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Essay on symbolism
Symbolism and interpretation
Symbolism and interpretation
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Iconography and symbolism: Buddhist art ‘Green Tara 14th century’ and ‘Tara 19th century’- Rubin Museum of Art Gaurika Dalal The two pieces of art that I have chosen to compare is the ‘Green Tara 14th century’ and ‘Tara 19th century’ which are both from the collection at the Rubin Museum of Art. The Green Tara sculpture is from central Tibet and is made of Gilt copper alloy. The Tara 19th century is from Kham province in Tibet and is painted with pigments on a piece of cloth. The main subject of focus in both the pieces of art is the ‘Tara’. Tara is a female bodhisattva or a female version of buddha. She is one of the most popular female deities in Tibetan culture and is associated with protection of a group of calamities known as the Eight fears. The ‘Green Tara 14th century’ is a metal sculpture which is about 10 inches tall and 6 inches wide. It is very precisely detailed with the clothes, head piece, earings, necklaces and other types of jewellery all intricately carved. The …show more content…
The subject of this piece is also the Tara but in this one she is represented in eight different circumstances. The centre of the piece however is a larger representation of her while the others are a lot smaller and scattered. The various representations of the Tara show her in various circumstances which portray the Eight Fears. She is siting on a lotus and is wearing a similar type of head piece and jewellery as on the sculpture. The painting is colourful but is predominately deep green and blue with a little bit of red and orange on the figures. The expression on the bodhisattvas face is peaceful just like the sculpture but the painting overall is fairly crowded and filled with movement. It allows the eye to wander around in all directions. It has a mystical effect due to the clouds and rainbows on the upper half of the
History plays a very important role in the development of art and architecture. Over time people, events, and religion, have contributed to the evolution of art. Christianity has become a very common and well established religion, however, in the past it was hidden and a few people would worship this religion secretly. Gradually, Christianity became a growing religion and it attracted many converts from different social statuses. Christian art was highly influenced by the Greco-Romans, but it was immensely impacted by the establishment of the Edict of Milan in the year 313 AD. The Edict of Milan was so significant that scholars divide Christian art into two time periods, time before and after the Edict of Milan of 313.
The process by which this particular statue was created involved using a method developed by Kaikei, a Japanese sculptor. It was a groundbreaking process that involved carving different pieces of wood separately and then joining them together (“Amida”). Instead of using a single object for creating a sculpture, multiple parts could be used to make the statue easier to construct and put together. After the parts were all joined together, the statue was covered in a lacquer finish and gilt was added to the face to give it the golden look.
This carved schist shows Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of mercy and compassion. The divine statue is standing in front of a nimbus while clutching some sort of garment in his left hand. Most of his right arm seem to have fallen off. Only his lower body is is cover in clothes. He is also wearing several neck less that are attached to his ears as well. On the base of the statue four other Bodhisattva’s are carved surrounding someone who appears to be Buddha.
With works in every known medium, from every part of the world, throughout all points in history, exploring the vast collection of the Museum of Modern Art was an overwhelming experience. The objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts are an important historical collection, reflecting the development of a number of art forms in Western Europe. The department's holdings covered sculpture in many sizes, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, jewelry, and tapestries. The gallery attracted my appreciation of the realistic qualities of the human body often portrayed in sculpture.
The Warka Vase is a uniquely large piece that was laboriously built, and carefully decorated. The images on the Warka Vase are significant and have iconographic meanings unique to the Uruk people and the cult of Inana. The images reference common practices in cuneiform and iconography of the time and place the Warka Vase was made and can be cross compared with other pieces from the time to understand the symbolism of this brilliant piece of art. To understand who is in the images, what they are doing and how they relate to one another may bring unique insight to the practices of the cult of Inana.
The piece itself displays two Buddhas, seated next to each other, two bodhisattvas on either side of the Buddhas, apsaras across the top of the stele, along with four monks and two lions adorning the bottom. In this stele, the...
...was created with an innovative production method for bronze sculptures. (Lee, p. 57) The advancements in technology could explain the massive differences in size, as well as the level of intricacy in regards to the motifs on both sculptures.
It’s necessary to mention that there are a few patterns, such as spiral-cloud shape, or animals, such as taotie, frequently appear on a large proportion of bronzes excavated from Shang and Zhou dynasties. The fact is, however, even though most of the bronzes have same decorations, upon detail comparison, discrepancy is everywhere: taoties on the two vessels are generally the same but completely dissimilar in detail. Am I fascinated by this incredible property of bronze vessel from ancient China since it represented ancient Chinese’s pursue of creativity and uniqueness. The decoration and technique system created during Bronze Age may not as accomplished as the other inventions like four great inventions created in later China; it’s the essence of culture at that time and embodiment of the intelligence of ancient Chinese.
Bodhisattva, a sculpture from the region of central Tibet, is now being displayed in the Rubin Museum in New York. It is a large-scale sculpture, standing at approximately 6 7/8 inches, that was made by craftsmen recruited in Tibet, whom were known for their artistic skills. Bodhisattvas are awakened beings who aspire to attain enlightenment and help others to achieve it by postponing nirvana and buddhahood. This sculpture is portrayed in a harmonious and compassionate state. The Bodhisattva is showcased as a mentor figure, seeking to help others achieve Enlightenment, through the presence of its physical elements.
Buddhist art spread across Asian countries, as believers brought the existing art and principles with them. The religion evolved in each new place to fit the new societies, which influenced the way the Buddha and Buddhist principles were represented in art. Starting from Theravada Buddhism in India, the religion evolved into another main branch called Mahayana Buddhism, which is popular in China, Korea, and Japan. Throughout its history, Buddhism has been ever changing to include local beliefs and customs, and the combination of these local usages with imported beliefs and symbols is characteristic of Buddhist art throughout Asia. Each new offshoot of Buddhism has its own unique take on the symbolism and rituals used to represent the religion.
The pieces of sculpture are both carved using the subtractive method of sculpting from stone. However, the types of stone used were very different. The sculpture of Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II was carved from a stone called greywacke, a dark colored, very hard stone the Egyptians prized for sculpture despite the fact t...
The temple’s main chamber contains a massive statue of the Buddha. Along the walls of the chamber are numerous paintings related to the history of the Buddha’s ascension. Underneath each painting is a historical excerpt of the Buddha’s ascension, and each painting is numbered and ordered chronologically along the walls. The tone these paintings set makes it clear that the Ying family, and indeed all those involved with temple, greatly value the Mahayana traditions and philosophies.
As I turned away from The Doll Man I immediately was taken in by this self -portrait. Although, the lighting was not very well. It was placed between the tow entrances into the Gioconda and Joseph King Gallery. The painting measured approximately at 4 ft. by 10 ft. The painting is representational and depicts animals and human. The bright red colors and dark features in the background made it stand out. Stopped time, implied space, and texture were also important elements of this painting. As the girl is sitting on the chair with a gaze in her eyes, the gorilla standing behind the chair with a look of concern and uncertainty in its eyes. It doesn’t want to step up in front of the chair and show it’s self completely. There is something to hide. It represents what is actually felt, the truth. Whatever it is, it is not to be revealed. The wolf standing by the girl’s feet has a particular look and is a loner; doesn’t want anyone to get too close. The wolf is there to ensure the hidden, the gorilla, doesn’t show it’s self.
The smaller figures represent Angulimala and his mother as he is about to kill her to complete his task of gathering one thousand fingers. However, the larger figure, the Buddha, stands between the two. The Buddha displays the Abhaya Mudra, a hand gesture that represents fearlessness or reassurance (Vanhaleweyk). In the context of this story, this mudra signifies that Angulimala reorients his life, moving past his crimes and past reincarnations to become enlightened. This statue also accurately depicts the concept of taking refuge. The Buddha is much larger than Angulimala and his mother, depicting the protection that the Buddha offers in the form of taking refuge in the three
What is Buddhism? What do we understand by Buddhism? It can be comprehended differently and can mean a variety of things to many people. For one it can be only an explanation of the life of the Buddha. To another, Buddhism means the massive doctrine recorded in the Buddhist literature, which is voluminous and comprise of several thousand pages recording the words of the Buddha. Moreover it is described as a very lofty, abstruse, complex and learned philosophy of life. However based on whatever the Buddha taught, there has grown a very rich culture, a culture which has extended to all parts of Asia for over 2500 years, and to which people from various walks of life with various backgrounds from all these countries have made a lasting contribution. Another definition of Buddhism is the kind of ritual that has grown around the doctrine of the Buddha, as a result of his teachings and the way of life preached by him. But to me Buddhism is the perfect combination of all these definitions. Buddhism has influenced my life by making me adopt the Eightfold Path known as the “Middle Path”, increased the practice of spirituality, comprehend law of impermanence and thus lead a righteous life. It’s mainly thought that Buddhism is a teaching for monks only, as it is sometimes wrongly conceived.