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INDIA
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INDUS VALLEY CIVILZATION
c. 2500BC – 1500BC
• The denizens of this time made:
- bronze and stone animal sculptures
- small seals carved in stone
- ceramic bowls rubbed with resin and
decorated with geometric and animal motifs
- temples honoring popular water gods
Seals
Bronze & Stone Animal Sculptures
Ceramic Bowls
GANGES CIVILIZATION
c. 1500BC – 400BC
• There was little evidence of the Indian
civilization at this time.
• However, during this period, hymns called
Vedas were written.
• Vedas marked the beginning of the Hindu
religion.
Vedas
MAURYAN EMPIRE
c. 322BC – 185BC
• India was taken over by the Maurya family.
• Their greatest ruler, emperor Asoka, was heavily
influenced by Buddhism.
• The Mauryan Era brought on the first objects of Buddhist
architecture.
• Stupas were built to house relics and shrines for the
dead.
• A harmika lies on top of them and an umbrella is placed
on the harmika to symbolize the thirty-three higher
heavens of Mahayana Buddhism.
Stupa I at Sanchi
2nd century BCE – 1st century, India
masonry
GANDHARA PERIOD
78AD -250AD
• By this time, India had been invaded by Greece.
• Alexander’s conquest led to Greek influence in Buddhist
sculptures.
• Buddha first appeared in Hellenistic kingdoms of Bactria and
Gandhara; Greek in style.
• The sculpture’s elongated earlobes, ushnisha coil of hair
behind his head, and his urna or third eye display Buddha’s
sacred nature.
• The Gandhara School of Art first created Indian cave temples
which were cut into the sides of live rock. They resembled
earlier wooden constructions.
Head of Buddha,
4th Century. Sculpture, Stucco.
26 3/4’’ x 19 ½’’
India
The Indian Cave Temple, Chaitya, in Karli India
GUPTA EMPIRE
320AD – 600AD
• This is considered the Golden Age of Buddhist Indian
Art. Greek style declined and Indian style arose.
• Indian culture became noticed as its literature, drama,
paintings, sculptures, and architecture began to flourish.
• Cave temples, at Ajanta & Ellora were carved and
painted. They were decorated with distinctly decorated
Indian figures.
Unknown, Maiden with Tray
c.320AD-600AD.
Ajanta Cave Murals, India.
Unknown, Adoring Couple
c.320AD-600AD.
Ajanta Cave Murals, India.
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
730AD – 1308AD
• Time of the Pallava Dynasty (600AD-750AD), a kingdom in
southeastern India.
• Pallavas created large free standing temples from live rock at
Mamallapuram and massive towering gateways called
gopuras.
• The temples have multistoried roofs and stone square towers
made by Hindu architects. It is symmetrical; its complexity is
to mean order in the universe. There are pathways for
worshipers and their rituals.
• Images of Nandi, the bull in, symbolize the god of Siva.
• Gopuras were placed at the entrances of the temples.
• Also the time of the Chola Dynasty (846AD-1173AD).
Shore Temple, 7th-8th centuries. Live rock.
Mamallapuram, India.
The Gopura at Meenakshi
The sculpture Siva performing nataraja, the
dance of reincarnation
MUGHAL PERIOD
1206AD – 1857AD
• Final phase of traditional Indian art with waves of Moslem
invasions.
• One of the greatest emperors was Akbar, who reunited the
divided medieval kingdoms into the mighty Mughal empire.
• Much destruction came to Hindu temples and sculptures my
the Mughals because the Moslem religion prohibited the use of
imagery.
• They were replaced by mosques and palaces of symmetrical
simplicity. They had Persian style with a mix of Indian ideas.
• The most famous Mughal Indian structure is the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal