South and Southeast Asia are made up of the following countries:
The history of this area of Asia dates back as far as 2500 BCE, beginning with the Indus civilization which thrived along the banks of the Indus River in present-day Pakistan. Other civilizations emerging at the same time include ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the latter of which the Indus civilization conducted trade. |
Because of trade with Mesopotamia, artifacts found at Mesopotamian sites such as Sumer and Babylon, and sites in along the Indus River share visual characteristics. An example of this are the steatite seals, which are attributed to be the most common Indus art object, and Sumerian cylinder seals:
The Vedic Period began with the entrance of nomadic shepherds called the Aryans who entered from central Asia and Russia. These people are foundational to Indian culture, they introduced the horse and chariot, established the Sanskrit language, a hierarchal social order, and the establishment of religion. The Vedas, or sacred writings were written during this period, which provided a base for the three magor religions that emerged during India's early history: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Also, roughly around the same period, c. 400 B.C.E., important literary works such as the Mahhabharata and the Ramayana were composed. These texts are foundational to Indian culture.
The Maurya Period is known for the emergence of India's first empire, and was characterized by the Buddhist ideal of upholding moral law, or dharma, which to the Indians, prevented the universe from falling into chaos. The sculptural style associated with this period is seen below in the yakshi, or spirit connected with the productive forces of nature:
Also, roughly around the same period, c. 400 B.C.E., important literary works such as the Mahhabharata and the Ramayana were composed. These texts are foundational to Indian culture.
The Maurya Period is known for the emergence of India's first empire, and was characterized by the Buddhist ideal of upholding moral law, or dharma, which to the Indians, prevented the universe from falling into chaos. The sculptural style associated with this period is seen below in the yakshi, or spirit connected with the productive forces of nature:
Stylistic attributes like the naturalistic curves of the body, and smooth texture implying human flesh, are visually similar to other cultures, like the Egyptian sculpture of Mankaure and his wife from Old Kingdom Egypt, as shown above. Even though hundreds of years separate the two sculptures, there is still a stylistic connection between them.
Art during the Maurya period is associated with the rise of Buddhism, and was established as the official state religion by the powerful emperor Ashoka. During his rule, he commissioned colossal pillars to be constructed to mark sacred sites associated with important events in the Buddha's life. The pillars stylistically show a relation between Indian and Persian art, as noted in the images below:
Art during the Maurya period is associated with the rise of Buddhism, and was established as the official state religion by the powerful emperor Ashoka. During his rule, he commissioned colossal pillars to be constructed to mark sacred sites associated with important events in the Buddha's life. The pillars stylistically show a relation between Indian and Persian art, as noted in the images below:
Although the design of the capitals from the Persian and Maurya empires share visual similarities, the functions for each are different. The Ashoka pillar marks a sacred place, while the pillars at Persepolis were used as structural supports in the palace of Xerxes I. Both, though, share the Persian "animal style" appearance of decor with the inclusion of animal elements.
The Shunga period is known for the building of the first stupas, described as a Buddhist monument with enclosed relic chambers, which represented the Buddha's enlightenment. Its plan is in the form of a mandala, a diagram of the cosmos. The stupa was originally built to house the cremated remains of the Buddha, which were divided among eight reliquaries, each would be housed by a stupa. One of the most well-known stupas, and in the best condition, is the stupa at Sanchi. This site shows the traditional stupa construction of a hemispherical dome built from rubble ant dirt, then covered with dressed stone. A similar construction is found in ancient Mycenae, west of Athens, off the mainland of Greece. This construction is called the beehive tomb, the most noted being the Treasury of Atreus. As you can see, the construction is fundamentally similar:
The Shunga period is known for the building of the first stupas, described as a Buddhist monument with enclosed relic chambers, which represented the Buddha's enlightenment. Its plan is in the form of a mandala, a diagram of the cosmos. The stupa was originally built to house the cremated remains of the Buddha, which were divided among eight reliquaries, each would be housed by a stupa. One of the most well-known stupas, and in the best condition, is the stupa at Sanchi. This site shows the traditional stupa construction of a hemispherical dome built from rubble ant dirt, then covered with dressed stone. A similar construction is found in ancient Mycenae, west of Athens, off the mainland of Greece. This construction is called the beehive tomb, the most noted being the Treasury of Atreus. As you can see, the construction is fundamentally similar:
The concept of the conical "beehive" construction dates as far back as 3000 B.C.E., with tombs found in Oman, on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Even though the construction is similar, the purpose of construction differs between the stupa and the beehive tomb; the stupa is a sacred place for worship and veneration, while the beehive tomb is a place of burial. The four gateways that surround the stupa include relief sculpture that show stories of the Buddha's life, which are called the Jataka tales. An example similar to this in the western world would be the Column of Trajan, from the 1st century A.D. The similarity between the two is found in the reasoning for construction, both structures were built to commemorate a significant person and their achievements:
Lastly, during this period in central India, known as the Deccan, caves were constructed as rock-cut halls to Buddha. There are two types of these structures, the vihara, which usually included monks' living quarters, and the chaitya, meaning "sanctuary", which often contains a small stupa in the apse, or curved far end of the hall. The chaitya construction shares attributes with western structures of a similar period. The municipality of Gortyn was the Roman capitol of the island of Crete during the early years of the Roman empire, and here we see an ancient agora, or meeting place reserved for civic matters. The basilica was structurally similar, and was used for the same purpose during this time. Structurally, both the ancient Buddhist rock-cut halls and the ancient Roman basilica both share structural similarities:
The Roman basilica was the structural foundation for the Early Christian basilica, as noted above. As you can see, the Early Christian basilica and the rock-cut chaitya share similar structural elements: the wide nave, or center isle, bordered by columns, with an apse at the end designating a sacred space, in the basilica, the altar is placed before the apse, and in the chaitya the stupa is placed before the apse. Also both structures utilize wood in the design of the roof, the basilica uses wooden beams for a flat ceiling construction, and the chaitya uses wood to frame the barrel vaulted (also widely used in Roman construction) ceiling. The chaitya would have also been brightly painted.
The Kushans came from northwest China, and established the kingship of Kanishka, who supported the building of many stupas and Buddhist monasteries. The development of Buddhist are underwent great development during the Kushan period. There were several schools established that brought about these developments: the Gandhara school in present day Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Mathura school in central India, and the Amaravati school in southern India. Each school portrayed the Buddha in a different style, but the iconography of the Buddha was the same, characterized by a monk's robe, long, knee-length arms, stretched ear lobes from the heavy jewelry he wore as a prince, the urna (tuft of white hair between the eyebrows) and the unisha (bun or knot of hair on top of the head), symbolizing enlightenment. In the West, during the Early Christian period, mosaics displayed Christ also with iconic attributes. During this period, Christ was often portrayed as a shepherd, a protector and guide to his flock (his followers). In these mosaics, Christ would often be showing the sign of peace, just as the Buddha communicated different messages through gestures, called mudras.
The Kushans came from northwest China, and established the kingship of Kanishka, who supported the building of many stupas and Buddhist monasteries. The development of Buddhist are underwent great development during the Kushan period. There were several schools established that brought about these developments: the Gandhara school in present day Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Mathura school in central India, and the Amaravati school in southern India. Each school portrayed the Buddha in a different style, but the iconography of the Buddha was the same, characterized by a monk's robe, long, knee-length arms, stretched ear lobes from the heavy jewelry he wore as a prince, the urna (tuft of white hair between the eyebrows) and the unisha (bun or knot of hair on top of the head), symbolizing enlightenment. In the West, during the Early Christian period, mosaics displayed Christ also with iconic attributes. During this period, Christ was often portrayed as a shepherd, a protector and guide to his flock (his followers). In these mosaics, Christ would often be showing the sign of peace, just as the Buddha communicated different messages through gestures, called mudras.
The Gupta period brought about a flowering of artistic and literary culture in India, establishing some of India's most well known sculptures and paintings. During the Gupta period, painting emerged as an expressive art form. Mural paintings were created to adorn the rock cut halls of Ajanta, the southern Deccan region of India. The murals were painted along the walls of the central hall, and included visual narrative of the past lives of the Buddha. The technique used is similar to the western technique of fresco: plaster is put down to cover the stone surface, providing a ground for the mineral pigments that the paintings were finished in.
Hinduism was sponsored by Gupta monarchs, therefore the Gupta period and post-Gupta periods are characterized by the gradual domination of Hinduism as a major religion in India, and throughout southeast Asia. Hindu temples display complex and detailed construction, and can be classified into two different styles of construction, the northern and southern style. The massive and elaborate construction can be compared to the colossal Egyptian temples that were constructed hundreds of years prior. The emergence of Hindu temples in India begin about 530 C.E., and were built of large cut stones, the form resembling a mountain, and the plan built from the mandala. Inside the temple is a central chamber that serves as the garbhagriha, or the deity's residence. This central chamber can be compared to a cavern inside a "sacred mountain". The entrance into the Hindu temple shows a complex arrangement of relief sculpture, that visually resembles portal sculpture of the medieval cathedrals in the West. Both entrances of the Hindu temple and the cathedral share the same objective: to bring the worshipper form the mundane world into a sacred, other-worldly place.
Just as the Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals grew in height and complexity in the West, the Hindu temples in India, Indonesia, and Cambodia also shared this progression of height and monumentality. Hindu temples such as Borobudor in Java, Indonesia, and Angkor Vat in Angkor, Cambodia display this growth of detailed, massive construction, just as French cathedrals Chartres, Reims, and Amiens display a similar focus on height, detail, and ornament.
Interdisciplinary Lesson Plans that Include Southeast Asian Culture & Art
Here are websites that feature interdisciplinary lessons incorporating art and history of Southeast Asia:
The Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_India/pages/India_lessons.shtml
Outreach World
http://www.outreachworld.org/searchresources.asp?countryid=277
The Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_India/pages/India_lessons.shtml
Outreach World
http://www.outreachworld.org/searchresources.asp?countryid=277