Las primeras esculturas en la India datan de la época de la cultura del valle del Indo (c. 1300 a. C. hasta c. 3300 a. C.), de la cual se han hallado objetos de bronce y roca tallada, que de hecho, se hallan dentro de las esculturas más antiguas del mundo. En épocas posteriores, tan pronto como se desarrollaron el hinduismo, el budismo y el jainismo, la India produjo algunas de las muestras escultóricas en bronce más elaboradas, así como insuperables obras talladas en sus templos. Algunos santuarios, como el encontrado en Ellora no fueron construidos usando bloques, sino que en su lugar se excavó y esculpió directamente sobre la roca, convirtiéndose quizás, en parte de las esculturas más grandes y complejas conocidas. Durante los siglos primero y segundo a. C. en la parte más septentrional de la India, en lo que es ahora el sur de Afganistán y el norte de Paquistán, las esculturas se tornaron más explícitas, representando episodios de la vida de Buda y sus enseñanzas. Aunque la India conservaba una larga tradición escultórica y un rico dominio de la iconografía, Buda nunca fue representado en su forma humana antes de esta época, sino solamente a través de símbolos. Esto puede ser porque la escultura de los budistas de Gandhara en la moderna Afganistán muestra una influencia artística de los griegos y persas. Artísticamente hablando, de la escuela de escultura de Gandhara se dice que ha contribuido el cabello ondulado, el ropaje que cubre ambos hombros, zapatos y sandalias, ornamentos de hojas de acanto, etc. (es)
Sculpture in the Indian subcontinent, partly because of the climate of the Indian subcontinent makes the long-term survival of organic materials difficult, essentially consists of sculpture of stone, metal or terracotta. It is clear there was a great deal of painting, and sculpture in wood and ivory, during these periods, but there are only a few survivals. The main Indian religions had all, after hesitant starts, developed the use of religious sculpture by around the start of the Common Era, and the use of stone was becoming increasingly widespread. The first known sculpture in the Indian subcontinent is from the Indus Valley civilization, and a more widespread tradition of small terracotta figures, mostly either of women or animals, which predates it. After the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization there is little record of larger sculpture until the Buddhist era, apart from a hoard of copper figures of (somewhat controversially) c. 1500 BCE from Daimabad. Thus the great tradition of Indian monumental sculpture in stone appears to begin relatively late, with the reign of Asoka from 270 to 232 BCE, and the Pillars of Ashoka he erected around India, carrying his edicts and topped by famous sculptures of animals, mostly lions, of which six survive. Large amounts of figurative sculpture, mostly in relief, survive from Early Buddhist pilgrimage stupas, above all Sanchi; these probably developed out of a tradition using wood that also embraced Hinduism. During the 2nd to 1st century BCE in far northern India, in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara from what is now southern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, sculptures became more explicit, representing episodes of the Buddha's life and teachings. The pink sandstone Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sculptures of Mathura from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE reflected both native Indian traditions and the Western influences received through the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, and effectively established the basis for subsequent Indian religious sculpture. The style was developed and diffused through most of India under the Gupta Empire (c. 320–550) which remains a "classical" period for Indian sculpture, covering the earlier Ellora Caves, though the Elephanta Caves are probably slightly later. Later large scale sculpture remains almost exclusively religious, and generally rather conservative, often reverting to simple frontal standing poses for deities, though the attendant spirits such as apsaras and yakshi often have sensuously curving poses. Carving is often highly detailed, with an intricate backing behind the main figure in high relief. The celebrated bronzes of the Chola dynasty (c. 850–1250) from south India, many designed to be carried in processions, include the iconic form of Shiva as Nataraja, with the massive granite carvings of Mahabalipuram dating from the previous Pallava dynasty. (en)
Las primeras esculturas en la India datan de la época de la cultura del valle del Indo (c. 1300 a. C. hasta c. 3300 a. C.), de la cual se han hallado objetos de bronce y roca tallada, que de hecho, se hallan dentro de las esculturas más antiguas del mundo. En épocas posteriores, tan pronto como se desarrollaron el hinduismo, el budismo y el jainismo, la India produjo algunas de las muestras escultóricas en bronce más elaboradas, así como insuperables obras talladas en sus templos. Algunos santuarios, como el encontrado en Ellora no fueron construidos usando bloques, sino que en su lugar se excavó y esculpió directamente sobre la roca, convirtiéndose quizás, en parte de las esculturas más grandes y complejas conocidas. (es)
Sculpture in the Indian subcontinent, partly because of the climate of the Indian subcontinent makes the long-term survival of organic materials difficult, essentially consists of sculpture of stone, metal or terracotta. It is clear there was a great deal of painting, and sculpture in wood and ivory, during these periods, but there are only a few survivals. The main Indian religions had all, after hesitant starts, developed the use of religious sculpture by around the start of the Common Era, and the use of stone was becoming increasingly widespread. (en)
