Sculpture Tradition in India

Sculpture Tradition in India: The subject matter of Indian sculpture was almost invariably abstracted human forms that were used to instruct people in the truths of the Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain religions. The nude was used both to represent the body as a symbol of spirit and to reveal the imagined shapes of the gods.

The phases of sculpture in India can be broadly divided into 5 phases in the Ancient Period:

1. Indus Valley Civilization Phase
2. Buddhist Phase/Mauryan Phase
3. Post-Mauryan phase
4. Gupta Phase
5. South Indian Phase

Indus Valley Civilization Phase

The beginning of stone sculpture in India goes back to a very remote age. The Indus Valley or Harappan Culture flourished from 2500 B.C. to 1500 B.C. The discovery of statues and figurines of men and women in terracotta, stone, metal, and seals indicates that people of the time had a vivid imagination and a profound artistic sense. There were three types of sculptures found there, which are Stone sculptures, metal sculptures, and terracotta sculptures.

A. Stone Sculpture Tradition in India

1. Bearded Nobleman (Priest Man, Priest-King):
   • The figure was made of Steatite.
   • The figure has been interpreted as a priest who is draped in a shawl coming under the right arm and covering the left shoulder. His shawl is decorated with trefoil patterns.
   • He has a short cut Mustache and a short beard and whiskers. Hair is parted in the middle, and a plain-woven fillet is passed around the head.
   • An armlet on the right hand and holes around the neck suggest a necklace.
2. Male Torso
   • Found in Harappa (only major art element found in Harappa).
   • Made of Red Sandstone.
   • There are socket holes in the neck and shoulders for the attachment of head and arms
   • Legs are broken.
   Unfortunately, it is in a damaged condition, but it still reflects the great mastery with all its vitality and grace.

B. Metal Sculptures Tradition in India

Bronze casting was practised on a wide scale in almost all major sites of civilization. The technique used for Bronze Casting was the Lost Wax Technique OR Cire Perdue.

1. Bronze dancing girl: It depicts a female dancer whose one arm is covered with ivory or bone bangles and is adorned with necklaces standing in a tribhanga position. Braided hair, head slightly tilted back, flat nose, and large eyes are the salient features of this work. It is a 4-inch figure.
2. Bronze buffalo & humped bull.

C. Terracotta Sculpture Tradition in India

• Mother Goddess:
  • It was discovered in Mohen-jo-Daro is one of the significant terracotta sculptures of this age.
  • It reveals the concept of the Mother Goddess as a sign of prosperity and fertility.
  • These figures are usually crude standing figures Adorned with necklaces hanging over the prominent breast and wearing a loincloth and a grid.

D. Seals

Many seals of different shapes and sizes were found in the Indus Valley Civilisation. The seals were usually made of steatite ( soft stone found in river beds) and also of other materials like copper, faience, terracotta, chert, ivory, or gold. Various human and animal figures were made on the seals, and they were
primarily used for commercial, identification, or educational purposes.
Terracotta seals were also manufactured. These seals included the carvings of peepal leaves, a female figurine with forms of deities and animals. All these definite & distinct shapes of stones or seals were enshrined and worshipped during that time by people of civilization. Some of these seals also depicted a harp-like musical instrument, which confirms the presence of stringed musical instruments that were in use in this ancient civilization. The seals show the Culture and civilization of the Indus Valley people.

In particular, they indicate:

1. Dresses, ornaments, hair-styles of people.
2. Skill of artists and sculptors.
3. Trade contacts and commercial relations.
4. Religious beliefs.

Some of The Important Seals

Seals of Pashupati Mahadeva Made of steatite, it was found in Mohenjo-Daro. It depicts a human figure seated in a cross-legged position. An elephant and a tiger are depicted on the right side of the figure, while on the left, a rhinoceros and a buffalo are seen. Two antelopes (deer) are shown below the seat (nearby his feet). The figure has a three-horned head.
This seal may throw light on the religion of the Harappan age. Most of these seals have a knob at the back through which runs a hole, and it is believed that they were used by different guilds or merchants and traders for stamping purposes. When not in use, they could be worn around the neck or the arm like an amulet.

• The Unicorn Seal: The unicorn is a mythological animal. This seal shows that at a very early stage of civilization, humans had produced many creations of imagination in the shape of bird and animal motifs that survived in later art.
• The Bull Seal: This seal depicts a humped bull of great vigor. The figure shows artistic skill and a good knowledge of animal anatomy.

WHAT DOES IT TELL US ABOUT THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION?

It can be easily deciphered that the people of this civilization were great lovers of the fine arts, especially of dancing, painting, and creating sculptures. The forms of art include various sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewellery, terracotta figures, and other interesting works of art. The level of achievement that Indian art had attained in those days can be marked with mainly two objects that were excavated from the ruins of the Indus valley.

Buddhist Phase/Mauryan Phase

The earliest historical sculpture in India is of the Mauryan age in the 4TH-3RD centuries B.C. It is a bold and massive style marked by an absolute realism freely employing foreign elements from Achaemenid Persia. The Mauryan sculptures can be differentiated into Court art and Popular Art. The Court art includes the pillars and their capitals, while popular art consists of the works of sculptors such as the Yakshas and Yakshini.
Maurya Court Art includes the Ashokan Palace at Kumrahar, whose walls are decorated with carvings and sculptures.

Pillars: During Ashokan times, the pillars were built or inscribed as the symbol of the state or to commemorate battle victories or to spread sermons. The most important function of the Mauryan pillars was to impress and over-awe the populace with the power and majesty of its rulers. This is evident from the compactness of the solid animal figures, their exaggerated forms, and their conventional appearances, also the most imposing stateliness of the columns. Lion Capital at Sarnath, Pillar at Vaishali, Asoka Pillar at Allahabad, and Pillars at Lauriya-Areraj and Lauriya-Nandangar are some of the important pillars.

Loin Capital of Sarnath

1. The Lion Capital discovered more at Sarnath, near Varanasi, is generally referred to as Sarnath Lion Capital. It was Built-in 250 BCE and is made of polished sandstone.
2. It is now our national symbol, is considered to be the finest example of Mauryan sculptural tradition.
3. It is one of the finest examples of sculpture from Mauryan period and was built by Ashoka in commemoration of ‘Dhammachakrapravartana’ or the first sermon of Buddha.

Originally it consists of five components:

1. The pillar shaft.
2. The lotus bell or base.
3. A drum on the bell base with four animals proceeding clockwise (abacus). The abacus has four wheels (chakra) with 24 spokes in all four directions. The wheel represents Dharmachakra in Buddhism (the wheel of dhamma/dharma). Between every wheel, there are animals carved. They are a bull, a horse, an elephant, and a lion. The animals appear as if they are in motion. The abacus is supported by the inverted lotus capital.
4. A figure of four majestic addorsed (back-to-back) lions on a circular abacus. The figures of the lions are grand and evoke magnificence.
5. The crowning element, Dharamchakra.

Pillar at Vaishali

The Asokan pillar at Vaishali is different from the earlier Ashokan pillars because it has only one lion capital. The location of this pillar is contiguous to the site where a Buddhist monastery and a sacred coronation tank stood. The lion faces north; the direction Buddha took on his last voyage. There is also a small tank here known as Ramkund. Ashoka became a great follower of Buddhism after the massacre of Kalinga and erected his famous Ashokan pillar in Vaishali, which was to memorialize the last sermon of Lord Buddha that took place here.

Ashoka Allahabad pillar

The Allahabad pillar is also called Ashoka Stambha. There are three sets of inscriptions on the column from the three emperors, Ashoka Maurya, Samudragupta, and Jahangir.

The Ashokan edicts are as follows:

The pillar edicts include:

• Major Pillar Edict I: Asoka’s principle of protection of the people
• Major Pillar Edict II: Defines dhamma as a minimum of sins, many virtues, compassion, liberality, truthfulness, and purity
• Major Pillar Edict III: Abolishes sins of harshness, cruelty, anger, pride etc.
• Major Pillar Edict IV: Deals with duties of Rajukas.
• Major Pillar Edict V: A list of animals and birds which should not be killed on some days, and another list of animals which have not to be killed at all occasions. Describes the release of 25 prisoners by Asoka.
• Major Pillar Edict VI: Dhamma Policy
• Major Pillar Edict VII: Works done by Asoka for Dhamma Policy. He says that all sects desire both selfcontrol and purity of mind.

The Ashokan inscriptions on the Allahabad Pillar (along with inscriptions elsewhere) was pivotal to the decipherment of the Brahmi script by The Asiatic Society’s James Prinsep. It led to the rediscovery of the Mauryan emperor and the unearthing of the full extent of his empire.
The same six edicts can be seen on the other pillars. the Allahabad pillar also includes what is known as the Schism edict (orders to the Maha mantras or officials) and the Queen’s edict (refers to the charitable deeds of Ashoka’s queen, Karuvaki)
Samudragupta inscriptions on the Allahabad Pillar: A later inscription by Samudragupta is considered “the most important historical document of the classical Gupta age.” It is in excellent Sanskrit by his court poet, Harishena who mentions Samudragupta’s military and political conquests and his invasion of South India.
Jahangir Inscriptions on the Allahabad Pillar: It was carved by his favourite calligrapher, Mir Abdullah Mushkin Qalam, and is in Persian. The Jahangir inscription overwrites the much older Ashoka inscription.
Pillars at Lauriya-Areraj and Lauriya-Nandangarh also contain the Ashokan edicts.

Yakshas and Yakshini

The popular art in the Maurya period is represented by images of Yakshas and Yakshinis. They have many different depictions:

1. Yaksha refers to the nature spirits, usually benevolent, also known as fertility spirits. A yakshini is the female counterpart of the male Yaksha.
2. Both Yaksha and Yakshini are said to attend to Kubera, the Hindu god of wealth who rules in the mythical Himalayan kingdom of Alaka.
3. Yaksha also refers to one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India.
4. Yakshas and Yakshinis are also said to be the caretakers of natural treasures. They have a prominent place in the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist literature.
   Didarganj Yakshini: The Yakshi embodies close-to-perfect standards of feminine beauty of ancient India and is one of the best sculptures of modern times.
   Elephant sculpture at Dhauli: Dhauli is located in the ancient city of Kalinga, which was captured by emperor Ashoka after bloody warfare and a lot of loss of life. The rock-cut elephant is one of the oldest carved structures of the Mauryan empire with the elephant facing east.

Post-Mauryan Sculpture Tradition in India

After the decline of the Mauryan Empire in the second century BC, various rulers controlled the regions which were once under the Mauryas, like the Shungas, Kanvas, Kushanas, and Guptas in the north and central India; and the Satavahanas, Abhiras, Ikshvakus, and Vakatakas in the south and western India.

During this time, three different schools of sculpture developed in 3 different regions of India.

Sculptures of The Gupta Age

The Gupta sculpture thus is the logical outcome of the early classical sculpture of Amravati and Mathura. During this phase, the use of cream-coloured sandstone and the use of metal was done. All these sculptures were dressed well without any form of nakedness.

E.g., Sultanganj Buddha is the largest substantially complete copper Buddha figure known from the time. He is shown standing in abhayamudra, assuring protection. His hair is curled, and He is smiling with eyes half-closed. He is well dressed with graceful ornaments. The stone carving from the temples at Deogarh and those from the temples of Udayagiri and Ajanta are excellent specimens of figure sculpture in their decorative setting. The large panel of Sheshashayi Vishnu from the Deogarh temple, representing the Supreme being slumbering wakefully on the serpent Ananta, the symbol of eternity, in the interval between the dissolution of the universe and its new creation, is a magnificent example.

South Indian Phase Sculpture Tradition in India

The art and architecture of South Indian temples and archaeological sites began to evolve in the early era and early mediaeval era, from the time of the Chalukyas, Pandya Dynasty, Chola Dynasty, and Pallava Dynasty, from the time of the Chalukyas, Pandya Dynasty, Chola Dynasty, and Pallava Dynasty.
Archaeological Museum in Hampi, Arikamedu, Badami, Belur, Edakkal caves, Elephant Stables in Hampi, Halebidu, Hassan District, Kavala Caves, Mahabalipuram, Queen’s bath in Hampi, Ranganathaswamy temple, Talakad, Tulapurushandana, Vitala Temples, and Warangal are some of the popular archaeological areas and historical sites.

South Indian Bronze Sculpture

Shaivism had a big influence on South Indian bronze sculpture. It’s because Shaivasim was formerly one of the most important sects in Hinduism. The metal sculptures from South India were mostly composed of bronze with a lot of copper. The proportions were comparable to those found in Buddhist sculptures from the southern and western parts of India. Early South India’s bronze statues are located in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Three unique stances are used to depict the spiritual traits of the Shaiva sect special deities.
A directly frontal, static stance reserved for gods in a condition of total spiritual equilibrium, positions in which the image was fractured more or less violently at two or three places of its axis, and a pose reserved for the great gods personifying cosmic movement or function were among these poses.

Importance of Mudras in South Indian Sculpture

Mudras were also represented in bronze sculptures from South India. Pranayama, Padmasana, Sukhasana, and Vajrasana are the mudras represented in South Indian art and architecture. The headdresses and jewellery that were used to drape the images of deities of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses followed a set design.

Style of South Indian Sculpture

There is a varied style of South Indian Sculpture. Over years, the style of South Indian sculptures has undergone numerous transformations owing to the different patrons that engaged in sculpturing.

Stone Sculptures of South India

Stone sculptures of south India mostly embellish the temple walls of different religions whereas bronze sculptures were mainly for processional images during special occasions. There are different varieties of granites used for stone sculpture. Most bronze sculptures exhibit round and well-finished modelling, whereas those stones have deep relief. The art has also found expression through terracotta, copper, brass, glass, and white marble sculptures.

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