'... if you spill a single drop' : Innovation in the Jataka Traditions of Pagan, Orientations (original) (raw)

Early Buddhist Sculpture at Kurkihar. The Buddha Images, Makaranda, Essays in Honour of Dr. James C. Harle, ed. CL. BAUTZE-PICRON, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1990, pp. 145-152

The stone images recovered at Kurkihär have not so far been dated prior to the 9th c.r Dating remains in a general way problematic and does not often result from a precise analysis, i.e. with reference to securely dated material, but reflects rather, the author's feelings as can be seen from the various dates proposed for each of the images.2 The study of the production at Kurkihär until now was based on a selection of the images3 without an explanation of the criteria which determined the selection. Thus, a systematic survey of the material has not yet been done-as is also the case for other archaeological sites of the area. Our approach differs inasmuch as it does not select some images and reject others. Since the production is ahundantn a careful study of the whole corpus lies beyond the limits of the present article. Criteria must be introduced which help to classify the material. Such a classification results in the constitution of limited groups which can be more easily considered. The two criteria of stylistic evolution (and its chronology) and of iconography have been used.

A NEW INTERPRETATION OF A BUDDHIST IMAGE FROM AMARKUNDU, MURSHIDABAD

The purpose of this article is to identify a sculptural specimen of Khasarpana Avalokitesvara which has been incorrectly identified as Buddha by Sudhir Ranjan Das and the specimen is popularly known as Raghunath or Vishnu. While assigning a date to this specimen on stylistic ground, this Khasarpana Avalokitesvara appears to be similar with the Mahakali specimen of Khasarpana Avalokisvara kept in the National Museum of Bangladesh in Dhaka. Claudine Bautze Picron compared the stylistic features of various images and enabled grouping them within a specific chronological bracket through which the direction of the movement of stone carvers from Bihar to Bengal can be assumed between ninth to twelfth century CE. The Khasarpana Avalokitesvara of Amarkundu helps us bridge the temporal and spatial gap of transmission of stylistic features and understand their variations.

Cakapurā: A Unique Ritual-painting Tradition of India

The Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 2020

Caka refers to a square-a lateral space on the ground-while purā means filling up. Together they identify a unique form of ritual painting, executed during the festival of Bāndnā all across the land of ancient Manbhum-including parts of today's West Bengal and Jharkhand. In this tradition, a specially prepared liquid pigment is dripped with all the five fingers of the hand-creating sacred designs by the village women effortlessly on their ritual-grounds. This linear emotion often gets extended upon the adjoining wall-where the same pigment is sprinkled with the fingers, along with impressions added with the palm and fingertip. As a whole, this form of visual expression could be distinguished and identified in comparison to any other floor or wall paintings in India. It's undoubtedly one of the finest examples-all in terms of technique, style and aesthetics-representing the rich folk-tribal tradition of this country.

Between men and gods, small motifs in the Buddhist art of Eastern India, an interpretation, in:Function and Meaning in Buddhist Art, Proceedings of a seminar held at Leiden University, 21-24 October 1991, ed. K.R. VAN KOOIJ and H. VAN DER VEERE, Groningen: Egbert Forsten, 1995, pp. 59-79.

Categories of objects, catesories of rnotif.s Althoush the ste la is the medium lnost c()mlnonly metwith in the art of Eastern Inclia' images were also carved on other types of media, particularly on Budclhist sites. Reside the slabs being the female deity from Sirpur preser-ved at the Los Anseles County Museurn of Art.'; These observations can be briefly summarized. AtAjanta, the monks and the layfblk are intesrated within an iconographic scheme, although their exact relation to the Buddha cannot always be properly determined. At Kanheri, the motif develops the function of sustaining or r,vorshipping the Buddha ancl at Ellora, the worshippers gain some independence and look fiom the outside towards the Buddha. This survey also sholvs the introcluction of cult objects held by rnonks, already at Ajanta on the can,ed panels of cave z6 and in the wall-paintings, e.g. in the upper cave 6.'3 These objects are also seen at Kanheri.'i) The monk presents in the lef t hand a florver and in the right one the incense burner.

Prajñāpāramitā in thirteenth century Java and Sumatra: two sculptures disconnected by textile designs

Eur ASEAA 14 Dublin, 2020

The Mahāyāna Buddhist goddess Prajñāpāramitā was widely patronized in East Java in the thirteenth century as evidenced by the number of surviving images. This paper addresses the stylistic similarities between two stone sculptures of Prajñāpāramitā, one originating from Caṇḍi Singosari in East Java, now in the Museum Nasional Indonesia in Jakarta, and the other from the Muarajambi temple complex in central Sumatra, now in the site museum. Prima facie these two images suggest a close political, religious and artistic connection between Singhasāri and Muarajambi. Both figures are dressed in a cloth carved in bas relief with intricate repeated roundels, characteristic of a brocaded luxury cloth imported from China, but the roundels contain dissimilar designs and their carving differs markedly. Unfortunately, the lack of surviving inscriptions or other records has rendered problematic any research into their relationship. Consequently, it is only the sculptures themselves which remain as the primary source attesting to any connection.

Early Buddhist Art: An Overview

This article is a humble endeavour to provide an overview of the Early Buddhist Art. Buddhism has been one of the earliest religions in India to have inspired art. The purpose of art in Buddhism was to propagate the ideals of Buddhism. Beginning with the aniconic stage, we see an evolution in the art where comes the anthropomorphic representation of Buddha. Early form of Buddhist art has been divided into categories according to the dynasties that ruled during those times. Thus, the article looks into the characteristics of Buddhist art during Mauryan Empire, Kushana and Gupta Period.