give introduction to wooden art of ancient india
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introduction to wooden art
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Wooden idols have traditionally been made in India, as a tractable and commonly-available material to artists and craftsmen in architecture and sculpture. Few specimens survive of early works due to the perishable nature of wood, particularly in a hot and humid climate. However, other sources demonstrate the ancient use of woodcarving in Indian art.[1] This includes a tradition of making icons, often also of wood.[2]
The earliest reference to any wooden idol made in India goes to the legend of Jivantasvami – a sandalwood image of Mahavira or Vardhamana,[3] the last tirthankara of Jain pantheon. It is said that the idol was carved in his lifetime and worshiped by his followers.[4] This myth, though not materially substantiated, is an obvious proof in favor of an artistic practice – prevailing in the sixth century BC. However, it was only after another seven centuries that we find the oldest literary mention of wood as a suitable plastic medium for the sculpting of cult-icons.[5]
The first concrete evidence to the tradition of making wooden idols comes in the form of an epigraph found in Andhra Pradesh. This inscription of Abhira Vasudeva, dated c. AD 278, describes an eight-armed wooden sculpture of Lord Visnu – named as Astabhujasvami. This effigy, said to have medicinal and energizing properties,[6] was installed on the Siddhalahari hill bordering Nagarjunikonda valley.
The specimen, however, is not available today; yet the reference indeed ensures a living tradition in the third century AD. The next thirteen hundred odd years saw the tradition continuing with its vitality and context – and being documented in a series of indigenous literature.