‘‘Art historians had to acquire familiarity with hagiographies of the Buddha in order to understand Buddhist sculpture.’’ Explain the statement with the sculptural features.
Answers
Historians have worked to reconstruct the details of life from hagiographies
Explanation:
- A hagiography is basically a biography of a saint or a religious teacher
- Most of these texts were written at least 150 years after the Buddha
- They preserved these texts to keep memories and teaching of their teacher preserved
- Art Historians took help from the text to understand the sculpture of the Buddhist
In order to understand Buddhist sculpture art historians had to
familiarize themselves with hagiographies of the Buddha because:
i.
ii.
ii.
iv.
V.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
xi.
Many early sculptures did not show the Buddha in human form instead his presence is shown through symbols. The interpretation
of these was possible only on knowing the hagiographies and
traditions
The Empty seat beneath a tree indicates meditation of the Buddha.
The Stupa symbolizes mahaparinibbana.
The wheel stood for Buddha's first Sermon at Sarnath.
Such sculptures can not be understood in isolation for instance the
tree does not stand simply for a tree but symbolizes an event in the
life of the Buddha.
A sculpture in the gateway of Sanchi depict a rural scene with thatched huts and trees which is a scene from a Vessantara
Jataka, which is a story of a generous prince who gave away everything and went to the forest with his wife and children.
Sculpture of Shalabhanjika at Sanchi though not directly inspired
by Buddhist tradition requires knowledge of popular traditions
which attributes her to be an auspicious symbol.
Sculptures of animals like elephants, horses, monkeys and cattles
on the stupas can be understood from various Jatakas stories
Some animals were used as symbols of human attributes for
instance elephants were depicted to signify strength and wisdom.
Motif of a woman surrounded by lotuses and elephants
sprinkling water on her has been identified by some as Gajalakshmi, (the Goddess of good fortune )and by some as Maya(mother of Buddha)
James Fergusson misunderstood Sanchi as a centre of tree and Serpent worship due to lack of knowledge of hagiographies,