1. ART IN SOUTH AND
SOUTHEAST ASIA
BEFORE 1200
Eddie Hochman, Kenn Su, and Bayla Weick

2. Buddhism
 Buddha: original founder of Buddhism
 focuses on meditation, enlightenment, and the
pursuit of knowledge
 Buddha preached about the Wheel of the Law and
the Four Noble Truths

3. Hinduism
 polytheistic religion
 Sacrifice is meant to please deities and gain favor with
them
 Hindu deities vary in form and natures
 Three most important deities are Shiva, Vishnu, and the
Goddess, Devi
 Shiva- God of Creation and Destruction, both angry and
peaceful, Most common attribute is the Trident
 Vishnu- “The Preserver”, creator and destroyer of all
existences, one who supports, sustains and governs the
Universe and originates and develops all elements within.
 Devi- The primary form of all Goddesses, balances out the
male aspect o the Divine.

4. Overview of Time Period
 Indus Valley Civilization
 The Vedic Period
 The Maurya Period
 The Period of Shungas and Early Andhras
 The Kushan and Later Andhra Periods
 The Gupta Period
 The Post-Gupta Period
 The Tenth through the Fourteenth Centuries

7. Indus Valley Civilization
2600 – 1900 BCE

8. Indus Valley Civilization
 As a whole, very little is known
 Existed around the same time as Old Kingdom
in Egypt
 Similarities between cities suggest coherent
culture
 Built elevated citadels with 50 feet high walls,
water tank, pool/public bath, drainage system,
and streets
 Many terra cotta figurines, a few stone and
bronze statuettes, and many seal impressions
have been found

9. Torso of a “Priest-King” from
Mohenjo-Darjo c. 2000-1900
Nude Torso from Harappa c.
2000 BCE

10. Comparison
 Two main styles emerged: one similar to
Mesopotamian art and one that is
characteristic of Indian artistic tradition
 Similar to Mesopotamian art in motifs and
abstract renderings
 Tradition is to show sensuous naturalism
 Ex. Nude male torso has then contrasting
naturalistic style: emphasizes soft textures subtle
nuances of muscular form unlike the Greek
athletic male ideal

11. 2000 BCE – 500 BCE
Vedic Period

12. Vedic Period
 Mahavira teaches 599-
527 BCE
 Buddha teaches 563-483
BCE
 400 BCE Mahabharata
and Ramayana take
shape (epics)
 Hereditary class structure
and exclusive priesthood
is unique
 Vedic tradition evolves
into Hinduism
 2000 BCE Aryans
(nomadic shepherds)
enter India
 Introduced horse,
chariot, Sanskrit
language, hierarchical
social order, and
religious practices 
sacrificial with fire
 3 Religions develop:
Hinduism, Buddhism,
and Jainism
 800 BCE Upanishads
texts composed

14. C. 322 – 185 BCE
Maurya Period

15. The Maurya Period
 3rd Century BCE Alexander
of Macedonia invades
India
 700 BCE cities start to
appear
 India becomes an
empire—Maurya Empire
 General period of conquest
 Under Emperor Ashoka
(ruled c. 273-323 BCE)
Buddhism becomes official
state religion
 Ashoka was a great patron
 He denounces war and

16. Major Themes/Styles
 Depict popular deities such as yakshis (female)
and yakshas (male)
 Uphold ideal of dharma = moral law
 Many sculptures had lustrous polished quality
 Linear patterning on clothing indicates someone
of respect
 Monolithic pillars usually placed in sites related to
events in Buddha’s life
 Elaborate capitals usually with animal figures
 Axis mundi = axis of the world or joining link between
human and celestial realms

18. Yakshi Holding a Fly-Whisk
 C. 250 BCE, polished
sandstone, height 1.63
m—lifesize
 Yakshi = spirit
associated w/productive
forces of nature
 Large breast and pelvis
show that female beauty
is associated with
procreative abundance
 Frontal rigor of pose
suggest strong sense of
authority
 Jewelry is prominent
 Common hairstyle with
bun at front and back
 Soft, youthful face and
stomach muscles
 Flesh shows polished
sheen

19. Despite some
abstraction,
Mauryan art
had many
realistic
elements
similar to
Western art

20. Lion Capital from Sarnath
 C. 250 BCE, polished
sandstone, height 2.13
m
 At the site of Buddha’s
first sermon
 Lowest section =
downturned petals of
lotus blossom
 Symbolize presence of divine
purity in imperfect world
 Originally had a bronze
wheel supported by lions
 Very realistic elements:
Veins/tendons, claws,
 Low-relief carvings of
wheels/chakras on the abacus
 Alternating lion, horse, bull, and
elephant = possibly four great rivers of
the world
 Queen Maya saw a white elephant enter
her womb when she conceived Buddha
 Bull is Buddha’s desire during his life as a
Prince Siddhartha
 Horse might be Buddha’s departure from
palatial life
 Lion represents attainment of Nirvana
 Back to back lions facing the four
cardinal directions may indicate
universal nature of Buddhism or Buddha
himself
 Sometimes interpreted as representative
of Ashoka’s rule

21. 185 BCE – 50 CE
Periods of the Shungas and
Early Andhras

22. The Period of the Shungas and
Early Andhras
 Local rule by regional dynasties returns
 Buddhism becomes very influential especially
with Stupas—religious monuments enclosing
relic chambers
 2nd Century caves become common use for
holy art
 Rock-cut halls

24. The Great Stupa at Sanchi
 Founded 3rd century BCE, enlarged c.150-50
BCE, c. 50 CE stone gateways added
 Functions as carefully calculated mandala =
diagram of the cosmos
 Has four toranas pointing at four cardinal
directions (35 feet tall)
 Depict jakata tales= stories of Buddha’s life
 Dome built up from rubble and dirt, faced with
dressed stone echoes arc of sky
 Railing at ground level provides for ritual
circumambulation

27. The Chaitya Hall at Karla
 Rock-cut, 1st century
BCE – 1st century CE
 Carved from top to
bottom
 Chaitya means
sanctuary (usually
enshrines a stupa in the
apse) versus the vihara
 Darkness leads to
heightened awareness
of the sacred space
 Columns at entrance
used to support a
balcony
 Arched windows are
similar to a multistoried
palace
 Elephant statues create
the illusion of supporting
structure of their backs
 Has a Chaitya window =
horse-shoe shaped
opening providing main
source of light
 Mithuna couples = figures
evoking sense of
harmony and fertility in
life

28. Comparison
 The closely spaced columns that separate the
side aisles from the main aisle are unlike any
known in the West.
 They are important examples in the long and
complex evolution of the many Indian styles.

29. C. 30 BCE – 433 CE
Kushan and Later Andhra
Periods

30. The Kushan and Later Andhra
Periods
 3 schools developed: Gandhara, Mathura, and
Amaravati which had slighter figures than the other
two
 Gandhara School: Strong ties to Western style
 Mathura School: Unique style evolving from Yakshas
 The surviving school that continued to develop into the
Gupta Period
 Amaravati School: Generally depicted events from
Buddha’s life
 Commonly showed mithuna couples
 Buddha has specific characteristics:
 monk’s robe, golden-colored body, long arms to his knees,
wheels on his palms and feet, white hair between his
eyebrows
 Elongated earlobes due to heavy earrings, ushnisha on his
head (bun) to symbolize enlightenment

31. Influential Artist
 Kushan King Kanishka I (127–147) was a
great patron of Buddhism
 He commissioned a stupa in Peshawar
 Considered tallest building at time of
construction
 Common pilgrimage stop

33. Standing Buddha
 C. 2nd-3rd century CE, Schist, 2.28 high (over
life size)
 Gandharan art combing Hellenistic, Persian,
and native styles
 Buddha is superhuman; as revealed by folds
of garment he is broad massive, with heavy
shoulders and limbs, and a well-defined torso
 Kneed bend gently suggesting slightly relaxed
pose
 Robe treatment is very characteristic and very
complex

35. Buddha and Attendants
 Yogic posture on
pedestal supported by
lions w/ halo and pipal
tree (where he achieved
enlightenment)
 Robe is pulled tightly to
make him seem nude
 Tendency to abstraction
seen in face: geometric
shapes like rounded
forms of widely opened
eyes
 Naturalistic in torso
 C. early 2nd century CE,
red sandstone, height 69.2
cm
 Style evolves from
yakshas
 High relief stele showing
Buddha as powerful
 Right hand raised = “have
no fear”  mudra or hand
gesture for communicating
certain ideas
 Urna, ushnisha, chakras on
palms and soles are marks

36. Comparison
 Robe treatment is very similar to Roman
statues
 Meant to show the shape of the body
 Ghandara lies near East-West trade routes for
Romans
 Buddha does not show any of the athletic,
Greek male ideal

37. Gupta Period

38. The Gupta Period
• 320-486 CE (Only 166
Years)
• Influence of Gupta culture
remained for centuries
• Renowned for flourishing
artistic and literary culture
• Produced India’s most
widely admired sculpture
and painting
• Buddhism reaches its
greatest influence in India
• Gupta monarchs still
supported Hinduism
Bodhisattva

39. Chandragupta II

40. The Gupta Period
 Founded a dynasty at Magadha
 Expanded into northern and southern India
 Chandragupta I: 320-335 CE
 Samudragupta: Golden Age
 Chandragupta II
 Skandagupta repulsed a Huna attack in 455
CE
 Use of resources in waging war led to Gupta
decline

41. Styles, Subjects, and Themes
• Relaxed, graceful pose
• Only a few garment lines
• Large, circular halo
• Downcast eyes indicate
otherworldly introspection
• Broad shoulders
• Perfection and equilibrium
• Spiritual purity fused with
physical purity
• Blend of the fully
enlightened with the fully
human
Buddha Preaching the First

42. Standing Buddha vs. Western
Tradition  Balanced blend of the human and
the divine, halo, etc…
 Resembles Kouroi (Apollo)
 Differs in body covering; not free-
standing
 Egyptian style; stoicism of
Pharoahs
 Archaic features
 Not concerned with the human
body in action; no contrapposto
 Contrasts with Hellenistic
representations of the everyday

43. Styles, Subjects, and Themes
• Bodhisattvas: enlightened
beings who postpone nirvana
and buddhahood to help
others achieve enlightenment
• Princely garments; wear
lavish ornaments
• Crown, earrings, etc…
• Outline drawing: a major
ingredient in Indian painting;
3-D illusion
• Lighter tones -> protrusion
• Sophisticated, realistic detail
• Achieve balance between the
human and the divine
Great Bodhisattva -

44. Bodhisattva vs. Western Tradition
 Found at shrine entrance
 Byzantine Empress
Theodora: lavish jewelry
 Egyptian royal headdress,
bright colors, bold outline
 Egyptian painting was more
representational
 Gupta (and other Eastern)
influences made their way
into Western art a few
centuries later

45. Post-Gupta Period

46. The Post-Gupta Period
• Influence of Gupta dynasty remained in religion
and the arts
• After the 5th century, Hinduism began to
dominate Indian religion
• 528 CE: Hun dynasty falls
• Hindu temples and sculpture of the Hindu gods
become increasingly common
• Prevalence of monumental narrative reliefs

47. Shiva Nataraja of the Chola

48. Styles, Subjects, and Themes
• Northern: distinguished
by shikhara, which rises
as a solid mass above
the flat stone ceiling and
windowless walls of the
sanctum
Temple of Vishnu at
Deogarh • Southern: pyramidal
tower called a
vimana, featuring
miniature shrines and
a dome-shaped
octagonal capstone
Dharmaraja Ratha at Mamallapuram

49. Vishnu Narayana vs. Western
Tradition  Several connections to
Parthenon frieze:
 Reminiscent of the frieze’s
narrative nature
 3-D: overlapping
demonstrates
understanding of space
 Stylized: 4 arms ->
resembles centaurs from
Parthenon frieze
 Hieratic scale for religious
figures: Stele of Naram-
Sin from Akkadian artVishnu Narayana on the Cosmic
Waters

50. Styles, Subjects, and Themes
• Dance of Shiva
signifies cycle of death
and rebirth
• Signifies liberation of
the believer through
Shiva’s compassion
• Dances upon
Apasmaru; symbolizes
“becoming”
• Holds ball of fire:
symbolizes destruction
and our egocentric
perceptions
Shiva Nataraja of the Chola
Dynasty

51. Shiva Nataraja vs. Western
Tradition  Reminiscent of Roman arch
 Hieratic scale; resembles
Naram-Sin stomping his
enemies
 Symmetry that was evident
in Egyptian sculpture
 Also, head covering
resembles royal Egyptian
sculpture
 Placement of legs
reminiscent of contrapposto
from classical Greece

52. Dvaravati)
Khmer Rule at Angkor
Chola Dynasty
The Tenth Through Fourteenth
Centuries
Kingdom (C. 500-900CE

53. Overview of Time Period
 Dvaravati Kingdom (C. 500-900CE)
 Khmer Rule at Angkor (C. 9th-13th centuries)
 Chola Dynasty (C. mid-9th- late 13th century)

54. Key Events
 800-1200 CE: Chola emerge to dominate the south
 800-1200 CE: Khmer Dynasty in Cambodia
 Circa 1000 CE: Brihadeshvara Temple is built in Thanjavur
 Paves way for greater temples,
 Circa 1017 CE: Chola conquer Sri Lanka
 Circa 1070 CE: Vijayabahu I of Rohanna (r. 1070–1110) expels the
Cholas from Sri Lanka. Buddhism flourishes
 Late 12th century: Buddhism in decline
 1100-1200 CE: Ramanuja, the poet and philosopher and patriarch of
the Shrivaishnava tradition describes theology of Bhakti (devotion)
 1153-1186 CE: Parakrama Samudra (artificial lake), is built in Sri
Lanka during the reign of Parakramabahu I
 One of the greatest irrigation feats of the ancient world

55. Major Themes/Styles
 Hindu Temple reaches unparalleled heights of
grandeur
 Religious movements
 Tantric (esoteric) Movement
 Bhakti (devotional) Movement
 Thailand
 Prakhon Chai Style
 Dvaravati Style

56. Artists
 Artists usually viewed merely as craftsmen and artisans, not worthy of
mention
 Patron’s name is more likely to be inscribed
 The individual’s role was not supremely important
 Ideal human forms created from metaphors derived from nature
 Chin like mango stone, arms like elephant trunk, eyes like the curve of a
fish
 Hinduism and Buddhism co-existed
 Same artists often employed
 Muslim invaders
 Artists received detailed instruction
 Less room for changes in artistic style
 Artists rarely signed artworks
 Low social hierarchy
 Patron often has name inscribed

57. http://image.linkinn.com/userfile/pictures_1004/Image/Borobudur_the_Buddhist_Temple_in_Central_J
ava__32.jpg

58. Borobudur
 C. 800 CE, Central Java, Indonesia
 Buddhist site, (‘most monumental’)
 Rises more than 100 ft from ground level
 Stepped pyramid
 Surmounted by a large stupa
 Ringed by 72 smaller stupas
 Mahayana symbolism (earthly and cosmic realms)
 500+ sculptures of transcendental Buddhas
 On balustrades and upper terraces
 3-dimensional mandala

59. http://lh5.ggpht.com/_yaV_Nk30ezk/RfZ5_bABqPI/AAAAAAAABNQ/wRpg43C9Qys/IMG_1795_edited-1.jpg

60. Kandariya Mahadeva Temple
 C. 1000 CE, Madhya Pradesh, India.
 Chandella dynasty. Temple build by ruler (unknown).
Temple dedicated to Shiva
 Northern Style
 Post-and-Lintel Construction
 Stone blocks
 Rests on stone terrace
 Steep flight of stairs to mandapas (three halls)
 Ritual, symbolize Shiva’s threefold emanation

62. Rajarajeshvara Temple
 Thanjavur, India, C. 1000 CE
 Known alternately as the Brihadeshvara
 Dedicated to Shiva
 Exterior walls display numerous reliefs in niches
 Built by the Cholas Dynasty under the rule of
Rajaraja I (R. 985-1015 CE)
 Enormous, 216ft. tall

63. http://www.voyana.com/VietnamAndCambodia/images/generic/Large/Angkor_Wat.jpg

64. Angkor Vat
 12th Century, Angkor, Cambodia
 Crowning achievement of Khmer architecture
 The site of royal (Khmer) capitals
 King Suryavarman II (r. 1113- 1150 CE) began the
construction
 Purpose was to associate the king with his personal god
(Vishnu)
 The complex incorporates a stepped pyramid with 5 towers
set within 4 enclosures on increasing perimeter
 Five towers symbolize five peaks of Mount Meru
 Stone reliefs glorify Vishnu

65. Comparison
Western Tradition S. & SE Asian Art (900-1200CE)
 Monotheistic
 Jesus, Muhammad, Saints
 Architecture
 Religious purposes
 Cross shaped plans
 symbolic
 Vault and arch techniques
 Larger interior space
 Reliefs narrate stories
 Symbolic
 Iconography
 Ambivalent, closer to “personal truths”
 Realism
 Growing focus on the real world, along with the
Divine
 Polytheistic
 Dynasties depicted favored God/Goddess
 Architecture
 Religious in purpose
 Temples erected to favored god
 Post-and-Lintel Construction
 Smaller interior space
 Reliefs narrate stories
 Symbolic
 Clear structure, unified composition
 Iconography
 Ascetic interpretation of Buddha (instead of
princely)
 Multiple arms (super-natural)
 Naturalism
 Ideal, youthful figures

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67. THE END
Thank You!