The new exhibition at the British Museum in London is demonstrating a rich journey of Indian spiritual art. Named Ancient India: Living Traditions, it combines 189 amazing objects that have been centuries.
Visitors can explore everything from 2000 -year -old sculptures and paintings to complex narrative groups and manuscripts, revealing the stunning evolution of spiritual expression in India.
The art of the Indian subcontinent has experienced a deep transformation between 200BC to the AD600. The images depicting the gods, goddesses, the highest preachers and illuminated by the souls of the three ancient religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism – were rethought from symbolic to more recognizable from human form.
Although three religions shared common cultural roots – worshiping the spirits of ancient nature, such as strong snakes or facebooks, they negotiated for dramatic changes in religious iconography during this main period, which continues to have modern significance for two millennia.
“Today we cannot imagine the worship of Hindu, Yain or Buddhist divine spirits or deities without human form, can we? What is this transition that is so interesting,” says Sushma Jansari, curator of the exhibition.
The exhibition deals with the continuity of Indian holy art and changes in five chapters, starting with the spirits of nature, followed by the prevalence of faiths and their art outside India to other parts of the world, such as Cambodia and China.
This group – from the holy shrine amaravati (in the southeast of India) – was once a part of a decorative circle of stupa base [The Trustees of the British Museum]
This gold relic of about 1th century can mean the earliest Buddha image shown as man [The Trustees of the British Museum]
The Buddhist Division of the Exhibition – the stunning double -sided sandstone panel showing the evolution of Buddha – is probably the most separated by depicting this great transition.
One side, carved by about AD250, reveals a human form of Buddha with complex embellishments, while the other is cut earlier about 50-1bc – symbolically depicted through a tree, an empty throne and traces.
Sculpture – from the sacred shrine amaravati (southeast of India) – was once a decorative circular stupa or Buddhist monument.
For this transformation to be shown on one panel from one temple, it is quite extraordinary, “says Mrs. Jansari.
The figure reminds both Yakshi – the spirit of nature and the deity of Hinduism, the main moment in the 1st century in artistic imaging [The Trustees of the British Museum]
In the Indian department, another early bronze statue reflects the gradual development of sacral imagery, depicting goddesses.
The figure is reminiscent of Yakshi, a powerful spirit of primordial nature, which can give both “abundance, fertility, as well as death and disease – recognizable through its flower headgear, jewelry and full shape.
However, it also has several hands holding specific sacred objects that became typical of Hindu women were depicted in later ages.
Jain religious art focuses on representations of 24 illuminated teachers called Tirathankar. This on the sandstone is from the AD200-300 [The Trustees of the British Museum]
The exhibition also fascinates examples of Jain religious art, focusing on 24 illuminated teachers called Tirathankar.
The earliest such representations were found on the pink sandstone dating back to 2000, and began to be recognized through the holy symbol of the infinite node on the teacher’s chest.
This show contains 40 units lent from 37 museums and libraries around the world, including this gloomy yaksha – the powerful leader of the natural spirit – the powerful spirit of nature [Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford]
The sculptures ordered in these religions were often composed of general seminars in ancient Mathura, which curators say explains why there are bright similarities between them.
Unlike other South Asian performances, the exhibition is unique because it is a “first” look at the origins of all three religious art traditions together, not separately, says Mrs. Jansari.
In addition, it carefully draws attention to the origin of each object on display, briefly explaining the object of the object through various hands, purchasing the museum and so on.
The exhibition emphasizes intriguing details, such as the fact that many Buddhist art donors were women. However, the material transformation in the visual language is not taken into account.
“It remains a million dollar issue. Scientists are still discussing it,” says Mrs. Jansari. “If there is no more evidence, we do not know. But the extraordinary prosperity of visual art tells us that people have actually started to imagine the divine as man.”
The exhibition aims to give visitors a multifaceted experience, with odors, curtains, nature sounds and bright colors [The Trustees of the British Museum]
The performance is a multifaceted experience – with scents, curtains, nature sounds and bright colors to cause the atmosphere of active dishes, Buddhists and Jain religious shrines.
“There are so much in these sacred spaces, and still there is innate calm and calm. I wanted to get it out,” says Mrs. Jansari, who collaborated with several designers, artists and community partners to put it together.
Around the 3rd century BC. BC. Buddhist missionaries took over the art of devotion outside India to countries like China [The Trustees of the British Museum]
The screens are punctured with screens showing short films that practice worshipers from each religion in the UK. It emphasizes that it is not just about “ancient art but also a living tradition”, which is constantly important for millions of UK and other parts of the world, far beyond modern Indian borders.
The exhibition is based on the British Museum South Asian collection with 37 loans from private lenders and national and international museums and libraries in the UK, Europe and India.
Ancient India: Living traditions appear at the British Museum, London, October 22. Until 19 d.
Follow BBC News India InstagramIs it YouTube, X and Facebook;