditating under a Pipal tree
Preached first sermon at Sarnath- set in motion the Wheel (chakra) of the Law (dharma)
The Buddha’s path leads to Nirvana (the end of the painful life, death, rebirth cycle)
Buddha in Art
1st century BCE- as robed monk
Urna- curl of hair between eyebrows (dot)
Ushnisha- ceremonial bump on head
Palms of hands and soles of feet imprinted with a wheel
Elongated earlobes
Halo or sundisk behind head

5. Lion capital of column erected by Ashoka at Sarnath, India, 250 BCE
Maurya Dynasty- Ashoka
Spread Buddha’s teaching
Formed a legal code based on Buddha’s dharma- inscribed on huge monolithic columns
Columns along pilgrimage routes
2 pairs of lions on round abacus decorated with 4 wheels and 4 animals

6. Great Stupa, Sanchi, India, 3rd Century BCE to 1st century CE
Buddhist monasteries: consist of viharas (monks live), stupas, chaitya halls, temples for sheltering images
The Stupa- monument housing relics of the Buddha- solid + filled with rubble
Enter gates (at cardinal points of compass) walk clockwise- harmony with cosmos
600 brief inscriptions- showing donations made

7. Yakshi, eastern gateway, Great Stupa, Sanchi, India, 1st century BCE- 1st century BCE
Yakshi- goddesses representing fertility and vegetation
Reaches up to hold onto mango tree branch- left foot pressed against tree trunk
Buddhists later adopted this pose for the Buddha’s mother
Early example of eroticism in Indian religious art

8. Interior of Chaitya Hall, Karle, India, 100 CE
Best early example of a chaitya hall- used for housing smaller stupas
Circular ambulatories (walking paths) allow worshipers to circumambulate the stupa at the back of the sacred cave

9. Life and death fo the Buddha, frieze from Gandhara, Pakistan, 2nd century CE
Represents 1st sermon at Sarnath
One of the earliest pictoral narratives showing Buddha as human form
Frieze shows 4 scenes
Attributes of ushnisha, urna and halo
Influence of Roman art

10. The Poses of Buddha Mudras, hand-gestures, meaning specific things
Dhyana (meditation), with hands overlapping, palms upward
Bhumisparsha (earth touching), right hand down reaching to ground, calling to the earth to witness the Buddha’s enlightenment
Dharmachakra (wheel of the law, or teaching), two handed gesture, right thumb and index finger forming a circle
Abhaya (do not fear), right hand up, palm outward, a gesture of protection and blessing

11. Buddha seated on lion throne, Mathura, India, 2nd century CE
Closely linked with the yakshas- male equivalent of the yakshis
Robust, powerful males with broad shoulders and open, staring eyes + monk’s robe with right shoulder bare
Under Bodhi tree, on lion throne, abhaya gesture, dharma wheel on hands and feet

12. Seated Buddha preaching first sermon, from Sarnath, India, 2nd half of 5th century CE
Gupta artists formed the Buddha image canon (general style)
Monk robe covering both shoulders, soft, full-bodied Buddha figures, downcast eyes, hands in wheel gesture
Below throne- deer + people
Buddha sculptures largely replaced the stupas as the norm in Buddhist sacred architecture

13. Interior of Cave 19, Ajanta, India, 2nd half of 5th century CE
Multiple images of the carved Buddha image
Chaitya hall
Standing Buddha flanked by columns into the front of the stupa

14. Bodhisattva Padmapani, wall painting in cave 1, Ajanta, India, 2nd half of 5th century
Among a crowd of devotees, both princes and commoners
Long dark hair, jeweled crown, holding a blue lotus flower
Sensuous form, richly attired
Early Indian painting

15. HINDUISM and Hindu Iconography
The Three Major Hindu Gods
Shiva- the Destroyer + a regenerative force. In human form has multiple limbs and heads, matted hair piled on top of his head, crowned by a crescent moon, serpent scarf, 3rd eye on forehead. Rides the bull, Nandi. Son= elephant-headed Ganesha.
Vishnu- the Preserver of the Universe. Shown with 4 arms holding different attributes. Descends to earth to restore balance. Assumes different forms (boar, fish, turtle, Buddha)
Devi- great goddess- creates and destroys. Takes many forms and has many names.
Recognizes NO founder or great prophet
Means “Religion of the Indians”
Hindu practices and beliefs vary tremendously
Ritual sacrifices by Brahmin priests- central to Hinduism
Religion of many gods
Deities have various natures and take many forms

16. Boar avatar of Vishnu rescuing the earth, Cave 5, Udayagiri, India, early 5th century
Earliest Hindu cave temples
Monumental relief sculptures- fully developed religious iconography
Political + religious purpose

17. Dancing Shiva, rock-cut relief in cave temple, Badami, India, late 6th century CE
Cut into cliff walls above Badami
Shiva dancing cosmic dance- 18 arms swinging
Some hands hold objects, some form mudras
Elephant-headed son (Ganesha) and bull shown

18. Shiva as Mahadeva, cave 1, Elephanta, India, 550-575 CE
Shiva- having three faces. Each showing different aspects of the deity.
Quiet, balanced
Right face= female (Uma)= creative
Left face= grimacing male (Bhairava), curling mustache, cobra earring. Destructive.
Represents cycle of death and rebirth

19. Vishnu Temple, Deogarh, India, early 6th century
Small, simple, decorated with narrative relief displaying fully developed iconography
One of the 1st Hindu temples constructed of stone blocks
Elaborately decorated doorway. 3 reliefs-1/side
Doorway= transition from dangerous exterior- sacred interior
Stone plinth- base

20. Vishnu asleep on the serpent Ananta, Vishnu temple, Deogarh, India, early 6th century
3 reliefs- important Vishnu stories
Lakshmi (his wife) massages his legs- he gives birth
4 armed Vishnu dreams universe into reality
Smooth bodies + clinging garments

21. Rock-cut temples, India, 2nd half of 7th century
Freestanding temples carved from rocky outcroppings
Rare. Earliest and most impressive.
Called “rathas” (“chariots”= vehicles of the gods)

22. Rajarajeshvara Temple, India, 1010 CE
Largest and Tallest temple of its time
Inside walled precinct
Dedicated to Shiva
Reliefs in the niches- Shiva in various forms

23. Vishvanatha Temple, India, 1000 CE
Khajuraho, India
1 of more than 20 large and elaborate temples at the site for Vishvanatha (another name for Shiva, “Lord of the Universe.”
Similar to mountains (Himalayas= Shiva’s home)

24. Sculptures on temple wall, Vishvanatha Temple, Khajuraho, India, 1000 CE
Depicts god and mortals- especially pairs of men and women embracing or engaged in sexual intercourse
Erotic reliefs suggest fertility and life and serve as protectors of the sacred precinct

25. Death of the Buddha, Sri Lanka, 11th-12th century
One of the largest sculptures in Southeast Asia
Influenced by classic Gupta sculptures of India (clinging garments, rounded faces, distinctive hair)

26. Shiva as Nataraja, Punjai, Temple, 1000 CE
Portable, cast in solid bronze
Under Chola kings
Shiva- dances as “Lord of the Dance.” Balancing on one leg atop a dwarf representing ignorance, which god stamps out as he dances
4 arms extended- 2 touching the flaming nimbus (light of glory), mudra “fear not” gesture
Not just an image of the god- but the god itself

27. Borobudur, Indonesia, 800 CE
Buddhist monument unique in form and meaning
Colossal in size- 400 ft per side, 98 ft tall
More than 500 life size Buddha images, 1000 relief panels and 1500 stupas of various sizes

28. Harihara, Cambodia, early 7th century
Vishnu as Harihara
Sculptor divided sculpture in half- Shiva on right side/ Vishnu on left
In the round sculpture

29. Vishnu lying on cosmic ocean, Cambodia, 11th century
Shows wealth of Khmer kings
Bronze. Gold/silver and jewels were inlaid
Surviving portion 8 feet long- complete sculpture 20 ft long

30. Angkor Wat, Cambodia, first half of 12th century
Engineering marvel- grand complex of temples and palaces
Each Khmer king built a temple mountain at Angkor and installed his personal god on top (Shiva, Vishnu, Buddha)

31. King Suryavarman II holding court, Angkor Wat, Cambodia, first half of the 12th century
Relief from Angkor Wat
King holding court + Vishnu in his various avatars
Hierarchy scale
Religion + politics

32. Bayon, Angkor Thom, Cambodia, 1200
Jayavarman VII- built more than all other Khmer kings combined
Towers carved with giant faces
Adopted Buddhism + Lokeshvara “Lord of the World”
Combined image with himself