Hindoestaanse kunst

Hindoestaanse
kunst
Pārvatī
India, Tamil Nadu, Chola
11th century
Granite
Pārvatī
A perfect depiction of Parvati originally probably as part of an architectural design dating from the
Cholaperiod, whose kingdom was in what is now Tamil Nadu. Its chief capitals were at Kanchi
(Kanchipuram) and Thanjavur (Tanjore). The Chola kingdom was one of the three of ancient Tamil
tradition, but the dynasty had been virtually submerged for centuries when at the end of the 9th
cent. A.D. it rose again. Under the famous rulers Rajaraja I (reigned 985–1014) and Rajendra I
(reigned 1014–42) Chola power reached its zenith. The former conquered Kerala and
occupied Northern Sri Lanka; the latter completed the conquest of Sri Lanka, invaded Bengal, and
sent out a great naval expedition that occupied parts of Myanmar, Malaya, and Sumatra. For 300 years
the Chola kingdom supported a flourishing social and economic life, marked by a flowering of Hindu
culture. Its greatest architectural monument is an 11th-century temple at Tanjore, which was dedicated
to Shiva in celebration of a military victory.
The Cholas continued the temple-building traditions of the Pallava dynasty and contributed
significantly to the Dravidian temple design. They built numerous temples throughout their kingdom.
Aditya I built a number of Siva temples along the banks of the river Kaveri. These temples were not
on a large scale until the end of the 10th century CE.
Temple building received great impetus from the conquests and the genius of Rajaraja Chola and his
son Rajendra Chola I. The maturity and grandeur to which the Chola architecture had evolved found
expression in the two temples of Tanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram. The magnificent
Siva temple of Thanjavur, completed around 1009 CE, is a fitting memorial to the material
achievements of the time of Rajaraja. The largest and tallest of all Indian temples of its time, it is at
the apex of South Indian architecture. By the 13th century the kingdom was in decline, and the
dynasty ended in 1279.
The general form of Parvati, the consort of Siva, as given in the Kasyapa-Silpa and the Manasara, is
that she has two hands when accompanying Siva and four when represented independently.
This Parvati is standing in tribhanga while she has one of her legs slightly bent (kunchita) and the
other is straight (lambita or svastika). She is placed on a base on which some plaster is added in order
to keep in balance (later addition). She has almond shaped eyes, an aquiline nose, slightly smiling lips
and long earlobes adorned with ornaments in makara form. She wears a band on the forehead
called phalapatta with four makarakeyuras. Her right hand is in font of her body in katakamudra, and
originally held the blue lotus. Her left hand is in gajahasta downwards along her body. She wears a
triple necklace and a horizontal pleated dhoti and belts with sashes falling near her hip. The
Brahmanical cord, the yajnopavita, wends from her left shoulder to the right of her hips. The girdle is
made up of several strands and is held together with a lion face (kirtimukha) belt.
Provenance: private collection, The Netherlands
Art Loss Register Certificate, Reference R00001520
Published in:
Poems for Śiva, Rotterdam 2007, plate 20, p. 87
Silver money casket depicting Laksmi
Jaisalmer, India
19th century
Silver
When the ocean of milk was churned in the Amrtamanthana story for obtaining the ambrosials for the gods, many
valuable thing came out of the ocean. The goddess of wealth Laksmi also came out from that ocean then. Because of this
special character of Laksmi, it is quite obvious that she is depicted on this silver money casket from Jaisalmer.
The depiction of Laksmi on this casket is a classical one and very similar to the description as given in
the Silparatna. She is adorned with keyura and kankana, wears a necklace of pearls and holds two lotus flowers in her
upper hands and a bilva fruit in the lower right. She is seated upon a lotus of eight petals. She is accompanied by two
elephants that should, according to theSilparatna, pour pure water from pots on her head for bathing her. Here the
elephants are depicted both holding a lotus flower.
On the rear side of this heavy silver casket a lotus flower is depicted and two svastikas. Between the two svastikas the name
of the former owner is inscribed, probably a wealthy citizen of Jaisalmer in the 19th century.
Garuda
India / Madhya Pradesh
18th century
bronze
Garuda
According to the Mahabharata Garuda was born to Kasyapa and Vinata and was the younger
brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the sun-god Surya. When Garuda first came out of the egg, the
gods mistook him for Agni and praised him and prevailed upon him to diminish his splendour and
glory a little. Bearing Aruna on his back, Garuda went from his father’s home to where his mother
was, and there learnt that she was held in slavery by his father’s other wife Kadru. The sons of
Kadru who were all snakes promised him to free Vinata, if Garuda managed to bring for their use the
ambrosia of the gods from their celestial World.
Garuda started out at once this mission of securing the ambrosia for his step-brothers, and on his way
lived upon the Nishadas. When he approached the lake called Alamba, he caught there an elephant
named Supratika and a tortoise named Vibhavasu, and seizing both of them in his talons, he alighted
upon a large banyan tree. The branch of the tree could not bear the weight and gave way.
On this branch were the rsi’s Valakhilyas suspended with their heads downwards and doing penance.
Fearing he would cause the death of these sages, Garuda himself held up and carried the branch to
the hermitage of his father Kasyapa. There Kasyapa exhorted the Valakhilyas to quit that treebranch. They quitted it, and garuda then threw down the branch and made a hearty meal; of the two
animals – the elephant and the tortoise.
Then he proceeded to the capital of Indra, the chief of the gods; and after a hard fight there with the
appointed guards of the pot of ambrosia he succeeded in taking away from their possessions the pot
of amrta.
On the way from the world of the gods he met Visnu, and promised him to serve as his vehicle and
also as the device on his banner.
Garuda thus brought to his step-brothers, the snakes, the pot of ambrosia and placed it on a heap
of kusa grass. On seeing this, the snake sons of Kadru set Vinata free, and went to attend to the
religious rites preparatory to their partaking of the ambrosia.
Meanwhile Indra came and took away hi pot of amrta. The snakes returned, and were disappointed
of the much coveted pot of ambrosia, and licked the grass upon that pot had been placed. The sharp
edges of the grass cleft their tongues, and the snakes came to possess split tongues. Thereby
the kusa grass also became sacred, because the pot of amrta was placed upon it by Garuda.
This mythical kite really represents the sun, and is therefore associated with Visnu, who is a solar
god in origin.
This kneeling Garuda holds his hands in the anjali-pose and has a strong facial expression.
Brahmā
India
c. 1880-90
Ivory
An excellent carved ivory depiction of Brahmā on a wooden pedestal. Brahmā is the all-pervading Eternal Spirit, the first
member of the Hindu Triad together with Śiva and Vişņu.
However Brahmā is not often worshipped and therefore depicted. According to theBrahmavaivarta Purāna he was cursed
by Mōhinī not to receive any worship. This refers to the Lińgōdbhava story where Brahmā and Vişņu try to measure the
greatness of Śiva represented as a lińga. Śiva told them that whoever first saw the top or bottom of his own lińga form and
came back to report , he would be considered the greater. Brahmā soared on his vehicle the swan to see the top of the Śiva
lińga, while Vişņu as a boar dug down try to see its bottom. Ages passed away and neither came to his goal. At last Brahmā
saw one kētaki flower coming down from Śiva’s head. Śiva wears this type of flowers in his hair. It has fallen from Śiva’s
head ages ago. Brahmā suborned it to give false evidence and then came back and uttered a lie, saying that he had seen the
top of the lińga, citing the kētaki flower as his witness.
Mōhinī knew the lie and cursed Brahmā that he should thenceforward go without any worship in temples. Brahmā had five
heads at that time and Śiva also cut off the head which uttered the lie.
According to the Mānasāra, Brahmā is depicted with four heads, but has one body and four hands. The palm of the left
lower hand exhibits the posture of conferring boons (varada) while the right lower indicates protection( abhaya). The
corresponding upper hands hold the water pot (kamandalu) and the rosary (akşamāla).
This depiction of Brahmā holds the waterpot in the lower right hand and the rosary in the lower left. In both upper hands he
holds two books. Around his neck he wears the scarf (uttariya) and a large māla. His right leg is pendant, the socalled lalitāsana posture.
Sarasvati brooch
South India
c. 1860-80
Ivory
This is an ivory brooch depicting Sarasvati, goddess of speech and learning and consort of Brahma.
Another name is Vagisvari. Vagisvari, who is as a goddess worshipped both by the Buddhist and
Hindu Tantrikas, is described in the Pancharatragama text as having three eyes and four hands,
holding in these latter the staff, book, rosary and the water pot. These are also the symbols of the
creator Brahma. Here Sarasvati is depicted with four hands while playing the vina. On the back of
the brooch a silver pin is attached.
The origin of Sarasvati is uncertain. Perhaps originally the idea originates from the river Sarasvati in
Rajasthan or with water in some other way. She is always associated with the creative properties that
water has for seeds and vegetation.
Kali standing on Siva
India / probably West Bengal
late l8th or 19th century
Bronze
Kali striding over recumbent
Siva. This type of images are
fashioned for Kali-puja. Larger
type of these images were
paraded through the streets,
before being immersed in a tank
or River at the end of the
festival.
This bloodthirsty Kali holds
the kapala in the lower left
hand, while many chopped of
hands as a trophy are strapped
around her waist.
Kumattikali mask
19th century
Used in plays in South
India.
Carved and painted
jackfruit wood
India / Karnataka or Tamil Nadu
18th century or earlier
Bronze
Virabhadra is said to have sprung from a
lock of Siva’s hair when Siva heard of the
suicide of his wife Sati, daughter of Daksa,
in a sacrificial fire. When the aggressive
Daksa grossly insulted her husband Siva
and humiliated her, she committed suicide
by jumping into the pit containing the
sacrificial fire. Siva then flew into a rage.
From the fire of his anger came this form
into existence as of Death manifest, who
destroyed the sacrificial ceremonies of
Daksa and slew Daksa himself by cutting
of his head. The head was thrown into the
sacrificial fire.
There are many versions of the story in
the Kurma-, Varaha-, and Bhagavatapuranas but on this rather large early
bronze plate Virabhadra is depicted as
given in the Pancaratragama: standing
inside a prabhamandala while holding the
sword and shield in his lower right- and
lower left hand respectively. In the other
hands he wears a bow and arrow. He is
decorated with a garland of skulls and has
sandals on his feet.
Daksa is depicted with his hands in
the anjali-pose. Daksa is a complex
identity who first appears in the Rg Veda.
Daksa is shown here on Siva’s right,
revived by Siva with a goat’s head for the
one that was burnt in the sacrificial fire.
On Siva’s left Sati is depicted and next to
Siva’s head the Sun and the
Moon, representing the heavens. Traces of
worship are visible.
Visnu Bhogasthanakamurti
India
Chola, 12th century
Including early 19th century prabhavali
Bronze
Visnu Bhogasthanakamurti
This is a typical depiction of a standing bronze image of Visnu Bhogasthanakamurti. This statue did
not survive time without cracks but still has the beautiful elegance of a perfect Chola period Visnu.
In his upper left hand he carried the conch (sankha) while in the upper right hand the disc
or cakrawas depicted. The lower right hand is in the varada or boon giving gesture while the lower
left hangs by the side so as to rest upon the hip.
This type of statues is not made to be worshipped solitary. The figure of Sridevi should be made to
stand on the right side of Visnu. On the left of the figure of Visnu there should be the image of
Bhudevi. On the right and left side of Visnu respectively Bhrgu and Purana, obviously meaning
Markandeya, have to be kneeling on one knee or sitting in the utkutikasana pose. Above the central
figure of Visnu there should be the images of the goddesses Maya, Samhladini, kamini and Vyajani,
of the divine musicians Tumburu and Narada, of a yaksa, Vidhyadhara, the rsis Sanaka,
Sanatkumara and the luminaries Surya (sun) and Candra (moon).
In bronze you usually find Visnu accompanied only by Sridevi and Bhudevi. The British museum
in London has a perfect set on display.
The base of the pedestal of Visnu is worn, but it is still capable of standing. This icon of Visnu has a
deep dark patination. These type of depictions are becoming rare.
The early 19th century prabhavali behind Visnu has a little damage to the lower right side but is still
a very fine Vaisnava piece. The kirtimukha is in high relief. There is also a 5 headed
cobra, Makaras, Jalis, Sardulas and the Vaisnava attributes of the sankha and the cakra.
Hanumān
Sri Lanka
18th / early 19th century
Bronze
Vasudeva and Krishna
India
19th century
Bronze
King Kamsa wants to kill baby
Krishna. In this bronze depiction
Vasudeva brings baby Krishna across
the River Yamuna to save the baby
from being killed by Kamsa.
Pidāri
India, Tamil Nadu
Late 18th, early 19th century
Wood
This carving was part of a temple chariot and
comes from Tamilnadu, South India. The
carving depicts the figure of Pidāri.
She has four arms and holds a trident in her
upper left hand and a kettle drum in the upper
right. She holds a skull (kapāla) in the lower left
hand.
She is seated in the lalitāsana pose and a third
eye is depicted on her forehead. Interesting is
the fact that she is sitting on large flowers, a
symbol that is often depicted in relation to the
goddess Durgā as well. She also wears flowers
as earrings.
Another interesting feature is the five headed
snake that is depicted above her head.
This figure also strongly resembles the Śaiva
village goddess Mutyālamma. Almost every
village in South India, however insignificant it
may be, has a shrine for one or more goddesses
of this nature. Generally they are situated
outside the village and are considered grāmadēvatās, the guardian deities of the village.
Pidāri herself also is sometimes reduced to a
village deity, but her history can be traced to
inscriptions of the Chola period (A.D. 850 –
1279). Four varieties of the goddess are known
from the records of Rājarāja I of the first quarter
of the eleventh century A.D.., viz., “the goddess
living on a river bank, on a grove
of punnai trees”, “the deity common to all
classes”, “the deity surrounded by clay horses”
and “the deity of the sacred banyan tree”.
On the back of the carving the Tamil letter “U”
is inscribed, probably the artist’s signature.