Outline

South, East and Southeast Asia

(2600 BCE – 1900CE)
2018-2019 edited June 5, 2018

Enduring Understanding
8-1. Diverse, ancient origins sophisticated visual traditions across wide
geographic expanse
8-2. Origin of many of world’s great religious and philosophic traditions
8-3. Asian aesthetics and cultural traditions deeply influence the
art/architecture of region – i.e. figural presentation, political figures,
religious beliefs
8-4. Asian art was and is global. Cultures connected through trade and
politics and in contact with West Asia and Europe throughout history

Essential Knowledge
• Differentiation between earthly and cosmic realms
• 8-2-a. differentiate earthly and cosmic realms of existence; saw time
and life as cyclic. Your spirituality leads to spiritual release and divine
union
• 8-2-b. religions emphasize the interconnectedness of humans with
natural and spirit world
o Daoism almost antisocial focus on living in harmony with
nature and the Dao; Confucianism advocating an ethical system
of behaviors vs a religion; Buddhism focused on nature,
interconnectedness and appropriate behavior; Korean fusion of
above with local shamanistic beliefs; Japanese focus on
animistic nature spirits
• 8-2d. Foreign cultures represented including: Greco-Roman,
Christianity, Islamic
• 8-2c. religious practices associated with Hinduism, Buddhism, Janism
are iconic thus key role for figural imagery of divinities and revered
teachers
• 8-2e. Architecture is primarily religious

Guiding topic Guiding theme

Buddhism human figure
Hinduism religion

Geographic/Cultural Context

Large geographic area including India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka,

Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Afghanistan,
Nepal, Bhutan
Very diverse culturally and religiously

Indus Civilization
Most important sites are Harappa and Mohenjo-doro

Began at a lower areas of Indus river (Pakistan) and NW India 2600-

1900 BCE
Was strong at same time as Old Kingdom of Egypt (2,500 BCE),
Minoans of Aegean, dynasties of Ur and Babylon in Mesopotamia
Full cities oriented to compass points
Multi storied homes made of kiln baked brick
Built one of world’s first sophisticated systems of water supply and
sewage

A region very diverse – 20 different languages.

Very old
Region of great civilizations
By 1,700 BCE oral hymns that Aryans brought to India from Central
Asia defined most of later South and Southeast Asian art
C 1,500 BCE Arians composed vidas including the caste system

2nd phase of urban civilization developed east of Indies heartland in

Genghis River Valley
From 800-500 BCE religious thinkers developed texts called
Upanishades

➔By late BCE and early CE development of Hinduism and Buddhism

Buddhism –advocated asceticism-self-discipline and self-denial as way
to free oneself from people and possession

Terms-
Buddha- a fully enlightened being
Asceticism-self discipline and self denial as way to free oneself from
people and possession
Bodhisattvas – a potential Buddha; a divinity provided to Buddha to
help him save humanity; one on the brink of attaining Buddahood.
Mandala- schematic design of a sacred realm-upon which the Hindu
temple is designed; has body of the cosmic man-progenitor of the
human species superimposed on top.
nirvana = release from earthly existence
• samsara=the earthly cycle of birth, death, rebirth; represented as
“wheel of life”
karma- the sum of total deeds good and bad that determines
circumstances of one’s future birth
Stupa-large hemispherical mounds containing relics of Buddha; are
enclosed by a railing with stone reliefs of Buddha’s life which creates a
path for circumambulation; area is entered via four places-each a
cardinal point on the compass
• Chakra-stone discs symbolizing protection
• Axis Mundi-vertical line/direction expressing the connection
between earth and heaven
Chaitya Hall-rock cut temple hall having a stupa at one end
Lakshanas- body attributes or characteristics that indicate Buddha’s
superhuman abilities
• Ushnisha – cranial bump=divine knowledge became a hair knot
• Urna = tuft of hair between eyes = special insight
• Elongated earlobes = divine and elevated status (associated with
Buddha and Hindu deities and saintly figures)
• Chakra-wheel/ sun symbol=wheel of life, wheel of law
Asanas – sitting position; postures
Yakshi-female earth spirit – symbol of fertility: wide hips, voluptuous
guardians of the earth
Horror-vaqui – dislike of empty space-decorative detail everywhere
Mudras = symbolic hand gestures
• Hands up = meditation
• Right hand down = earth touching
• Hands overlapped and palms upward = meditation
• Right thumb and index finger touching in a circle
= teaching
 • Right hand up, palm outward = protection,
blessing

Art Context

Art Presentation
Human figure-stylized, convention presentation
Spiritual/religious themed artwork
Architecture-large buildings for religious worship
Narratives

Story of Buddhism
➔Religion based on teachings of the Buddha that says state of
enlightenment (point at which peace and happiness join. Desire and
suffering are no more) can be attained by right thinking and suppressing
worldly desires = asceticism
One can be liberated from inherent suffering in life by mental and
moral purification

Originated by the Buddha, born 563 BCE, son of king Shakyamuni,

named Siddhartha “He who achieves his goal
Led a sheltered childhood but left home at 29 to experience the world
and all of its sickness and death
Tried path of severe asceticism (austerity and self denial as a way of
life); rejected this

Sat down below a banyan tree in yoga meditation until he achieved

enlightenment; thenceforth known as “Enlightened One”
He chose middle path rejecting both luxury and asceticism
Proposed life of good thoughts, good intentions, straight living

At 35 achieved enlightenment while meditating and created the four

noble truths
▪ Life is suffering
▪ Cause of suffering is desire/ignorance
▪ One can overcome and extinguish desire/ignorance
▪ Way to conquer desire and end suffering is to follow
Buddha’s eightfold path of rights
 • Right view, right intention, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration

Eightfold path to enlightenment

Buddha is not a god but one who sees the ultimate nature of the world
Path of Buddha leads to nirvana = release from earthly existence and
samsara=the cycle of birth, death, rebirth. Nirvana is in the distant
future because people live in a cycle of rebirth. Buddha believed to
have had 550 previous lives. One’s own karma- the sum of total deeds
good and bad – determines circumstances of one’s future birth

Two forms of Buddhism:

1) Theravada-focus is on attaining nirvana. Still practiced in
southern India, Sri Lanka, SE Asia
2) Mahayana-stressed compassion for all beings. Goal is not
nirvana for oneself but enlightenment for all beings in the
universe. Had Bodhisattvas-those on the verge of buddhahood
but who help others achieve buddhahood before they do.
Expanded to China, Korea, Japan, Tibet

The Buddha in Art

General Qualities:
1) “distinct sense of beauty” – vibrant, “voluptuous”, rich in
“ornamentation, texture, color”. All tied to the goodwill of the gods
2) abundant symbolism that links to emotional, intellectual qualities
3) spiritual, dynamic quality of the gods and of view of life which is
intertwined with the art – Stokstad
Q- compare to other religious figures in art

➔Initially Buddha expressed as a sign (footprints, empty seat); but by

first century CE shown as a person/human
➔Buddha is seen as symbolic with no internal spirit residing
➔Episodes from Buddha’s life are popular subjects in Buddhist artistic
tradition
Generally seen wearing monks robes
Architecturally the stupa is the central place of worship. Other sites are
called Chaitya halls – rock cut temple hall having a stupa at one end.
Buddha wear monks’ robes
 Bodhisattvas wear “regal garb of India” -Stokstad

Buddhist Imagery

Buddha had 32 marks of superhuman perfection

• Ushnisha – cranial bump=divine knowledge became a hair knot
• Urna = tuft of hair between eyes = special insight
• Elongated earlobes = divine and elevated status (associated with
Buddha and Hindu deities and saintly figures)
• Mudras = hand gestures
• Hands up = meditation
• Hand down = earth touching
• Hands overlapped and palms upward = meditation
• Right thumb and index finger touching in a circle
= teaching
• Right hand up, palm outward = protection,
blessing
•
st
By 1 century CE Bodhisattvas appeared with special roles

Himalayan Buddhism had more ferocious deities

Four Periods in Buddha’s Representation

1) Gandhara in NW of India
Roman, Persian and Hellenistic imagery
• Hair in curls
• Monastic robe over shoulders
• Use of stone and stucco
• Use of relief sculpture at stupa
• Large muscular figure

2) Kushan period in Mathura, India

• Sacred breath left right shoulder bare
• Image abstracted and body idealized
• Preserves classical look but adds a fine detail

3) Andhra Pradesh, South India

• Full proportions, serious faces
 • Left shoulder bare
• Influenced Sri Lankan Buddhists

4) Gupta Period 4th – 6th CE the Golden Age

“ideal image” of Buddha created
period of greatest Buddha influence in India
period of broad artistic and literary culture; plus advances in science,
technology, arts, etc.
combined Gandharan and Mathura styles
• Hair in tiny curls
• Robes have network of strings
• Downward glance with spiritual aura

Buddhism expanded to include goddesses (Tara) and other protective gods

• Portrayal in sculpture and scrolls
• Deities introduced to protect Buddhism
• Images of gods and goddesses embracing to show salvation resulting
from union of female (wisdom) and male (compassion)
• Bodhisattvas-one who assists in the attainment of enlightenment