Bamiyan Statues of Afganistan

Bamiyan Statues of Afghanistan.

Bamiyan Statue before and after Bamiyan ,
Afghanistan.

Complex painting inside the Bamiyan statue

        According to The Huffington Post, the Hindu Bamiyan Statues in Afghanistan, on the popularly known Silk Road, have been destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. The leader of the Taliban at the time Mullah Mohammed Omar had ordered the Bamiyan statues to be destroyed with dynamite. This horrific action alarmed the International Community and started a campaign to rebuild these Hindu statues. The Bamiyan Statues in central Afghanistan where a historic monument in the Hindu religion. These Bamiyan Statues date approximately between 544 to 644 B.C.E. The larger statue is 180 feet or 55 meters tall and the smaller statue is 124 feet or 38 meters tall. Both of these beautiful statues had been in this area over 1,500 years.

Bamiyan statue in winter. Bamiyan Afghanistan.

 

        Within and around the Bamiyan Statues were some of the oldest known to date oil paintings. These paintings were very distinct with the use of metallics, Goethite, hydrocerussites, resins and varnish within the oil or layers within these historic paintings. Paintings from the Bamiyan land mark offer some of the most complex paintings from ancient times, and now they have been damaged or destroyed completely. Researchers now want to attempt to rebuild this site that was viciously destroyed. German researchers are deciding which building strategy to go with, sending some 1,400 original pieces to Germany to rebuild the tallest Bamiyan Statue, or build a facility on site for reconstruction?

        Some Hindus and Afghans are against the restoration of the Bamiyan site, calling the destruction of the statues an historical event as well. This Hindu site offers many historical values and differences between Hindu, Muslims and of course Taliban and Al-Qaeda, thus this site has become a very delicate debate. What are your feelings about this Historical site? And do you think the Bamiyan Statue should be rebuilt?

                                                           

Imformation courtesy:

Huffington Post.

AOL News.

ESRF News.

 

Photography courtesy of:

silkroadbamiyan.com.

ideastream.org.

yumevision.photoshelter.com

 

 



The Great Stupa

The Great Stupa in Sanchi is a breath taking Buddhist structure. The structure was constructed in 3rd century BCE and designed by Ashoka Maurya. Ashoka was a newly transitioned Buddhist from India. This explains the outer walls of the dome. The geometric shape and perfect consistency of the wall is a good example of India architecture. One of the amazing parts of the structure is the gate. The gate is filled with carvings of Buddhist symbolism.
The Great Stupa is 120 feet across and 54 feet at its highest point. Originally a Stupa was a mound of dirt thats purpose was to cover the relics of Buddha and his followers. The Stupa then became a representation of the Buddha. The Stupa also symbolizes the World Axis. The wall around the Stupa is actually called a Vedika and is made to resemble a railed wooden fence. In all the Great Stupa is an amazing place filled with Buddhist symbolism and history.

http://rogershepherd.com/WIW/solution12/stupa.html

Ananda Temple of Pagan, Burma

The temple pictured above is the Ananda Temple, dedicated in 1090. The Ananda Temple is located in Pagan, Burma and is “the most famous and venerated shrine among the roughly 2000 Buddhist monuments in this area.” (ABTW pg. 74) The intricate designs and ornaments on the temple are from the Brahmanic architecture of Bengal, India. The temple is located in what looks like a vast prairieland surrounded with trees. The temple was damaged by an earthquake in 1975, but was restored and has been well-maintained.

 The temple is made up of solid stone. The central point of the temple stands 165 feet tall. Surrounding the central point there are different levels with smaller towers on them which lead the eye to the peak of the temple. On the bottom layer of the stone walls there are vertical lines that seem to have been made over time by weather or wear. The central peak is supported by four statues of the Buddha that stand about 34 feet tall. There are so many forms of line in this temple. Straight vertical lines make up the shape of the main body of the temple and the smaller decorations and statues on the different platforms are formed by curvilinear lines.

Information courtesy of:
Art Beyond The West
Michael Kampen O'Riley
and the following link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda_Temple

Photograph courtesy of:
Roger Price
Flickr

The Shah Mosque of Isfahan, Iran

Pre-Research 

During one of our Non-Western Art history classes our professor showed the class a video called "Isfahan" by Crístobal Vila. Since watching the video I started to wonder which mosque Crístobal looked at while making this video. I was extremely intrigued by the architecture especially the Entrance Arcade. I was also intrigued by the brightness of the tile work and the dome. After talking to the professor I finally found out that it was based off of The Shah Mosque. 

Research

After further researching The Shah Mosque, I found that this mosque goes by many different names such as Shah Mosque, Masjid-e Shah, Masjid-e Imam, Royal Mosque, Mehedi Mosque, Masjid-i Shah, Mosque of Shah Abbas and Imam Mosque. The Shah Mosque of Isfahan is one of the everlasting masterpieces of architecture in Iran. Its construction began in 1611 and was completed in 1629. Much is known about the people who were involved in the mosque's construction from the inscriptions installed on the building, identify Badi' al-Zaman Tuni as responsible for the building plans and site arrangement, 'Ali Akbar Isfahani as the engineer, and Muhibb 'Ali Beg as the general contractor.  Its splendor is mainly due to the beauty of its seven-color mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions that is throughout the whole Mosque. I also discovered that the designs in entrance of the mosque is called Muqarnas, this was a very decorative device in traditional Islamic and Persian architecture.

Post Research

My reaction after completing my research of The Shah Mosque is still pure amazement of the beauty and intensity of such a religious foundation. After researching I am now more informed of The Shah Mosque, and learning of the architecture and intense color. I am still extremely intrigued by the Entrance Arcade and the mosque as a whole and not a few sections. It is truly one of the many masterpieces of Islamic architecture.


Information courtesy of the following link:
Arch Net - Masjid-i Shah
Information on the Muqarnas
Photograph courtesy of:
Landscape view of The Shah Mosque, 
Muqarnas In The Entrance

Serpent Mound

Pre- Research


The Serpent Mound is the piece I found most interesting while flipping through the book. My first thoughts about this was who built this, and why did they build it. The lines created by the mound caught my eye and made me wonder how exactly it was made with such detail that can only be truly seen from high above. I wondered if this was a design made in respect for the dead or a monument to honor the gods. It also made me question if it was a burial mound like the less ornate mounds of Cahokia.

Research


After researching the mound further in the Art Beyond the West book I discovered that the Serpent mound isn't a burial mound but an effigy mount representing the importance of animals in Adena rituals. The books relates it to the Nazca Geoglyphs and it is believed that it was built to be viewed by the gods. The serpent is in an unraveling coil design and appears to be swallowing a large egg. It was built nearing the end of the Hopewell period (about 1070 CE). This is one of the finest examples of a mound effigy in the Mid-West.

Post Research

My reaction after completing my research of the Serpent Mound still remains that of amazement. The research brought clarification as to what the mound was built for and its representation's significance. I am surprised to find that it is located in Ohio and that it is such a grand example of a mound effigy. I now feel that this work is much more important than I had originally thought.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/billy_liar/1085042306/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Information from: Art Beyond the West  by Michael Kampen O'Riley 
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/sw16/index.shtml


mpen O'Riley

Kunz Axe

Pre-Research

As I flipped through the Art Beyond the West book for class this Kunz Axe really caught my eye. Instantly I was intrigued and wondered if it was some sort of spirit or ancestor pendant like that of the Maori and their Hei tiki pendants. Its rough expression brought questions to my mind. What did it stand for? What purpose did it have? What is it made out of? Stone or Jade? Its very geometric shapes puzzled me as it clearly had facial features and a curling mouth.

Research

Further reading from the Art Beyond the West book gave me insight into this curious figurine. The Kunz Axe was made by the Olmec culture around 1000 BCE and carved out of jade. It is described as a "howling infant with feline eyes and mouth." The book refers to it as a were-jaguar. These pendants of hybrid creatures are said to have maybe represented spirits known by the Olmec's, some sort of lineage sign, or even shamans (or the equivalent in Olmec culture) who could be transformed into these different beasts like that of the Indians who wore coyote fur and were said to be able to transform in said animal for fast travel as a medicine man. Also it is said that these could appear to be apart of a writing system by using these figurines as forms of pictographs.

Post Research

The term "were-jaguar" in my opinion fits this piece very well as its face is contorted into a howl of yelling sort of pose and well as he slanted almond eyes that gave it a very feral look. I can understand now the slightly geometric shapes on its body if it was to be used as a pictograph in their culture. The overall "other worldly" vibe I get when looking at this jadeite carving makes me believe it is very likely these would have been used by shaman for transformation. It is also clearer to me now that this piece is made out of jade after all the other jadeite figures and pendants that I have seen.

Post by: Ashley Williams

Photo Courtesy of: http://theslideprojector.com/art9/art9lecturepresentations/art9lecture3.html

Information found in: Art Beyond the West by Michael Kampen O'Riley

The Killer Whale

Pre-Research
The Killer Whale by Bill Reid really stood out and caught my eye. The intricate carvings on the whale are very Native American in nature. The whale also has these large and jagged teeth which is not typical of an actual killer whale. The rather large fin on the back of the whale also strikes me as odd because while the back fin does stick out on a killer whale, it has been over exaggerated just as the teeth. I believe when this was constructed in 1984, it was not for any specific purpose except decoration.
Research
In actuality, The Killer Whale by Bill Reid was in fact influenced by Native American culture, Haida to be exact. Reid's family were Haida artists and his Great Uncle was the final Haida artist to work within a traditional society. Reid worked to captivate a sense of purity and still use the traditional style of Haida art with out a direct copy of it. It is said that "the traditional Haida vocabulary of curved, flowing lines and crescent-shaped forms are the individual forms of the whale's anatomy is rendered in light of."
Post Research
After my research I found that the carvings on the whale were indeed Native American. Yet they were not just Native American decoration, but actually the Haida vocabulary intertwined on the surface of the whale. It was created out of bronze as a decoration over a pool in the Vancouver Aquarium. I was surprised to find that the decorations were in fact the vocabulary of the Haida people. It is such a wonderful piece and is there not only for decoration but actually an insight to a Native American culture that we may not have known otherwise.

Information courtesy of the following link
http://www.nativeonline.com/billried.html
Picture courtesy of the following link.
http://www.thelensflare.com/imgs/killer-whale-bronze-chief-of-the-undersea-world_28210.html