Hindu Art
Hindu Art

Author: T. Richard Blurton

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 9780674391895

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From the linga of Shiva to ritual lamps, from a Vishnu temple to a heap of stones streaked with sacred vermilion, from illustrations of the epic adventures of Rama to a terracotta goddess figurine, the art Hinduism has inspired over the centuries is as rich and various as the religion itself - and, for most Westerners, as unknown. Hindu Art offers a key to this mystery. A splendid, richly illustrated introduction, the book opens to readers the manifold glories of the religious art of the Indian subcontinent. The narratives that Hindu artists illustrate, the gods they depict, and the forms they observe are the products of thousands of years of tradition and development. In a survey that stretches back to prehistory, T. Richard Blurton discusses religious, cultural and historical influences that figure in Hindu art, as well as those that Hinduism shares with Buddhism and Jainism. Tracing the development of Hindu art, he shows how it has come to embrace the widely varying styles of regions from Nepal to Afghanistan, from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh. Against this historical background, Blurton considers the use of images from the three major cults of Hinduism - the worship of Shiva, Vishnu and the Great Goddess - in painting, sculpture and temple architecture. As fascinating as it is informative, Hindu Art offers invaluable insight into one of the world's great and ancient cultures. It will prove an indispensable resource for anyone with an interest in the art of India.

Masters of Fire
Masters of Fire

Author:

Publisher: Deutsches Bergbau-Museum

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13:

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This book takes a look at the nature and 'health' of one of India's most unique and beautiful traditional craft traditions: the bronze icon industry of Tamil Nadu. The book is written from the perspective of an anthopologist and gives a view of human behavior through the lens of material culture. It is a most valuable contribution of ethnoarchaeology to archaeometallurgy. This book came about when Professor Thomas E. Levy, University of California, San Diego, and his wife, Alina Levy, native Indian, decided to seek out the hereditary bronze casters of Swamimalai with the aim trying to learn how traditional metal production and workshops were organized today. As an archaeologist interested in ancient metal production in the Middle East, Thomas E. Levy and his wife thought the living traditional metal craft industries of India could provide an opportunity to better understand ancient metal production found at sites he had excavated in Israel and Jordan. The Levys studied many workshops and decided to document the familiy-owned bronze icon manufactory of one of India's most distinguished hereditary bronze casters - Devasenapathy Sthapathy and Sons, Sri Jayam Industries. The great great grandfather of the three brothers who own this workshop was awarded a prize for excellence in handicrafts from Britain's Queen Victoria. The observation, interactions and study of the workshop family finally resulted in the joint venture of this book.

The Thief Who Stole My Heart
The Thief Who Stole My Heart

Author: Vidya Dehejia

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2021-05-11

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 0691202591

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The first book to put the sacred and sensuous bronze statues from India’s Chola dynasty in social context From the ninth through the thirteenth century, the Chola dynasty of southern India produced thousands of statues of Hindu deities, whose physical perfection was meant to reflect spiritual beauty and divine transcendence. During festivals, these bronze sculptures—including Shiva, referred to in a saintly vision as “the thief who stole my heart”—were adorned with jewels and flowers and paraded through towns as active participants in Chola worship. In this richly illustrated book, leading art historian Vidya Dehejia introduces the bronzes within the full context of Chola history, culture, and religion. In doing so, she brings the bronzes and Chola society to life before our very eyes. Dehejia presents the bronzes as material objects that interacted in meaningful ways with the people and practices of their era. Describing the role of the statues in everyday activities, she reveals not only the importance of the bronzes for the empire, but also little-known facets of Chola life. She considers the source of the copper and jewels used for the deities, proposing that the need for such resources may have influenced the Chola empire’s political engagement with Sri Lanka. She also investigates the role of women patrons in bronze commissions and discusses the vast public records, many appearing here in translation for the first time, inscribed on temple walls. From the Cholas’ religious customs to their agriculture, politics, and even food, The Thief Who Stole My Heart offers an expansive and complete immersion in a community still accessible to us through its exquisite sacred art. Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC