Gupta Period

Early 4th – Mid 8th Century A.D.

Façade of Ajanta caves
Great Bodhisattva, Ajanta
Standing Buddha Buddha preaching the first sermon
 History
 Gupta Period was founded at the
beginning of the 4th century A.D.
 It lasted more than 2 centuries and
stretched over major part of North
India and to Balkh in the East.
 This period was also known as the
Golden Age or the Classical Period.
 A remarkable degree of balance and
harmony in all the arts was achieved
and an efficient administrative
system was established.
 Sanskrit became the official
language – Kalidasa wrote
Shakuntala and Malavika Agnimitra.
 Social Life
 Vegetarianism was practiced.
 Hinduism was widespread.
 Neither Harsha nor the Guptas were able to conquer the South.
 Previously there was a lot of influence from the western world.
 Now under the Gupta Empire; India was more isolated.
 In previous evidence of costume was derived mainly through sculpture but
in this period the wall paintings of Ajanta provide evidence of costume that
most vividly mirror contemporary life and dress.
 Costume
 Stitched garments were given preference in the North.
 Gupta kings realized the value of adopting a form of
dress that had become traditionally identified with
royalty.
 Formal attire included the coat, trouser with boots,
although they continued to wear indigenous antariya,
uttariya and kayabandh for informal occasions.
 Kanchuka inspired the brocade tunic worn by higher
officials at court.
 White calf-length tunic was worn by the chamberlain with
a chaddar adding dignity to his attire.
 The ushnisa was slowly becoming obsolete. It was now
associated with certain dignitaries, ministers and court
officials.
 The Sakas in this period wore light white tunic-like coat
with skull cap worn with striped or gathered stockings or
narrow trousers which was common for the Gupta court.
 Costume
 Kings costume was striped blue, closely woven silk with a floating uttariya.
Both fabrics would have woven borders.
 Instead of kayabandh a plain cord or belt became more popular.
 Kings also wore a very elaborate mukut or crown to set them apart.
 Costume
 Antariya was worn in several different ways.
 Lehnga style was wrapped around the hip very
tightly to accentuate the curve most seductively
and was normally calf-length.
 Calanki – was similar except it was worn in
kachcha style and then wrapped around the hips.
 Kachcha style became less popular and more
feminine style like lehnga and lungi became
popular.
 Bhairnivasani – precursor to the drawstring skirt
 Ghagri – heavily gathered skirt tied with a nada or
string was used by dancers so that the swirling
effect is enhanced while twirling.
 Ardhoruka – langoti style drawers.
 Indian women frequently began to clothe the top
half of their bodies.
 Costume
 Cholaka, chola, choli, cholika,
kancholika – indigenous garment
addition.
 Primitive choli was cut from a square
piece of cloth with a slit for the neck.
 A further development of the choli is
the fold-back at the bottom edge and
the introduction of strings attached
to make it backless.
 The apron-like attachment at the
front of the choli would have evolved
from the need of protection against
cold or modesty.
 Angarakha style kurta with cross-over
flap and side opening.
 Uttariya remained but was worn very
sheer more as a flattering accessory.
 Headgear and Hairstyle
 Hairstyles became so elaborate that
maid servants who were expert hair
dressers were sought after.
 Foreign influence brought short hair,
frizzy at the front with ringlets framing
the face or just hanging loose.
 The bun was worn high or low on the
heck or knotted at the side or top of the
head. It was kept simply wound, coiled
sometimes in the shape of a figure 8,
largely and loosely wound but always
surrounded by flowers or a large lotus
tucked into it.
 Ratna jali – jeweled hair net.
 Mukta jala – hair net decorated with
pearls
 Tiaras were used often.
 Pearl strings were used to define hair
parting.
 Turbans were worn by women
occasionally.
 Use of flowers as part of head gear
 Headgear and Hairstyle
 The turban was replaced with a tiara
or crown with a band inset with
pearls and sometimes festooned
with garlands.
 Men wore their hair shoulder length,
curled and loose in gurnakuntala
style sometimes with a head-band to
hold it in place.
 Short hair was also very common
except a clear parting is seldom
visible.
 The king on formal occasions wore
skull cap or helmet as headgear.
 The royal entourage wore turbans
and it denoted a distinctive symbol
of their rank.
 Jewelry
 Royalty was the main customer of
precious gems and prided itself in the
art of ratnapariksha or appreciation of
gems.
 Kundala – general term for ear-ring –
two types – large ring-type and button
type called karna phula.
 Bali – small gold wire circlet with
pearls and jewels strung.
 Kancala-kundala – tremulous ear-ring
 Men sometimes wore button-type in
one ear and a ring-type in the other.
 Elongated ears were fashionable and
were achieved by inserting plugs of
graded size into the lobes of the ear.
 Jewelry
 Sutra was a chain for the neck.
 Hema sutra – when chain of gold had
precious stones in the centre.
 Muktavali – pearl necklace
 Haravasti – single strand of pearls
 Tarahari – one of big pearls
 Sudha ekavali – one with a gem in the
center of the pearl
 Vijayantika – necklace made from a
successive series of pearls, rubies,
emeralds, blue stones and diamonds that
was most sought after.
 Niska – gold chain was popular too.
 Jewelry
 Angada – upper arm ornament
shaped like a coiled snake
 keyura – upper arm ornament like a
cylinder made of filigree work or
inset with pearls
 Valaya – bracelets of pearls.
 Bangles of conch shells were worn in
graded sizes
 Anguliya – rings were worn
 Ratnanguliya – rings with studded
ornaments
 Kirita and mukut- tiaras and crowns
were worn by men and women.
Often with pearls suspended from
them to delicately surround the face
of the wearer.
 Jewelry
 Jeweled girdles and anklets were still
in use.
 Vaishaka style of wearing pearls was
also evident.
 Kinkini – anklet with tiny bells
 Maninupura – anklet with jeweled
beads
 Flowers were worn in the form of
necklaces or mala were worn on the
head.
 Usually made of kadama flowers.
Sometimes garlands of clove mingled
with nutmeg, camphor and other
spices were used on ceremonial
occasions.
 Military Costume
 In the early Gupta period, soldiers wore antariya with the chest bare and
inadequately covered by the 6 jewel-strapped channavira.
 This evolved into the more efficient kanchuka with trousers or short
drawers known as jhangia and high boots with a helmet or cap.
 Military Costume
 Indigenous army had no fixed costume.
 The king adopted the Kushan royal costume for formal occassions as status
symbol.
 The king had his own entourage with his sword bearer and body guard.
 The tunics worn by soldiers was sometimes spotted with black wood paste
which could be a type of tie-dye or bandhini known today. It may have
been their version of camouflage.
 Instead of kanchuka, a short tight fitting blouse or cholaka was worn with
short antariya.
 Religious Apparel
 Hindu sanyasi wore red ochre robes very similar
to those of the Buddhist monks.
 The Brahmin acharya normally wore a short
antariya and uttariya. They covered their head
with a kantop (cap) over the top knot on their
heads. They even wore sandals.
 The Buddhist monk or nun now wore linen or
silk. The poorer ones dyed their rags yellow or
red.
 Style
 Highly civilized empire.
 Sculptures and paintings show bodies with an
easy flowing movement, jeweled head-dresses,
and stripped muslin lehngas adding to the
sensuous fullness of the body.
 The mood is relaxed, somnolent and languorous,
a kind dream-like delicacy with sheer floating
scarves and shinning eyes.
 Pearl strands decorate the archways and are
looped on diadems and around necks.