The Art of South

and
Southeast Asia
Before 1200

South and Southeast Asia

Religion is the main
influence on art during this
period
Buddhism and Hinduism
are the religions of this
time; often coexisting
Sculpture and architecture
became the predominant
art forms
Sensuous deities decorated
temples and monasteries
More Buddhist influenced
art still exists today than
does Hindu art.

Buddhism and Its Background

Buddha (the Enlightened
One) was the original
founder of Buddhism
The religion focuses on
meditation, being
enlightened, and
searching for knowledge
Buddha preached about
the Wheel of the Law and
the Four Noble Truths
(both of which are
influential in artwork of
this period)

Robed Male Figure

From Mohenjo-dara,
Pakistan, ca. 2000
1900 BCE
A characteristic of
early Indus sculpture
was its small form.
Sculpture was
influenced by the elite
class and political
leaders.

Lion Capital
Polished sandstone, ca.
250 BCE
Capitals such as this were
highly decorated sculptural
architecture characteristic
of this period.
These capitals were
displayed throughout the
Maurya Dynasty during
Ashokas reign.
The Wheel of the Law
displayed symbolize the
kings divine authority.

Great Stupa
From Sanchi, India, third
century BCE to first
century CE
Monument that housed
religious relics
Relief sculpture was
displayed on the outer
architecture
Consists of many
buildings constructed over
the centuries including the
viharas and the chaitya
halls

Yakshi
Detail of eastern gateway
of the Great Stupa; midfirst century BCE to early
first century CE
Goddesses that
personified fertility and
vegetation
Scantily clad, sensuous
women used as relief
sculpture
Worshipped throughout
India

Standing Yaksha
From the Maurya period
Yakshas are the male
equivalent of yakshis
Characteristics include
males depicted as
powerful, robust, broad
shoulders, and open,
staring eyes
Buddha statues often
resembled yakshas but
differ in that they are
clothed in a monks robe

Canonical Buddha Statue

Under the Guptas artists
formed a canonical figure
for the Buddha
Monastic robe covered
both shoulders
Buddha depicted with
soft, full body
Smooth, unadorned
surface that is symbolic of
Buddhas spirituality
Eyes downcast in
meditation
Images of the Wheel of
the Law are displayed

Painted Caves of Ajanta

Image of Bodhisattva
Padmapani; wall painting
in Cave 1, Ajanta, India
These cave paintings are
some of the only Indian
paintings that remain
today
Method of painting differs
from other cultures as
they painted on dry
plaster
Results proved to be less
durable than other fresco
style paintings in other
cultures

Hinduism
Like Buddhism, Hinduism is a polytheistic
religion
Sacrifice is essential as it 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 Devi

Dancing Shiva
Rock-cut relief in cave
temple; late sixth
century
Shiva is often shown
with multiple limbs
and/or heads as a
sign of his superhuman nature
Hindu deities often
represented as part
human, part animal

Shiva with three faces

Shiva as Mahadeva; ca.
550 575
AKA the Great God
Each face shows a
different aspect of the
deity
The main frontal face
displays Shivas quiet,
balanced demeanor
The right face is a
creative female
The left face a fierce,
destructive male

Vishnu asleep on the serpent Anata

Detail of faade of Vishnu
Temple; early sixth
century
In this relief Vishnu is
meant to be dreaming the
universe into reality
Surrounding him are
other deities including his
wife Lakshmi and Shiva
Also included are
personifications of
Vishnus various powers

Rock-cut Temples
Mamallapuram, India;
seventh century
Indian architects began to
carve freestanding
temples from rocky
outcroppings
Very rare in relation to
other cultures and
religions
Five temples were carved
out of one huge boulder

Rajarajeshvara Temple
Thanjavur, India; ca.
1010
Enormous, grand
temples were created
during this period
Dedicated to Shiva
Exterior walls display
numerous reliefs in
niches

Vishvanatha Temple
Khajuraho, India; ca.
1000
Vishvanatha is another
name for Shiva
Rising towers resemble
rising foothills of the
Himalayas, home of
Shiva
Temples are comparable
to actual mountain cave
temples
Designed with ideal
mathematical proportions

Shiva as Nataraja
Bronze statue; ca. 1000
One of many examples of
portable statues of deities
Use of hand gestures,
symbols, etc. all
represent some deeper
meaning
They viewed the statue
not as a symbol of the
god, but as the actual god
himself
Hindus would care for
images such as this by
feeding, clothing, bathing,
and taking it on outings

Death of the Buddha

Sri Lanka; ca. 11th to
12th century
Largest sculpture in
Southeast Asia
measuring 46 feet
long
Buddhas cousin, and
chief disciple, stands
at the left mourning
his death

Borobudur
Java, Indonesia; ca. 800
Colossal Buddhist
monument
Structure contains
millions of blocks of
volcanic stone
More than 500 life-size
Buddha images
1000 relief panels
1500 stupas

Angkor Wat
Angkor, Cambodia; 12th
century
The largest of all Khmer
temple complexes
Purpose was to associate
the king with his personal
god (Vishnu)
Five towers symbolize
five peaks of Mount Meru
Stone reliefs glorify
Vishnu

Bayon
Angkor Thom, Cambodia;
ca. 1200
Unique in that the
combination of circular
terraces, towers, and
giant faces were used
The king turned from the
Hindu traditions of his
ancestors to worshiping
the Buddha