Art of South and Southeast Asia Answers

The Gandhara school of thoutght combined Hellenistic, Persian, and Native styles. The earliest figures come from the Gandharan region. Gandhara flourished from the first century to the fifth. It was distinctly Greco-Roman in style, with the earliest figures had the head of Apollo with the body dressed in a Roman-style toga.

This sculpture is of the Buddha seated in the lotus position (padmasana) with his right hand raised in the abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness/protection) and his left hand resting on his knee. Smaller attendant figures stand beside him while celestial beings fly overhead, and narrative scenes appear at the base. The work belongs to the early Indian Buddhist school of thought (likely from the Mathura or Kushan-period Buddhist artistic tradition).

This sculpture is known as the Priest-King from the Indus Valley Civilization, discovered at Mohenjo-daro. It is carved from steatite and shows a bearded man wearing an embroidered garment with a trefoil pattern and a headband. Key facial features include slit eyes, a low forehead, thick lips, and a neatly trimmed beard. The figure is believed to represent a high-ranking individual, possibly a priest or ruler, and demonstrates the advanced artistic skills of the ancient Indus people.

Gandhara Mathura Amaravati

This piece is entitled, Bodhisattva. It was located on the wall of a cave in India. This mural, as was with most murals in ancient India, was painted in mineral pigments on a prepared plaster surface. The piece depicted episodes from the Buddha’s past lives. The subject appeared divine, yet human.

The interesting this about the people oft he Ancient Indus Valley is that the people seem to have just disappeared, and historians and archeologists cannot figure out what happened.

The Amaravati school of thought often focused on stories from Buddha’s life. The stories would include messages and other dieties instead of just one central Buddha. Two examples of Amaravati sculpture are, Buddha’s Birth, and The Story of the Presents of King Bandhuma.

This sculpture is a large rock-cut image of the Buddha carved into the side of a mountain, most likely one of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. It shows elongated earlobes, flowing robes, and a monumental scale that emphasized the Buddha’s spiritual greatness. The sculpture was located in a cliff face along an important trade route, where it could be seen by travelers and pilgrims. Its purpose was religious devotion and to inspire reverence in those who visited the site.

This sculpture is the Male Torso from Harappa, an Indus Valley work known for its naturalistic style. The torso is smooth and simplified, but the body is modeled with careful attention to proportion and realistic form. Its rounded chest and abdomen show an understanding of human anatomy, while the scroll-like shoulders suggest stylized construction. The piece combines realism with abstraction, which makes it especially striking.

Buddha is always shown as peaceful and wise, and yet with great strength and power. He always appears both human-like and divine. The Buddha almost always has stretched earloads. The Buddha’s hair and headpiece is always a top his head, in a bun style.