The South Asian Collection Of The Asian Art Museum

The question being asked is, why do cultures build religious structures? Also, how have artists tried to portray images of deities?

Chola Dynasty, which is also known as one of the greatest periods in Asia for sculpture. This time period was also well-known for bronze sculptures but this particular sculpture in Met was copper alloy probably because from my knowledge, at that time, copper was better for carving and sculpting but now a days, there are paintings of the Nataraja that are colorful, too (with a lot of colors, and much easier to see and understand). Also, being that it was copper to me it looked a little dull because I have seen the sculpture in the different colors, shapes and sizes. There are many other brass figures depicting Shiva as Lord of the Dance in different postures of the dance. When these sculptures were made only fortunate classes such as royals and priest could view the deities and people who were poor wasn’t able to. But now, everyone can see it, and have it. The pose, Shiva with his four arms is called “tribhanga in Bharantanayam” (another classical dance of South India).

Egyptian temple was landscaped in such a way that the external wall looked like a fortress isolating the temple from its environment which symbolically denoted the forces of chaos and evil. In the same vein, Egyptian temple hypostyle hall and ceiling are decorated with paints, stars, and other celestial bodies. Whereas, Greek temple is positioned and planned to maximize the context of its surrounding landscape. Again, the Greek decorations are straight decorations. They are decorated following pre-defined Ionic and Doric

The art depicts to me the Indian life cycle and religious perspective when she poses in different forms which she depicts with her hands and feet (Shiva). According to MFAH bulletin board, it explains the nonverbal poses that “Shiva Nataraja” makes such the little man underneath her feet is “Apasmara” resembles the human race “ignorance, forgetfulness, and recklessness”, and one of her hands depicts holding a “…drum…beat of this drum signifies the sound of creation” and her large third eye resembles the looks between “truth” and “illusion” (Shiva). Also, it amazes me the vivid image the artist presented from this bronze statue of “Shiva Nataraja” which depicts in a live and dynamic form.

Since then I have returned many times, just to enjoy this exhibit. Walking through the Temple of Dendur is a unique experience since it sits on a marble platform surrounded by water. The temple is especially impressive at night when no light can shine through the windows. Only the temple and its sculptures are illuminated. A sense of mystery surrounds visitors, especially those of us who have been fortunate enough to visit the pyramids in our native land. In fact, viewing the sarcophagus, sculptures, and paintings gives me a sense of nostalgia and pride in the magnificent artwork created by my ancestors.

One of the most striking was my grandfather’s temple in the small town of Mahoba where my father grew up. I spent a great deal of my childhood here, thus the pastel pink walls, intricate flower designs, and open layout immediately sparked flashbacks. I remembered the lenghas, traditional dresses, I would pick out to wear even though they were much more formal than the usual attire. I remembered waiting until no one was looking to sneak over to where everyone removed their shoes to try on my mom’s high heeled sandals. I remembered seeing my Dada, grandfather, leading the poojas, religious services, and feeling proud seeing how respected and genuine he was.

The stone sculpture is made from marble. The artist remains unknown, but it was restored by the Italian Vincenzo Pacetti, an eighteenth-century sculptor. It is a Roman copy of a Greek work of the fourth century B.C. It is a medium size statue with a height of 82 3\4 in. (210.2 cm). Vincenzo Pacetti (1746-1820) was an Italian sculptor dedicated to restoring classical sculptures and then sell them to the rich.

As I explored the James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, I came across two paintings that really stood out to me because of their relevance to what we have been learning in class. In muted tones of blue and yellow, Harry Oosahwee’s (Cherokee) One Fall Morning depicts a Cherokee family in a barren rural landscape; animals and plants dot the landscape, and a small wooden house sits on the far right of the painting accompanied by a father, mother, and child to the left.

Ever since man began building structures and settling land, art has manifested itself in our architectural creations. Whether it be to celebrate or worship a God or Gods, a grand sculpture to bury a powerful leader or remember them by, or to show a culture’s dedication to specific values, our architectural constructions have led to some of the finest art this Earth has ever seen. The Taj Mahal and Palace of Versailles are two great examples of such art. By examining each of these individually, and then comparing and contrasting them, it will become clear that no matter how different looking these buildings may be, they still serve the same purpose to the civilizations that erected them.

Every religion has its own approach to art and architecture. An assessment between different traditions can offer an illuminating insight into the varying religious outlooks and theologies. Architecture, as well as art, is influenced by a number of forces in society, in the environment, in the psychology of the people who produce it, and in different institutions. It is an expression of inner feelings and beliefs and so naturally is influenced by religion in many societies. Religious architecture is created to experience the sacred, to provide a place into which spiritual energies flow and reflect a sense of the divine. Some

During the first week of September, I made a trip with a friend to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Every first Sunday of the month, admission into the museum is free. It is my first time to visit there and I was most impressed with the huge number of Buddhas on display. Most of the pieces are in excellent condition. It is amazing 600-year-old pottery and all these stone statues of Buddha that looks like it was made yesterday. What really brings this place to life for me are the brilliant combination of social mixers and live performance events mixed with cultural education.

The group of objects chosen for this paper comes from the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum. The title of both pieces is called Seated Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin). Both these pieces which are statues were sculpted in china. The earliest statue was made during the Tang dynasty. While, the later statue was made during the Northern Song dynasty. These statues were chosen because the same deity is depicted and were made in a similar geographic and cultural location. This allows for the comparison of the different styles between the 2 periods. The statue made during the Northern Song dynasty depicts the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sitting in a pose called the relaxed pose or easy pose. This statue also depicts the Bodhisattva adorned in lavish silk garments while a jeweled crown sits atop his head. The statue is carved from wood and painted with gesso, pigments, and gilding. The statue made during the Tang Dynasty depicts the Bodhisattva sitting in the easy pose as well. It also depicts the Bodhisattva in flowing robes while wearing a string of jewels.

: The structures that make up the Temple of Heaven are meant to signify the relationship between heaven and earth, more importantly the connection between the emperors and God. The through in It was believed that offerings made by the emperor to the Gods, would bring a flourishing harvests, as he was believed to be the closest being to god. The structure itself was built so majestically to represent it descending into heaven. The main ceremonies that were held within the hall were all on the basis of worshipping heaven and so it was believed by doing so, it would be seen as favorable to the gods, enough to be blessed with an abundance supply of harvests such as grain. The ceremonial interior of the hall was built in such a way as to emphasize

Agrippa, Augustus’ right-hand man, constructed this building as a temple to all the gods; however, a fire destroyed this temple in 80 CE and so Domitian built the reconstruction. The Pantheon we are familiar with has a significantly different design than the original one, and this is why this specific temple is so dislike to the rest of the Roman temples. Before it was burnt, the Pantheon stood in a podium at the end of a large rectangular court. The surroundings of this temple have changed in order to provide a unique experience to its visitors. For example, the temple has en enormous dome with a 27-foot oculus that opens to the sky. This oculus lets a shaft of light come through creating an emphasis wherever the reflection is. Visitors were driven nowhere but to the light at the center of the dome. This building was built for greeting foreign embassies, adjudicating disputes and hold court (Janson). Moreover, the Pantheon is extraordinary because of the potential and strength of concrete. Some other materials used in the process of building the temple include travertine, tufa, brick, and pumice. These materials varied in order to reduce its weight. The colored marble on the wall symbolized imperial authority. The sphere is though to symbolize eternity and perfection and the bronze panels symbolized a starry night sky.

Around the inside of the building were candles, incense, and different statues of what I'm sure were a multitude of separate Hindu deities. Of course, being relatively new to the Hindu gods and goddesses, I wasn't able to identify too many, but I did recognize the remover of obstacles, Ganesh—for what I figure is one rather obvious reason. I could only assume other popular divine figures including lord Vishnu and the mother goddess Devi resided with these other statues.