UNIT 17 SCULPTURE -

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.frnn.L 17.0 Objectives 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Sculpture : Types and Forms 17.3 The EglSPeriod

. 193.1 ThaHampp~~u 17.3.2 The Mauryuu 1733 TheSunga6 173.4 The Kurhanr

17.4 The Gupta Period 17.5 Medieval Period 17.6 South Indian Stream 17.7 Let Us Sum Up. 17.8 Keywords 17.9 Ansmrs to Check Your Progress Exercises

b t e r reading this Unit you will be able to:

know the rich sculptural heritage of India,

m understand its importance in the tourism industry,

understand the sense of continuity as far as the sculptures are concerned.

17.1 INTRODUCTION - Indims have made a contribution to world art in their sculptupe w W can only be paralleled by the Greeks. Throughout the centuries sculpture in India has been a dominant expression of W p p l e &their land. The sculptural ;ultists h India had attrrined a high dc:grec of excelknce at a very early period and specimens produced by them are ;world renowried and objects of international recognition today.

It has often been commented by European scholars of history that Indians are not history conscious and there is no written record of the history of ancient India. If history is not merely a jumble of dates, names of kings and the& wars, but means a record of the life of the people and their environment, there is no b~ hktodadamd than what we frnd in ancient sculptures and paintings. Like a vast c&wd pktm b&, the d e f s of Bharhut and Sanchi illustrate vividly the everyday existence of the a rc ihq peq&s. Furthermore, they are priceless artktie pieces that attract connoisseurs from d ovcr the globe. That is why it is important far d students d tourism to have kmx$sdge of the sculptural legacies of our country.

It is true &at the creation a d interpretation of a work of art d e p d s primarily on a nation's rituals, beliefs and culture. But there can be no doubt about the universal appeal that lies in the silent beauty and craftsmanship of sculptutes.

17.2 SCULPTURE : TYPES AND FORMS

Sculpture is the action or at of creating three d i m a s h & & of art out of malleable or . . hard material by carving, modelling, casting etc. There.is a widespread belief that Indian

sculpture is architecture. Although, this is true of the bulk, yet, varieties of metal, ivory and wood were useti for sculpture. Examples abound from the level of primitive tribalr, to folk cultures and the sophisticdted ones. Then there is the terracotta of which there are enough sculotures. The whole range of South Indian bronze is also non-architectonic. These: famous

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and exquisite sculptures are technically superb examples of aesthetic sense. The art of sculpture thus remained deeply rooted in the tradition of Indian art and architecture and had more or less an uninterrupted evolution. From the time of the Hatappm d ~ t 5 o n to the end of the Mughal rule masterpieces of Indian sculpture kept coming by. As shcknts of tourism, it is imperative to get familiaried to all major sculptural forms that are of importance in highlighting the cultural heritage of India and are of interest to visitors. Broadly we can divide sculptural art in the Indian subcontinent i ~ t o four main streams.

e The Early Period

The Gupta Period

Medieval Period

South Indian stream

All these sculptural f m are e q d y rich in tkk matent and exhibit the cultural diversity of India. Let us now see how they differ Erom each other a d still hold a d u i t y .

1173 THE EXRLY P E W D '

173.1 The Harappans

Mat--L stmctmed to wmpdred tat-oiulruu4 PI-1, Pninul and homsn Me. EEcbisanupeelollst 0-9 =PC- fw appcrv rs -*n; Yct, at. &pa level, the s ~ - t k n p t n ~ - " .nirrml e l e ~ t s nynrrcnt

ampects of tbs humm pqeh, Mr(Pmorpbls . dtmlsmldellonb logkdd-nirl

The early period begins with the Harappa culture and may be said to have lasted until the *' advent of the Gupta Kings.

The earliest sculptm~ come h the Harappa culture. The human and tinhdmes and figures excavated in this region show r high degree of finish and excellence and W o s e an advanced stage of dwelogment of the art. A wide variety of impressive terracotta fipiues of animals such as dog, baa14 monkey, squirrel, rhinoceros, crocodile etc show that the artist had a close stlldy of Wu habits as wll as consummate abiity to represent them with realistic effect. The of aniuds caved on seals in naturalistic detail umvey a high degree of technical sSU cmd artistic ability of the sculptor.

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Samc z~marluMc f igures in bronze have also been discovered from the valley. A dancing girl is .c&&xeif to be a work of great beauty. AAwild buffalo with head lifted . up and . a ponderous

&e~th(ir &nmimpai of artistic w:., .* IT,, . . . - .- . .

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w' remnants of its railings and gateways are now prekhed in the indian .- in a number of European and Amedean deccions. The sculptured panels an tite gateamd

a 7 railings present a vast panorama of life. Amongst the historical scenes, thc ntost bateresting %I are the royal processions of Ajatshatru and Prenjit and their visits to Buddha. ka& " invaluable sculpture is the representation dP the faaraus Jetpvd mowteq &av& with '5 its mango trees and the rich banker Amthpdh

. . mbptyinggold to co;vertb grand of the large 6gures. There are more than thirty statues of Y a l t s h and Y a b W , dmtps &rodas.

.' i$ The representations of animals and trees are alsovery numerous. The other objects areboats, horses, chariots and bullock carts, besides several Linds of musical bshaments a d a geat

-'%&is ;- - k in the history of 1ndianktis thekdptured railings round tha

temple at Bodh Gaya. The h e r side of the rail is ornamented &h long of anirrasln, ..; elephants, deer, bulls, winged horses, laalenms, centam etc. and scenes from evtryday He;

,,q?$ and the outer fa= are carved with circular low flowers on both sides, some of them - % . . 4 containing busts of animals. The sculptures ate well designed, laboriously chided and

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The most marmifictnt of the early Buddhist monuments is t . .-

. . -, n the four gateways which are ~8~ediH&trti&ig'&e i 52 ' ".-.'. ' ~... i

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. >There were thircy calumas and out af h s e ten are in more or less perfect state of !, ; - ,a preservation. Two with lion capital are at Basarh - Bakhira and at Lauriya Nandangarh, both

, in Champarm district of Bihar. However, the mastqiece of Mauryan sculpture is the - - -c Swmth column. It once stood in Deer Park in Sarnath. The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang

:?I who visited the site in the seventh century k i b e d it thus: A stone pillar about seventy feet ;w high. The stone is altogether as bright as jade. It is glistening and sparkles like light.

1 ;>. " 1 . ,;j, .* Besides the pillars, there exist a host of YaLsha and Yakshi figures such as Besnagar Yakshi (Indian Museum, Calcutta), Parkham Yaksha (Mathura Museum),,Didarganj Yakshi (Patna I F:.

~. . Museum) - Jain Tithankqas (Lohahipur Torras) and portrait heads. These bear distinctive &:,- -.. - .< . Mauryan polish and are, therefore, ascribed to this period. The figures of Yaksha and Yakshi

' - are huge in proportions, are stately a d show the artist's technical I .;. The Yahbi h Didarganj is a d i t i d l y the best nf thew fipr?..

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TJLC8t ImfhrarerrlPbd b another group of lenmk w-5, the y.IfShhi, .long with their msle c o u n t e ~ the yakshpg T h c y l o o ~ ~ ( h c fcrlllity of water a d cPrtk They srsnd against (rsg, embrace them, and thus becorm Im aspect of the tr#, uUeulP*Ihe intcrpe~etrsllon of (h pbnt and thc hw- The Lne is dependent upon the woman lor ils fcWty, .s is (hc wo- m(hc(m.

d ~ h e Sunga dynasty replaced the Maury &i? marked development in Indian form of sculpture and ornamentation. Susgaperiod depicted life in its true form and reality. This is to be see which stood round the stupa at Bharhut in central India. the s

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In the 1st - 2nd century A.D.,

sclllp(are " picture of Indian life and thought. Men, animals, foliage, gods and goddesses are portrayed with great vigour and dramatic intensity. The human figures are elegantly carved and shown in various difficult poses. The northern gateway of the stupa is the best specimen as a work of art.

173.4 The Kushans

Under the patronage of the Kushan kings, a new school of art known as the Gandhara school

i came into existence in north-western India. The Gandharan artist adopted the Greek custom of representing gods in sculpture and the Buddha was first represented in art. The appearance of the image of the Buddhawas an event of utmost importance because till then stupa was the object of worship. The images of the Buddha'and Bodhisattva are carved out in a realistic manner with great attention to accuracy of physical details, especially by the delineation of muscles and addition of moustaches etc. The representation of the thick drapery with large and bold fold lines also form a distinct characteristic of the art. The Gandhara art reached its summit under the rule of Kanishka but this school gave an effeminate and listless gesture to the Buddha fwres that barely expressed the spiritual energy of the Buddhist thought.

another school of art flourished at Mathura which was a centre of early indigenous art. The Mathura sculptqres are distinguished by the use of spotted red sandstone. The noteworthy specimens of Mathura art are thoseaofYaksha and Yakshi. These figures exhibit artist's skill in designing and carving of exquisite figures, full of charm a n d expression. Apar t from the Yakshis, a few royal statues of the Kushan kings have been found near Mathura. The statue of Vima Kadphisis and a headless figure of Kanishka of this period are now in Mathura museum. The greatest achievement of Mathura sculptor is the carving of the earliest entirely Indian representat ion of the

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Buddha.

I t is the yakshis, essentially representing the water and earth principle, which culminate in the image of the river goddess, principally Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati. In geographical terms, these are three important rivers of the Indo-Ganget ic plain; in mythical te rms they a r e t he principle of eternal subtenance. Throughout the subcontinent, Indian shrines portray mighty figures of Ganga and Yamuna standing on their respective vehicles guarding the sanctuaries and preparing the devotee for the inner journey. Sarasvati, the third river, has now run dry, but is remembered as the goddess of speech and learning and also of music. Young Girl I

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The myths of Vishnu and Shiva are fundamental. In the case of Vishnu, the evolutionary process Is the model The primeval waters of the universe arc churned; the elixir 01 We Is obtained, but w t before the deadly poison (kalaknta) surfaces and the dross Is destroyed. Many sculptures and Innumerable paintings depict this episode of the churning of the ocean for

;the e l m (amrita-manthaua), when a column is shown as the &urnins rod, symbolizing the centre of the earth.

17.4 THE GUPTA PERIOD

With the rise of the Gupta dynasty in the fourth century A.D. the Indian sculpture entered a new epoch. During this period, Buddhism was still influential and inspired images, which must be recognized as outstanding works of art as well as powerful expressions of faith. But Hindu places of worship were increasing in number and needed images. Mathura, for centuries a major centre for the sculpture of Buddhist icons, now started providing images of Hindu deities. The forms were different but the high standards of sculpture were maintained.

The Gupta sculpture is at its best both in Buddhist and Hindu images. Preaching Buddha at Sarnath is the peak of perfection where he is represented seated in a yoga posture, his hands on the wheel turning the preaching. The eiegant image of Vishnu, too, has the perfection of form and of the techniques of carving stone expected from Mathura. In the characteristic red sandstone of the region, sensitively fashioned, it remains imposing despite the damage it has sustained. The image wears a cloven profusely ornamented. The torso is bare and a lower garment textured with tucks, falls from the belt. Long earrings and two necklaces frame the face which reveals a serene spiritual beauty.

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-. figures are found at the raps at DcMimori in Gujrat.

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S h is (he symbol al s e x d bi-anlty, and therefore beyond the duallly of S h h nnd Shakti, eemwpondiag (4

mimandne(erc(purushp .ndprclhltl),Lrbalhsrr :

Sttcs in the n@ghborh& d BiLnner in Rajas* have poduccd a nmber d imamsting ni(hinhlm. I

temwta plaques of thjs perid, now in the El& gum. Excavatiolls. at hhi&chhatra .reveal a lwge coUecth of terrmtaplaqws aad large relief 6gwegfroan a na lbqpr extant 5s:

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. . temple dab$ Beid or late fifth century. A considerable number of terracotta heads, in most . . .

style axme from Akhw in. Ka&mk. Nwneraus, h e tqracottas of this period M.aft M a . A poignant seated @we &a 'a1 and SCvr from Sahet - Mahet

have dm bem kitad that are uuparded in style

of aMnallbqtimpcKtantnhr d r o c k ~ i n c e n b d wry considerable number of individud b g a , Buddbist orland

ha shrines. The Gust large dpturd compositions, a feature of the later in the Gwpta period. % - u s m e made but very few have ~ ~ k . a s e ~ to thethptaphd.

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.. Sculpture

17.5 MEDIEVAL PERIOD

The ruined Buddhist stupa near Gyaraspur (Vidisha) in Malwa has four majestic Buddhas and can be dated to the eighth century. The Buddha on the southern side is accompanied by the bodhisattvas Avalokiteswara and Vajrapani.

The surviving structural temples of the eighth and the ninth centuries in Central India and Rajasthan belong to the Pratihara style. This style is derived from the Gupta style albeit with some regional variations. The Pratihara temple walls are decorated with a single band of sculpted niches, pillars with lotus designs and elephants on walls carved beneath luxuriant scrol work.

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Architecture The late ninth and the early tenth century saw the Mahiigurjara style with tall shilbaras, sparsely decorated door frames and mandapas. The mandapas, shikharas and the *ails are extensively sculpted.

During the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Chandellas were the greatest power in Central India. They were great builders of temples and tanks, forts and palaces etc. The capital Khajuraho was a principal site of sculptural activity and was a high point of building activity. The Khajuraho temples are famous for their erotic relief panels which may illustrate the tantrik practices of certain medieval cults. In these temples the many charms of the female body are revealed in most contorted and provocative poses. Geometric and floral designs, too, are abundant.

With the coming of the Turks the sculptural activity, atleasl. that carried on by the rulers and nobles, came to a temporary halt. Keeping in view the Islamic ruling on not indul;$ng in replicating animate objects, there was a sudden decline in sculptured artifacts. The walls of tombs and palaces, if at all decorated, were by calligraphy or by geometrical, denatu::alized vegetal ornamentation called arabesque.

It was, however, different with the Mughals, particularly, as far as Akbar was concerned. He invited guilds (salats) of indigenous artisans and gave them freedom to experiment. It is in this way that a unity and continuity in the art of India was maintained.

The depiction of animate motifs -birds, beasts, human or cclestial beings - constituted the chief mode of the art of ancient Hindus as well as Jainas and Buddhists. Similar animate motifs in carved and sculpturesque decor in red sandstone are found in within large numbers in the monuments of Akbar at Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. Beautiful brackets having elephant mouths with unmistakable tusks and trunk are used in the dalans of the Delhi gate of the Agra fort. The Hehimgiri rnahal in the same fcrt has a large number of carved elephants, parrots, makara, hamaa and peacock.

Apart from these motifs, the Mayura - Mandapa of the Agra fort is treated with essentially Hindu designs and motifs like the chakra, svastika, srivatsa, lotus, harnsa and parrot.

The subsequent Mughal emperors, though using all these rnotifs in one way or another did not try and improve upon them as the stress was on paintings during the time of Jahangir and on architecture during the time of Shahjahan. However, frorn the time of Shahjahan onwards, sculpted pieces of marble in the shape of mini-monuments, jalis and miniature animals do appear, though they are not prolific.

With the coming of Aurangzeb, this whole activity saw a reversal of sorts with the emperor enforcing prohibition on image making - carving or otherwise.

17.6 SOUTH INDIAN STREAM

* The art of South India got a ncw impetus in the hands 01' the Pallavas who ruled for a fairly long period starting from thr: 4th

I century A.D. to the 9th century A.D. The Pallava artists used metal as a medium of expression and this period is remarkable for excellent sculptures in bronze. The subject matter is mainly saivite. Over thirty - five bronzes of the Pallava age and idiom are now identified in various tem~les . Siva has been shown in various moods, somewhere he appears in the act of granting, somewllere destroying and in others caressing his consort. In the Nataraia image; ofVSiva which is the most fakous form we find some o f t i e

, b e s t examples of South Indian metal art.

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The Cholas were the much celebrated rulers of the Sangam age who gave extensive patronage to arts. Nearly 23 Chola rulers reigned for over 400 years from 850 A.D. to 1275 A.D. The Pallava images have their characteristic features in ornamentation and drapery while in the hands of the Chola artists there is a roundness of form and a disciplined strength about these figures. The image of Parvati from Tanjavur now in Tanjavur Art Gallery is an example of classical Chola art. The artistic ideal of the classical Chola art of the eleventh century finds fullest expression in the Nataraja image from Triuvalangadu now in the Government Musewi, Madras.

The movement in art under the Cholas continued for a longer period through fruitfirl pursuit of experimentation. Some of the late Chola images are squally remarkable like the Balakrishnan in the Prince of Wales Museum and the IZ;ankala Murti from Tirukkalar now in the Government Museum, Madras.

Metal art in the south is not confined to the depictionof gods and goddesses only. Kumerous sculptures appear which display Saiva and Vaishnava saints, kings and queens, lamp bearers, animal figures, metal boxes etc. They give an idea of the secular art form. Thus, the ! Sun-rti from Kilayur datable to 12th century A.D. now in the Tanjavur Art Gallery i

closely resembles the figures of the Chola deities. The A i e on elephant from Togur datable to 12th century A.D. now in Government Museum Madras, also helps to form an idea of the human as well as animal figures of the Chola period.

1) What were the various sculptural f~rm8 ia medieval I&?

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17.8 KEYWORDS

Connoisseurs : an expert in matters of taste

Malleable : adaptable

Carving : giving shape to stone

mtins ag h P e t h m ~ ~ ~

. M o d e m h giving shape to clay

. Ivory . , : made of the t ~ k - o f elephants 1 .

Non-arcbl-nic 3 not rd&ng t;idicbitecture 3

Terracotta : unghmd earthenware

Figarines : asmdlstrrtue , Consummate : make pr

'Ponderous

: made of one piece

: calculation frame

Lustrous : with a shine

Yaksha : mythological figure of a male

*ah& . mythological figure of a female % 2

Centaurs Greek mythological figures with he ,

the body and legs of a horse

Ihvtas.. -: the gods 3 I

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Raias , & t h e m , . ,; f.,s

the fish >,%

'gataka the stories of several birth

rastika and

B L4t7.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS EXERCISES

2) See Sec.17.2.

2) Ske Sub.b.17.3.l.

3) See Sub.Sec.17.3.2. .. .,

' 4) See Sec.17.4.

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Architecture Check Your Progass-2 I 1) See Sec.17.5.

2) ' See $ec.X?.6.

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