ART OF THE NON WESTERN WORLD INDIA

INDIA LOCALE

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INDIA India was home to one of the worlds oldest civilizations Geography of extreme contrasts Rich mix of cultures Hinduism and Buddhism dominated the art of India for over 2500 years At various times, one religion stronger than the other Other times- coexist, so architecture and imagery had similar styles Some outside influence (Japan and Buddhism) but mainly distinct Indian style

SO WHAT IS INDIA’S STYLE? Colorful Religious Detailed Dramatic Highly decorative/ ornate

PERIODS Indus Civilization Ganges Civilization Mauryan Era Gandhara Era Gupta Era Medieval Period Mughal Period

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS Earliest known Indian culture Sophisticated society existing til 1500 BC Located along riverbanks of modern day Pakistan stretching about 2000 km, from Harappa to Mohenjo-Daro Bronze and stone animal sculptures Small stamps, or seals, carved in stone Ceramic bowls rubbed with resin and decorated with geometric and animal motifs Built temples honoring popular water gods

SEALS FROM MOHENJO-DARO, PAKISTAN, 3000 BC -Made from steatite -Generally range in size from ¾ “ to 1 ¼ “ square -Array of animals -Could be used as personalization stamps

THE MAURYAN ERA A long era known as the Ganges civilization Hymns called Vedas written, marking the beginning of Hinduism 4 th century BC, India united under Maurya family King Asoka- greatly influenced by Buddhism, greatest of Mauryan rulers Sought to provide people with better life, one without war Large columns built and inscribed with Buddhist teachings Columns topped with magnificent seated sea lions, mark of Asokan art Elephants as decoration

MAURYAN ERA, CONT… Mauryans constructed first objects of Buddhist architecture Stupas- round burial mounds containing relics of Buddha’s body, surrounded by wall Relief carvings on the walls and gateways allowed believers on pilgrimages to read Buddhist teachings Harmika- small railed balcony atop a stupa Most stupas topped with stylized umbrellas that symbolize the thirty-three higher heavens of Mahayana Buddhism

STUPASTUPA I AT SANCHI, 2 ND CENTURY BC, SANCHI, INDIA Designed to look like a bubble, an object that like humans only lives a short time Find the -harmika -stylized umbrellas

GANDHARA ERA Greek armies under Alexander made conquests in Northern India and Pakistan after 326 BC First signifcant Buddhist sculpture had a Greek influence First images of Buddha appeared in the Hellenistic kingdoms of Bactria and Gandhara Sculptures based on Greek sculptural methods and aesthetics Sculptures had Western facial and body types Under the Gandhara school of art, the first Indian cave temples were cut into hillsides of live rock Live rock- stone carved where it is in nature, becoming part of the landscape

COLOSSAL HEAD OF BUDDHA, 2 ND -3 RD CENTURY, GANDHARA, INDIA - Made of stucco - Greek style face (except for half closed treatment of eyes) -Hair formed similarly ro Greek figures of Apollo -Distinctly Buddhist: -Motifs to show sacred nature like elongated earlobes -Ushnisha coil of hair protruding from back

GUPTA ERA Greek style declined, new distinctly Indian style emerged Golden age of Buddhist Indian art Drama, literature, painting, sculpture and architecture flourished Beautiful and elaborate cave temples Style of temples mixes both Buddhist and Hindu designs with distinctly Indian figures Bodies are rounded and voluptuous and lack characteristic Western look

AJANTA AND ELLORA CAVES Tour Rise of the Silk Road led to great wealth, and with this wealth came money to carve great temples such as those pictured here.

ELLORA CAVE 10

ELLORA CAVE FIGURES

AJANTA CAVE FIGURES

AJANTA CAVE

MEDIEVAL PERIOD Hinduism experienced a revival toward the end of the Gupta era 9 th -16 th centuries a variety of kingdoms flourished simultaneously Southeast India- Pallava kingdom produced large freestanding temples cut from live rock at Mamallapuram Monolithic structures (carved, cut, excavated from one piece of material, in this case- rock) have multistoried roofs and stone square towers Temple is symmetrical- building complex to rep order of universe Pathways provided for worshipers and their rituals Images of Nandi- bull in foreground, symbolize Shiva (Siva)

SHORE TEMPLE, 7 TH -8 TH CENTURY, MAMALLAPURAM

MEENAKSHI TEMPLE, 17 TH CENTURY, MADURAI, INDIA

MEDIEVAL CONT. Pallavas also produced gopura Gopura- massive towered gateways placed at the entrance to temple complexes Temples built in Dravidian style Style synonymous with southern Indian architecture today Each level of the rectangular and pyramidically tapered tower is filled with sculptured and painted panels from Hindu mythology

MEDIEVAL CONT. Lost wax casting was a byproduct of the Chola, another powerful kingdom of this time Lost wax casting- casting from original sculpture using wax to make a mold to create duplicate sculptures Lost wax casting- Shiva Lord of the Dance Performing the Nataraja 10 th century Chola Dynasty India

MUGHAL PERIOD Final phase of traditional Indian art Successive waves of Moslem invasions Greatest of Mughal emperors- Akbar He reunited the divided medieval empires into mighty Mughal empire and was the first great patron of the arts Commissioned numerous illuminated manuscripts (although he was said to be illiterate) b/c Moslem religions prohibited use of imagery, many Hindu temples and sculptures were destroyed during the Mughal period. Replaced with mosques and beautiful places of symmetrical simplicity Based on Persian style mixed with Indian ideas Mosaics of stone and ceramic decorate the floors and walls in leaves, flowers and geometric motifs

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS Alexander Visits the Sage Plato in His Mountain Cave: Folio from the Khamsa(Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi, Mughal period (1526–1858), 1597–98 Attributed to Basawan (Indian, active ca. 1556–1600) India Main support: ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; margins: gold on dyed paper; page: 9 7/8 x 6 1/4 in. (25.1 x 15.9 cm), mat: 19 1/4 x 14 1/4 in. (48.9 x 36.2 cm)

TAJ MAHAL Tour -Cost to build would be about 900 mil US today -Built by Shah Jahan to house his fave wive’s tomb -Minarets (tall buildings on side) are built facing away from the main temple in the event of an earthquake -Shah Jahan stands for King of the World

IS ART ALWAYS WHAT IT SEEMS? Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

MUGHAL PERIOD ART Rama Receives Surgriva and Jambavat, the Monkey and Bear Kings: Leaf from a manuscript of the Ramayana, 1605; Mughal India

QUESTIONS Name several types of art made by the Indus Valley civilization. What are stupas and harmikas? Why were the earliest Buddhist sculptures similar to classical Greek sculpture? How is a temple constructed if it is carved from live rock? Which era is considered the highest in Buddhist art? Describe the temple art of this period. Name two structures built by the Pallavas. Describe the Shore Temple at Mamallapuram. What does the bull on this temple represent? What was Akbar? What was his greatest achievement? Why did the Mughals destroy the Hindu temples and sculptures? What is the most famous Mughal Indian structure?