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| South Asian art | |
|---|---|
| Name | South Asian art |
| Caption | The Taj Mahal at Agra, an iconic monument associated with multiple patrons and artistic traditions |
| Region | South Asia |
| Period | Prehistoric to Contemporary |
South Asian art South Asian art encompasses visual cultures that developed across the Indian subcontinent, including regions of present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Its traditions reflect patronage from dynasties such as the Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Chola dynasty, Mughal Empire, and colonial encounters involving the British Raj and institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum. The field engages artifacts linked to sites such as Harappa, Sarnath, Ellora Caves, Ajanta Caves, and commissions by figures like Akbar, Shah Jahan, and Tipu Sultan.
Scholars define the geographic scope through material cultures found at sites including Mehrgarh, Lothal, Taxila, Pattadakal, and Sigiriya, while modern boundaries align with states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab (Pakistan), Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. Studies reference collections held by institutions such as the British Museum, National Museum, New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, Museum of Islamic Art (Doha), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Comparative frameworks invoke interactions with regions like Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Persia, and East Africa through routes associated with the Silk Road, Indian Ocean trade network, and maritime ties to Ceylon.
Periodization often follows sequences tied to polities such as the Indus Valley Civilization, Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Pala Empire, Chola dynasty, Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara Empire, and the Mughal Empire, extending to colonial eras under the British East India Company and nationalist movements associated with figures like Rabindranath Tagore and organizations such as the Indian National Congress. Art historical taxonomies highlight stylistic phases at monuments like Sanchi, Gandhara, Khajuraho, and urban centers including Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Modern and contemporary practices connect to schools and movements such as the Bengal School of Art, artists like Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, and institutions like the Kala Bhavana.
Religious art manifests in Buddhist reliquaries from Sarnath, Jain iconography at Shravanabelagola, Hindu temple sculpture at Brihadeeswarar Temple, and Islamic funerary architecture exemplified by the Humayun's Tomb and Taj Mahal. Ritual objects include steles associated with Ashoka, thangkas linked to Tibetan patrons such as the Dalai Lama, and manuscript-related devotional works used in practices centered on deities like Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, and figures such as Padmasambhava. Patronage networks involve courts and monastic institutions including the Nalanda University complex and regional sultanates such as the Bahmani Sultanate.
Painting traditions span mural cycles at Ajanta Caves, miniature schools patronized by the Mughal Empire, Rajasthan courts such as Mewar and Kota, and Pahari ateliers in Kangra. Manuscript illumination traditions appear in illustrated texts like the Akbarnama, Hamzanama, Bhagavata Purana manuscripts, and Jataka tales, produced for patrons including Akbar, Raja Man Singh, and regional rajas of Kangra and Basohli. European contacts introduced print cultures via entities like the Serampore Mission Press and influenced artists such as Thomas Daniell and institutions like the Royal Academy.
Sculptural vocabularies include stone carvings from the Ellora Caves, bronze casting traditions from Chola dynasty workshops with examples like the Nataraja bronzes, and terracotta panels from sites such as Kushan-period Gandharan sites. Architectural typologies range from stupa forms at Sanchi and rock-cut complexes at Elephanta Caves to Indo-Islamic monuments like the Qutub Minar and colonial-era civic buildings in Mumbai modeled by architects associated with the Prince of Wales Museum. Restoration and conservation efforts involve agencies like the Archaeological Survey of India and international bodies including UNESCO.
Decorative arts encompass objects such as Bidri metalware from Karnataka, blue-glazed tiles from Murshidabad, pietra dura panels in the Taj Mahal, and inlaid woodwork from Kashmir. Textile traditions include Mughal-era courts with brocades woven in Varanasi, block-printed fabrics from Sanganer and Bagru, ikat from Pochampally, and painted cottons like kalamkari associated with workshops in Masulipatnam. Craft guilds, patrons like the British East India Company, and markets in cities such as Surat and Calcutta shaped production and export.
Transmission occurred via agents including merchants of the Charter Company, pilgrims on routes to Bodh Gaya and Rameswaram, and diasporic communities in port cities like Calicut and Colombo. Artistic exchange involved syncretic forms visible in Gandhara sculpture influenced by Hellenistic models, Indo-Persian painting syntheses under Akbar, and Southeast Asian resonances at sites in Cambodia and Java. Colonial encounters led to collections transferred to museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and debates at forums like the Partition of India period cultural transitions and postcolonial restitution discussions.
Category:Art by region