Asian art history
In Asia, creativity sprang up from artists and merchants and not just on leaders. The Asian Art history borrows a lot from the religious and the cultural practices of the Asians, and it analyzes the Asian Art sector and its historiography and future changes. It encompasses the influence of the Asian artistic pieces of work on the cultural practices of individuals from this region. This paper seeks to analyzeMeditating Buddha and Shakyamuni Buddha statues, from Asia in the formal, historical and cultural contexts and their similarities and differences. The Art behind Meditating Buddha is more appealing and creative.
The Meditating Buddha statue is a piece of Artwork originally from Gandhara, Pakistan. The statue of Buddha dates back to the 2nd century CE, and it is was engraved in gray hornblende schist. It represents Buddha seated in a cross-legged position in a meditation mood wearing a monastic negligee that is flowing, but with no adornments (Arienti). There is a unique mole on his forehead that serves as one of his features while his hair is drawn into a top knot known as the ushnisha.The statue is placed on low base supported by a lion and in front of it there is a figural group comprising of Buddha, Bodhisattva and four worshippers. It is 3’ 7 ½’’ high.This statue represents Buddha, historical figure who existed between the late 6thC and early 5th Century BC in India who became enlightened after understanding the roots of human suffering while living an austere life. This statue together with others representing Buddha were carved 500 years after his death. It signifies inner wisdom, emotional balance and simplicity. This was after Buddha was led from a life of pain to the path of enlightenment and was extremely engrossed in meditation. It is significant, in a way, that it helps Buddhist to meditate upon their experiences in search of the truth.It acts as a meditative tool that most Buddhists use to achieve the same spiritual understanding that Buddha achieved.
The Shakyamuni Buddha is a statue from Hebei Province, Zhao Dynasty. It was carved from gilded bronze during the Northern Wei Dynasty, 338 AD, and it is 1’3 ½’’ high. It shows Buddha in a cross-legged sitting position in a robe that has no decorations. His face is calm and peaceful while his hair is drawn into a characteristic to knot, the ushnisha. Buddha’s hands are represented being positioned closer to the chest with the palms facing outwards. The index fingers and the thumbs are held in such a way that they form a circle while the remaining fingers point upwards.Buddha is placed on an inverted U-shaped piece that has numerous engravings on it.The statue is made primarily of bronze with a thin layer of gold cast over it.Shakyamuni Buddha came into being in 563 B. C. in western Nepal and is alleged to have had 550 incarnations. This statue does not only celebrate a historical figure, but it is also very significant.It signifies understanding, wisdom and a fulfilling destiny. TheShakyamuni Buddha statue is meant to bring enlightenment and peace to one’s mind and body and can be used as instruments of worship in temples.
The two pieces of work both represent Buddha, a historical figure who acquired understanding also known as Bodhi after fasting and meditating for six years. They both show Buddha sitting with his legs crossed forming a triangle shape to the statue. In both statues, his hair is tied in a topknot known as ushnisha, a feature that is very common with most of his statues.There is a mark of the third eye on his forehead between the eyebrows commonly referred to as the urna on both statues. The lips are curved in such a way that they look like a bow while the earlobes are in an elongated position. The two statutes depict Buddha in a meditation mood signifying understanding. Both statues were created to show certain spiritual qualities that were exemplify by Buddha. The two figuratively show the core elements of the teachings of Buddha. Although some features are common with all the Buddha statues, there are others that change with time. They seek to focus on both spiritual and physical elements and not just on spiritual elements. The Meditating Buddha statue and the Shakyamuni Buddha statue are different in a number of ways. The Meditating Buddha statue primarily signifies inner wisdom, emotional balance and simplicity while the Shakyamuni Buddha statue signifies understanding and wisdom. They differ in height as the Meditating Buddha statue is almost three times higher than the Shakyamuni Buddha statue. Furthermore, the Meditating Buddha statue was created in the 2nd century CE while the Shakyamuni Buddha statue was created in the 338 AD.
Works Cited
Arienti, Stefano. The Asian Shore. Isabella Stewart Gardner. Contemporary Art at the Gardner. Boston, 2007.Art,
Minnepolis Institute of Art. The Art of Asia. Institute of Museum and Library Services, Minnepolis. http://archive.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/.
