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Chapter - Ii Patterns of Visual Expressions: Spatial and Temporal Dimensions

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Chapter - Ii Patterns of Visual Expressions: Spatial and Temporal Dimensions CHAPTER - II PATTERNS OF VISUAL EXPRESSIONS: SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DIMENSIONS. A broad survey of the diverse visual evidences in the different media for the time span ranging from the pre-historic visual evidences in the form of rock-art down to the historical period i.e. circa 600-700 AD has unveiled, a plethora of therianthropic forms, both in the lithic, terracotta, ivory, as well as the metallic medium. Predominantly, in stone and terracotta, their representations in the other media are however sporadic. Majority of these depictions are carved relief slabs with instances of sculptures in the round too coming to light as also a handful of painted depictions. The terracotta depictions range from hand -modelled figurines to moulded plaques. The present chapter seeks to enumerate and elaborate upon the distribution of the diverse therianthropic figures in the visual language across space and time with a view to highlighting upon their specific chronological and regional provenance's for the period between circa 700 BC to AD 600-700, primarily from a pan-Indian perspective. Accordingly, this broad time span is split into the following Phases: - Phase I (c. 700 BC - 324 BC) Phase II (c.321 - 184 BC) Phase III (circa Second to First centuries BC) Phase IV (circa First to Third centuries AD) Phase V (circa Fourth to Sixth centuries AD) While the broad regional zones encompass: - Northern India (Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi...) Central India (Madhya Pradesh) Eastern India (Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa) The Deccan (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andra Pradesh) Western India (Gujarat, Rajasthan) North West Frontier Region/Gandhara (Afghanistan, Pakistan) The present rather descriptive account concerned with the enumeration of the spatial and temporal patterning of the therianthropic data is unavoidable as, the 15 various arguments pertaining to the explanation of the ‘raison d'etre’ of the therianthropic form, in the visual language, mainly from an historical perspective, cannot be discussed in an empirical vacuum. An accompanying table (Table 2.1- 2.5) too provides a quick overview of the chronological and regional provenances of the diverse therianthropic figures. 16 VL AND TEMPORAL DIS I RIBUHON OF KS KEY [■ARl-D I'KilJRI-.S- -►Ivvvl V A1K U N r 11A - C A r U R M I ' K ! I ► FACHD I KU VISI IWARl IPA-VISI INI I------► pro: FACI-:D YAKSIIAS- • ••• w in c 'i1-:d a h .as A i i.ANn-s— VIA ------------------------ WINGFD FIGURES -------------------^ ^A IJAINAJ. MUM MISCl-i.l,ANlX)US I l(UlRi:S ■D/GOMDKMA FIGl 'RF,^ - H 3 C A JAIIX APA F)--------------------------► I -WoCo< CROCODILF.-FACI-I) 1 IGl IRl , KIIL DEMON WITH ANIMAL FACE LlMFiFiD YAKSHAS DONKEY FACED FIGlJRi:S-— o o o n, P-Q^ol EAGLE MEADED FIGURES------HHM FROG BODIED FIGURES----------K S S 3URES- >vi/TV2/ 11ARPOCRATES__________ - > { W ] ED/GOAT-EARHD FIGl IRES ->{>>>] HORNED FIGURES HUMAN-FACHD UIRD" lUJMAN UFADi;!) SCORPION------- iODDESS-BIRD/ANIMAl. FACED----H= |-| \ KUMBANDIIA FICrURl-S---------- HSu&j \ FKilJRl-^^--------------------------- MAHISASURA------------------------- \Gi riGURr.s_ RAVANA----------------------------------H S M /lilA--------------- SATYR___________________ ,I:R1 S- rRIU)NMFRMAII> WINGI-D CUI’ID- ;RN(iA______________ ___ W1NGF;D NIKF - \NA SIM IAN l'l(i(JRI';S- w i n ('.l:d s u r y a - I.IKI-: i i(i(iRi;s— ---- -H X X VAINAYAKI --- 11111 VAKSA WFFIl FIORIATFI) I \l I'--- ZODIACAL, SKJNS____________ 17 KEV t a b u : 2.1 A - GANGETIC DOAB B - CENTRAL INDIA SPA UAL AND ri:MroRAL Dis rm iu n lOiN of I K; 11 RES C - e a s t e r n INDIA D - DECCAN E - WESTERN INDIA F - NORTH WEST FRONTIER r e g io n P H A S E o<c< I A B C D E 18 TABLE 2.2 A -G AN G ET iC d o a e B - c e n t r a l INOIA SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DLSTRIBIJTION OF FIGURES C - E/'STERr'J INDIA D - DECCAN F - WESTERN INDIA F- NORTH WEST FRONTIER REGIQM P H A S E II A B C D E 19 KEY TABLE 2.3 A -GANGETIC DOAB B - CEHTRAL INDIA SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF FIGURES C - EASTERN INDIA D - DECCAN E - WESTERHlHDlA F -NORTH WEST FKONTICR REGION P H A 'VI'V 'Vl'V o o O 0 0 p p g o o S vv V vvv VVV vvv E U _2i_ ^• m n HM XX X X XX X. X III c<o< o C o < oCeX c<cx. » > » > A B C D E 20 KEY- TABLE 2.4 A - GANGETIC DOAB B- c e n t r a l INDIA SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DLSl RIBIJTION OF FIGURES C - EASTERN INDIA D - DECCAN E - WESTERN INDIA F - NORTH WEST FRONTIER REGION P • •• •• • • S' H ZSKI A CoXol HI I I S •f- -t- V yv V vv V vv E L/C/ U U [V-^ \JV \Ju IV 4/ >1/ aru7 o i 0 5oT e 6 0 0•D O 6 M M i IM A 7^1 o< (X ex. ex OC.CX tx ex. HS s & >< X X X X • X•• • a > » B C D E 2J KEV- TAIH E 2.5 A GANGETIC DOAB SPATIAI. AND TKMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF B c e n t r a l INDIA FIGURES C EASTERN INDIA n DECCAN E - WESTERN INi:>IA F - NORTH WEST FRONTIER REGION P H A S E V B C D E 22 2.2 THERIANTHROPOMORPHIC FIGURES IN THE VISUAL ART OF PHASE I: (700-324 BCI Pre-Maurya) NORTHERN INDIA AND CENTRAL INDIA The specific therianthropic figures and their provenance's are as follows; - 1. 1] Animal faced mother goddesses: Such figurines fashioned in terracotta, hail from Mathura mainly especially brought to light during the course of excavations conducted at the Katra mound (Mathura). Four such therianthropic figurines are (Agrawala 1936a:13-16, pi.1,2-5) known, along with other anthropoid faced mother goddess figurines- all of which Agrawala classes as archaic and pre-Maurya‘^’. These fragmentary figures preserve only the bust portion, while only one specimen is fully preserved [Figs.42:o,a], Two of these figurines possess a beaked face, with the nasal area pinched out 'like a clumsy beak', a pair of perforations representing the nostrils, and a deep gash for a mouth [FIG.42:b,c] The fully preserved specimen, [FIG.42:o] has heavy breasts, sharply curved waist and wide hips. Similarly another terracotta beaked face mother-goddess also halls from Mathura, (lAR 1973-74; pl.XLIII, A) it's physiognomy akin to the figurines discussed above (Agrawala 1936a). Again, three such other figurines from Mathura (Agrawala, pi.II, 6-8) possess a nasal area resembling an animal muzzle and pierced with a pair of nostrils. Housed in the Patna museum (Gupta 1965;316, Nos.7818, 7014,6870, 7015, 7013, 6915) are some terracotta mother goddesses from Mathura having a beaked-face which Gupta at times describes as a pig-like snout. These flat­ bodied figures have punched decorations below the breasts. 2. 2] Goat-faced female figures; From Masaon (Ghazipur) (lAR 1964-65: pi,XXXVI, 15) is reported a terracotta female figure having a stylized goat-face, long, pendulous ears and applied breasts [FIG,44;a], Two other fragmentary female figurines from Mathura posses stylised goat faces, a wide gash for a mouth, square chin and prominently incised lozenge shaped eyes (Agrawala 1936a: pi, 1,4,5), 23 3. Human faced animal: Dated broadly to the period, early sixth century BC to early third century BC is an animal figurine of terracotta from Hastinapur, possessing a human face with the entire body replete with incised lines and punched circlets representing some feline creature [FIG. 13: a]. The figure (Lai 1954-55:83-84) with prominently marked lozenge shaped eyes is also pierced with a transverse hole probably meant for its suspension. CENTRAL INDIA No therianthropic figures seem to have come to light from Central India during this Phase. EASTERN INDIA Therianthropic figures of this region include : 1. Animal faced male figures: Made of terracotta these figurines were brought to light during the course of excavations at Pataliputra (Sinha and Narain 1970:41, pi. X, 1 -3). The head having a conical bump towards the left possesses a large, rounded and prominent nose resembling somewhat the muzzle of a dog or bear. Punched circlets indicate the eyes, breasts and genitalia. 2. Bird-faced mother goddess: From Pandu Rajar Dhibi (Burdwan, West Bengal) hails a terracotta figurine possessing a beaked face and is dated to the early historical period corresponding to the N.B.P.W. (Biswas 1981a: 153). 3. Serpent figurines: Several fragmentary as well as fully preserved serpentine figurines of terracotta have come to light from a number of excavated sites in this region. These serpent figurines have a lozenge shaped hood, slim neck, whose contours curve inwards to mark a narrow waist, and then flare outwards, to give shape to a broad, heavy and highly exaggerated hips, supported on a pair of stylized stubby legs. These flat figurines are decorated on the neck and hips with incised decorations whose arrangement varies from figure to figure. Majorities of such fragmentary figurines hail from Vaishali (Sinha & Roy 1969:169, pi. LX, 2,3,9,14) Sonepur (lAR 1956-57:pl. XXII, XXV), Pataliputra (Sinha & Narain 1970:144, pi. XIV, A, 1,2), Chirand (lAR 1964-65:pl. VIII). Some fully preserved figurines hail from Champa (lAR 1971- 72: pi. XIII, B) and Patna too. The Patna figurine [Pl.XXV.B] although dated to c. 400-200 BC (Dhavalikar 1970:50) may be assigned to the present Phase I 24 (Pre-Maurya) due to the comparative parallels in terms of the delineation of the iconography of the present Patna figure with somewhat similar specimens from Champa [FIG.48: e] and West Bengal [FIG.47: d].
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