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The Sculptures Displayed in This Gallery Were Created for Display in Public Temples and Private Devotional Shrines in Homes

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The Sculptures Displayed in This Gallery Were Created for Display in Public Temples and Private Devotional Shrines in Homes SOUTH ASIAN SCULPTURE The sculptures displayed in this gallery were created for display in public temples and private devotional shrines in homes. They are products of the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions that arose in India and neighboring regions. Like many people throughout the world, South Asians have attempted to explain and understand their place in the universe and their relationship to the spiritual realm. Buddhist and Hindu sculptures promote this understanding through the use of symbols. Over time, symbols became standardized for the depictions of gods and saintly beings, bringing certain beliefs and thoughts to the minds of devotees. The lotus flower, the flame, the halo, body postures, hand gestures, body markings and various attributes all hold special meaning. Graceful forms and special attention to detail invite contemplation and introspection by viewers. By focusing their attention on these godly depictions and symbols, worshipers hope to enter into a state of mind that will bring them fulfillment on a spiritual plane. SOUTH ASIA Rama, the Archer South India, 15th–16th century Bronze (65.168) Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Eilenberg In times of great evil, Vishnu assumed various forms and descended to earth to restore order and goodness. Tradition lists ten incarnations or avataras for him–– nine have already appeared, one is yet to come. Rama, the archer, is the seventh. He is shown here drawing his bow (now lost). Rama’s deeds are told in the great Indian epic the Ramayana in which he overcame the forces of evil. He is regarded as a symbol of incorruptibility, honesty, loyalty and tenderness. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA The Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness India, Bihar, 10th century Basalt (66.118) The Buddha is seated in a meditative “lotus” pose (cross-legged with soles of the feet upward). He is shown under the stylized bodhi tree––the tree of Enlightenment that symbolizes supreme knowledge. He sits on a pedestal supported by two reclining lions and ornamented with lotus petals–– the lotus being the symbol for purity. His right hand reaches downward over his knee in the gesture of “Calling the Earth to Witness” (bhumisparsha mudra). He is shown with several distinctive auspicious marks of supreme being: a cranial protuberance (ushnisha) atop his head––symbol of supreme wisdom; a mark (urna) between his eyebrows––symbol of spiritual insight; a halo (shiraschakra) behind the head––symbol for holiness; and a circular mark (dharmachakra) on the soles of his feet ––symbol of the “Wheel of the Law” or Buddhist doctrine. In addition, his ears are shown with long distended lobes but devoid of the heavy ornaments he once wore as a prince before rejecting earthly luxuries. Two saintly beings called bodhisattvas flank the Buddha: Avalokiteshvara with a tiny meditating Buddha in his headdress is on the left, while opposite is the bodhisattva Maitreya with a small Buddhist monument called a stupa in his headdress. At the upper sides of the relief, seated on lotus pedestals, are two Dhyani Buddhas: Amitabha to the right and Akshobhya to the left. “Calling the Earth to Witness” was an act the Buddha performed as he was meditating. The armies of Mara, the god of desire, had been distracting him from attaining his goal of Enlightenment. When, however, he reached down to touch the Earth, calling her to witness that he had never interrupted his asceticism, everything became clear, his torments ceased and he attained absolute Enlightenment. This act was a key moment in the life of the Buddha, and thus this pose and hand gesture have been used repeatedly for depictions of the Buddha in art. During the Pala period (ca. 750–1200), a time when both Hinduism and Buddhism were practiced in India, many such sculptures were created for use in religious sanctuaries, where they were set into niches in walls. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA Durga Killing the Buffalo Demon Central India, ca. 12th century Bronze (66.153) Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Eilenberg Ten-armed Durga, a form of the Great Goddess, thrusts her trident into the anthropomorphized buffalo demon, Mahisha, an act that symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The demon’s buffalo head, which Durga has already cut off, is at the feet of her lion. Her vigorous posture and swirling arms, with each hand holding a weapon or attribute, reveal her awesome power. The worn surface of the figurine indicates it has undergone centuries of ritual handling by devout worshippers. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA Dancing Krishna (Navanitakrishna) South India, ca. 16th century Bronze (66.185) Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Eilenberg Krishna, the much-loved Hindu god, is one of the incarnations of Vishnu. Here he is depicted as a nude boy gracefully dancing on a lotus pedestal. In his right hand he holds a butterball that he had stolen from his mother. When his mother caught him, she opened his mouth to find the butter and found instead the entire universe, twinkling inside. Worshipers would have been quite familiar with the god’s unusual childhood as well as his other stories and exploits that give proof of his divine powers of cosmic transformation. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA Parvati South India, perhaps 18th century Bronze (66.228d) Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Eilenberg This tiny figurine depicts the Hindu goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva and the benevolent aspect of Shakti (Cosmic Feminine Energy). Small figurines like this are used in personal devotion as a means for focusing worship on a chosen deity. Even at this small scale, artisans meticulously adhered to prescribed standards for the depictions of the various gods. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA The Buddha with Bodhisattvas Pakistan (Gandhara), ca. 2nd century Schist (67.137) Gift of the Mary and Leland Hazard Fund, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Foundation, in memory of Governor and Mrs. James T. Blair The large Buddha in the center is hieratically scaled to emphasize his importance. Richly dressed attendant bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara (right) and Maitreya (left) are smaller; monks in lower corners are even smaller. The Buddha is seated on a lotus flower, the symbol of purity. A canopy of leaves from the tree of Enlightenment––the bodhi tree––arches over his head. He makes a gesture of teaching with his hands (vyakhyana mudra). The Buddha’s faithful bearded bodyguard, Vajrapani, stands behind at the upper left and holds a vajra, the symbol of the emptiness that is the essence of all existence. The other small figure at the upper right is probably Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. Reliefs like this were affixed to Buddhist monuments called stupas or surrounding structures, often located within religious or monastic sanctuaries. As part of their pilgrimage, devotees ritually walked around the stupas. The sculptural reliefs served as instructive as well as decorative devices. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA Ganesha South India, Chola period, late 12th century Bronze (67.173) Gift of Michael de Havenon Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is one of the most popular Hindu gods. Invoked at the beginning of worship or any other venture, such as the start of a business day or a journey, Ganesha’s name is daily on the lips of virtually every devout Hindu. Such large sculptures were not used in homes but were displayed in temples. The two upright spikes attached to the base were meant to support an aureole (a full-body halo) that surrounded the image, and the rings on each side were used to carry the figure in processions on festive occasions. In his upper hands the god carries a battleaxe, symbolizing power, and a noose, symbolizing attachment to worldly matters as well as the god’s capacity to capture evil and bind ignorance. His lower right hand holds his broken tusk, and his lower left hand holds sweet cakes that he picks up with his trunk. He wears a crown ornamented with a lotus. Flowers decorate his shoulders, and he has a “sacred thread” around his torso. Ganesha came to have an elephant’s head because, according to myth, his father Shiva, who had been absent during his birth, didn’t recognize him and, when he first encountered him, killed him as an intruder. Shiva later restored Ganesha to life with the head of the first animal that walked by––an elephant. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA Narasimha South India, 17th century Bronze (69.1068) Gift of Dr. Samuel Eilenberg Narasimha is the half-man, half-lion incarnation of Vishnu. Here he is shown reclining in slumber on a coiled serpent-bed that floats upon the cosmic waters during the interval between two cycles of existence of the universe. The god Brahma, the creator, emanates from his navel on a lotus stem. Bhudevi, the earth goddess, and Sridevi (also known as Lakshmi), the goddess of wealth, attend him. He holds attributes common to Vishnu: the discus and conch shell trumpet. MAA 4/06 SOUTH ASIA Vishnu Flanked by Lakshmi and Sarasvati Bangladesh, Pala period, end of 11th century Basalt (77.292) Anonymous gift Vishnu is the Hindu god who preserves the universe. He stands in the straight and sturdy pose called samabhanga–– a pose that fits his role to uphold and preserve order. He holds four attributes in his hands: a conch shell to summon troops to battle the forces of evil (symbol of eternal space); a club with which to defeat his enemies (symbol of eternal law); a discus––a throwing weapon (symbol of eternal time); and a lotus (symbol of purity and ever-renewing creation). He wears a long garland composed of groups of gems that derive from the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether.
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