The Art of South and Southeast The Art of South and Southeast

Asia Before 1200Asia Before 1200

South and Southeast AsiaSouth and Southeast Asia

Religion is the main Religion is the main influence on art during influence on art during this periodthis period

Buddhism and Hinduism Buddhism and Hinduism are the religions of this are the religions of this time; often coexistingtime; often coexisting

Sculpture and Sculpture and architecture became the architecture became the predominant art formspredominant art forms

Sensuous deities Sensuous deities decorated temples and decorated temples and monasteriesmonasteries

More Buddhist influenced More Buddhist influenced art still exists today than art still exists today than does Hindu art. does Hindu art.

Buddhism and Its BackgroundBuddhism and Its Background

Buddha (the Enlightened Buddha (the Enlightened One) was the original One) was the original founder of Buddhism founder of Buddhism

The religion focuses on The religion focuses on meditation, being meditation, being enlightened, and enlightened, and searching for knowledge searching for knowledge

Buddha preached about Buddha preached about the Wheel of the Law and the Wheel of the Law and the Four Noble Truths the Four Noble Truths (both of which are (both of which are influential in artwork of influential in artwork of this period) this period)

Robed Male FigureRobed Male Figure

From From MohenjoMohenjo--daradara, ,

Pakistan, ca. 2000 Pakistan, ca. 2000 ––

1900 BCE1900 BCE

A characteristic of A characteristic of

early Indus sculpture early Indus sculpture

was its small form. was its small form.

Sculpture was Sculpture was

influenced by the elite influenced by the elite

class and political class and political

leaders. leaders.

Lion CapitalLion Capital

Polished sandstone, ca. Polished sandstone, ca. 250 BCE250 BCE

Capitals such as this Capitals such as this were highly decorated were highly decorated sculptural architecture sculptural architecture characteristic of this characteristic of this period. period.

These capitals were These capitals were displayed throughout the displayed throughout the MauryaMaurya Dynasty during Dynasty during AshokaAshoka’’ss reign. reign.

The Wheel of the Law The Wheel of the Law displayed symbolize the displayed symbolize the kingking’’s divine authority.s divine authority.

Great Great StupaStupa

From From SanchiSanchi, India, third , India, third century BCE to first century BCE to first century CEcentury CE

Monument that housed Monument that housed religious relicsreligious relics

Relief sculpture was Relief sculpture was displayed on the outer displayed on the outer architecturearchitecture

Consists of many Consists of many buildings constructed buildings constructed over the centuries over the centuries including the including the viharasviharas and and the the chaityachaitya halls halls

YakshiYakshi

Detail of eastern gateway Detail of eastern gateway

of the Great of the Great StupaStupa; mid; mid--

first century BCE to early first century BCE to early

first century CEfirst century CE

Goddesses that Goddesses that

personified fertility and personified fertility and

vegetationvegetation

Scantily clad, sensuous Scantily clad, sensuous

women used as relief women used as relief

sculpture sculpture

Worshipped throughout Worshipped throughout

India India

Standing Standing YakshaYaksha

From the From the MauryaMaurya periodperiod

YakshasYakshas are the male are the male

equivalent of equivalent of yakshisyakshis

Characteristics include Characteristics include

males depicted as males depicted as

powerful, robust, broad powerful, robust, broad

shoulders, and open, shoulders, and open,

staring eyesstaring eyes

Buddha statues often Buddha statues often

resembled resembled yakshasyakshas but but

differ in that they are differ in that they are

clothed in a monkclothed in a monk’’s robes robe

Canonical Buddha StatueCanonical Buddha Statue

Under the Under the GuptasGuptas artists artists formed a canonical figure formed a canonical figure for the Buddhafor the Buddha

Monastic robe covered Monastic robe covered both shouldersboth shoulders

Buddha depicted with Buddha depicted with soft, full bodysoft, full body

Smooth, unadorned Smooth, unadorned surface that is symbolic of surface that is symbolic of BuddhaBuddha’’s spiritualitys spirituality

Eyes downcast in Eyes downcast in meditationmeditation

Images of the Wheel of Images of the Wheel of the Law are displayedthe Law are displayed

Painted Caves of Painted Caves of AjantaAjanta

Image of Bodhisattva Image of Bodhisattva PadmapaniPadmapani; wall painting ; wall painting in Cave 1, in Cave 1, AjantaAjanta, India, India

These cave paintings are These cave paintings are some of the only Indian some of the only Indian paintings that remain paintings that remain todaytoday

Method of painting differs Method of painting differs from other cultures as from other cultures as they painted on dry they painted on dry plasterplaster

Results proved to be less Results proved to be less durable than other fresco durable than other fresco style paintings in other style paintings in other culturescultures

HinduismHinduism

Like Buddhism, Hinduism is a polytheistic Like Buddhism, Hinduism is a polytheistic

religionreligion

Sacrifice is essential as it is meant to Sacrifice is essential as it is meant to

please deities and gain favor with themplease deities and gain favor with them

Hindu deities vary in form and naturesHindu deities vary in form and natures

Three most important deities are Shiva, Three most important deities are Shiva,

Vishnu, and Vishnu, and DeviDevi

Dancing ShivaDancing Shiva

RockRock--cut relief in cave cut relief in cave temple; late sixth temple; late sixth centurycentury

Shiva is often shown Shiva is often shown with multiple limbs with multiple limbs and/or heads as a and/or heads as a sign of his supersign of his super--human naturehuman nature

Hindu deities often Hindu deities often represented as part represented as part human, part animalhuman, part animal

Shiva with three facesShiva with three faces

Shiva as Shiva as MahadevaMahadeva; ca. ; ca. 550 550 –– 575575

AKA the AKA the ““Great GodGreat God””

Each face shows a Each face shows a different aspect of the different aspect of the deitydeity

The main frontal face The main frontal face displays Shivadisplays Shiva’’s quiet, s quiet, balanced demeanorbalanced demeanor

The right face is a The right face is a creative femalecreative female

The left face a fierce, The left face a fierce, destructive maledestructive male

Vishnu asleep on the serpent Vishnu asleep on the serpent

AnataAnataDetail of faDetail of faççade of Vishnu ade of Vishnu Temple; early sixth Temple; early sixth centurycentury

In this relief Vishnu is In this relief Vishnu is meant to be dreaming the meant to be dreaming the universe into realityuniverse into reality

Surrounding him are Surrounding him are other deities including his other deities including his wife wife LakshmiLakshmi and Shivaand Shiva

Also included are Also included are personifications of personifications of VishnuVishnu’’s various powerss various powers

RockRock--cut Templescut Temples

MamallapuramMamallapuram, India; , India;

seventh centuryseventh century

Indian architects began to Indian architects began to

carve freestanding carve freestanding

temples from rocky temples from rocky

outcroppingsoutcroppings

Very rare in relation to Very rare in relation to

other cultures and other cultures and

religionsreligions

Five temples were carved Five temples were carved

out of one huge boulderout of one huge boulder

RajarajeshvaraRajarajeshvara TempleTemple

ThanjavurThanjavur, India; ca. , India; ca.

10101010

Enormous, grand Enormous, grand

temples were created temples were created

during this periodduring this period

Dedicated to ShivaDedicated to Shiva

Exterior walls display Exterior walls display

numerous reliefs in numerous reliefs in

nichesniches

VishvanathaVishvanatha TempleTemple

KhajurahoKhajuraho, India; ca. , India; ca. 10001000

VishvanathaVishvanatha is another is another name for Shivaname for Shiva

Rising towers resemble Rising towers resemble rising foothills of the rising foothills of the Himalayas, home of Himalayas, home of ShivaShiva

Temples are comparable Temples are comparable to actual mountain cave to actual mountain cave templestemples

Designed with ideal Designed with ideal mathematical proportionsmathematical proportions

Shiva as Shiva as NatarajaNataraja

Bronze statue; ca. 1000Bronze statue; ca. 1000

One of many examples of One of many examples of portable statues of deitiesportable statues of deities

Use of hand gestures, Use of hand gestures, symbols, etc. all symbols, etc. all represent some deeper represent some deeper meaningmeaning

They viewed the statue They viewed the statue not as a symbol of the not as a symbol of the god, but as the actual god god, but as the actual god himselfhimself

Hindus would care for Hindus would care for images such as this by images such as this by feeding, clothing, bathing, feeding, clothing, bathing, and taking it on outingsand taking it on outings

Death of the BuddhaDeath of the Buddha

Sri Lanka; ca. 11Sri Lanka; ca. 11thth to to 1212thth centurycentury

Largest sculpture in Largest sculpture in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia measuring 46 feet measuring 46 feet longlong

BuddhaBuddha’’s cousin, and s cousin, and chief disciple, stands chief disciple, stands at the left mourning at the left mourning his deathhis death

BorobudurBorobudur

Java, Indonesia; ca. 800Java, Indonesia; ca. 800

Colossal Buddhist Colossal Buddhist

monumentmonument

Structure contains Structure contains

millions of blocks of millions of blocks of

volcanic stonevolcanic stone

More than 500 lifeMore than 500 life--size size

Buddha imagesBuddha images

1000 relief panels1000 relief panels

1500 1500 stupasstupas

Angkor Angkor WatWat

Angkor, Cambodia; 12Angkor, Cambodia; 12thth

centurycentury

The largest of all Khmer The largest of all Khmer

temple complexestemple complexes

Purpose was to associate Purpose was to associate

the king with his personal the king with his personal

god (Vishnu)god (Vishnu)

Five towers symbolize Five towers symbolize

five peaks of Mount five peaks of Mount MeruMeru

Stone reliefs glorify Stone reliefs glorify

VishnuVishnu

BayonBayon

Angkor Thom, Cambodia; Angkor Thom, Cambodia;

ca. 1200ca. 1200

Unique in that the Unique in that the

combination of circular combination of circular

terraces, towers, and terraces, towers, and

giant faces were usedgiant faces were used

The king turned from the The king turned from the

Hindu traditions of his Hindu traditions of his

ancestors to worshiping ancestors to worshiping

the Buddhathe Buddha