Over six hundred sculptures on the extenor and tWO hundred on the interlor adorn the structure, and, indeed, the carved pantheon that inhabits the walls Of the monument represents the culnunation of a trend in Hindu temple art that is traceable 伝 om the Gupta penod. Sculpture no 、 domlnates the architectural f0n11 , SO that even though the carvlngs are stnctly relegated tO precise locatlons on the monument, the effect Of the sculpture IS more ove ハ vhelnung than that Of the architectural forms themselves. posed in accentuated postures, twisting and turnlng ln space, these figures embody the movement and dynarmsm merely hinted at in the repose and introspection of Gupta-penod carvmgs. The hardening of facial features, elaboration of detalhng of jewelry and headdresses, and deeper carvmg than was visible in [earlier] Gurjara—Pratihära 23 monuments here reaches itS final f0n11. WhiIe Huntington also discusses a number of individual examples, they Often remaln isolated. lndeed, it is difflcult tO comprehensively delineate the development of sculptural styles as they relate to architectural forms in a specific regon or time frame ln such a broad survey. This may be partlally due t0 the above—mentloned tendency Of Western art—histoncal scholarship tO separate the study Of architecture 伝 0n1 that Of sculpture, especially for post-Renaissance penods. lt could be argued that in keeping with the development of art history as a disciphne, which, until recently, focused pnmanly on the study 0 「応 rm and style, there has been a steady focus on those lndian sculptures that can be studied as individual, singular obJects. CIearIy, the Gupta-penod sculptures fit this concept more neatly than any other group, and thus continue to be 」 udged as the highest 応 rm of aesthetic expresslon in lndla (see Fig. 6 ). The fact that there are numerous publications on fourth- and fifth-century Gupta art 、 vhereas no publication exclusively treats north lndian medieval sculpture in any depth reflects the prevailing notion that the latter need not be the 24 subject 0f serious study. Almost all 0f the books on Gupta art emphasize that the art Of the penod was a culminatlon Of all the artistic processes that came before it, and that it determined the development of lndian art and culture for succeeding centunes. ldentifying the Gupta age with the classical phase in Western art, many scholars consider the former as a golden age of lndian art and culture, leading to such statements as the followlng: "The Gupta age represents the classic phase of lndian civilization ln SO far as lt inspired tO create a perfect, unsurpassable style Of li . The acknowledged beauty and sensual spintuality of Gupta sculpture notwithstanding, it is fair tO say that the sculptural tradition 伝 0n1 the post-Gupta penod has suffered 伝 0n1 the weight Of the international reputation Of its predecessor. lndeed, it IS very difflcult to establish a functional conceptual framework for the study Of later sculpture when almost every scholar contlnues tO wnte about Gupta matenal in the tradition SO ℃Ⅱ articulated by Ananda Coomaraswamy. With a new beauty of definition it establishes the classical phase of lndlan art, at once serene and energetlc, splntual and voluptuous. The formulae of lndian taste are now definitely crystallized and unlversally accepted; iconographic types and composltions, still vanable in the Kusäpa penod, are now standardized in forms whose influence extended far beyond the Ganges valley, and of which the influence was felt, not only throughout lndia and Sr1 Lanka, but far 26 beyond the confines oflndia proper, survwing to the present day. lt is interestlng tO note that much 0 「 what we call Gupta art was actually created in the second half of the 6 丘 h century, a penod of definite decline for the Gupta rulers whose prlncipal reign came to an end in A. D. 467. This desire to assoclate an art1St1C style with an lmpenal age, even when the t 嶬 , 0 dO not coincide, can be directly connected with histonans' tendency toward defining histoncal and cultural developments ln lmpenal and dynastlc terms and , 25 Twenty-armed Gane<a ( No. 17 ). 27

One Of the direct results Of the search for the eternal essence 0 「 lndian art was advancement in the field of iconographic studies of lndian sculpture. ln this arena, more Often than not, lndian scholars distinguished themselves by their careful research Of lndian texts. }40 、 vever, even such mammoth iconographic works as the volumes by Gopinatha Rao did not entail the study of the actual forms or their histoncity. Unfortunately, the few historical studies of specific lconographic forms that were conducted by scholars, such as Jouveau-Dubreuil and J. N ・ . Banerjea, did not focus on the images in the northern—central reglons 0 「 lndia, leaving the sculptures under consideration in this exhibition completely out 19 of the scope oftheir work. ln the last thirty years, a great deal of new work has been done on lndian sculpture; yet north lndian temple sculpture, 佇 om one of the most prolific penods 0 「 production, has not received a great deal 0 「 attention 伝 0n1 scholars. While some Of the reasons for this apparent neglect can be traced back tO the foundations 0 「 the late nineteenth— and early twentieth-century methodology outlined above, there are also Other factors that have lmpeded the cause Of comprehensive scholarship 0 「 medieval lndian sculpture. One of the reasons for this lack is the unfortunate division ln contemporary scholarship between architecture and sculpture. 嶬市 ile many art histonans in the academy study specific temple sites and the evolution Of architectural forms ln north lndia, the general tendency IS to avoid dealing with related 100Se sculptures that might be found in public and pnvate collections. AS a result, we know much more about the art—historical developments ofsuch temple parts as the superstructure ( く〃 ara ) than ℃ dO about the sculptural programs of north lndian temples. On the other hand, the study of isolated medieval sculptures usually takes the form Of exhibition or permanent collection catalogues, which emphasize formal changes and iconographic meamngs Of lndian sculpture but avoid the issue Of architectural context.- ThiS tendency tO deal with medieval sculptures as individual works Of art in the Western post—Renaissance sense, rather than as elements 0 「 a singular whOle namely the temple itself, has resulted in another problem. By avoiding the issue of ongmal architectural and geographic context, museum curators and exhibition orgamzers have not made use Of the r1Ch abundance Of matenals in S1tu, resulting ln a relatively poor chronologlcal and reglonal classification of the individual sculptures. Even in the general publications on lndian art or on lndian sculpture particular, the preference contmues tO be 「 the earlier per10ds, its culmination point being the Gupta-penod sculpture in the 6 h and sixth centunes. This bias is clearly evident in the first edition 0 「 the widely distributed survey book 77 尾月な 21 a ″日月 ctu 尾ん市 a by Benjamin Rowland. Although five sections and nlneteen chapters are devoted tO lndia, only one chapter addresses the architecture 0 「 the medieval per10d, which encompassed more than seven hundred years, and scant mention IS made Of the penod's sculptures. ln the new, enlarged edition 0 「 the survey, entitled 77 肥月月尾ん・ tu 尾 the ん市 a ″ & ィ厖明行 and authored by J. C. Harle, this obvious ormsslon corrected by including a detailed discusslon 0 「 post-Gupta architecture and sculpture ln one chapter and 0 「 the later, medieval per10d in another. However, the greater emphasis contmues tO be placed on such architectural developments as the く ra , the ground plan, and the outer Ⅵ , alls. The sculpture is discussed in a somewhat disparaglng tone, as demonstrated by the sentence that ends the discusslon Of post-Gupta sculpture 0 「 the ninth and tenth centunes. "Beautifully integrated, emmently sculptural, unmannered though they are, 从℃ miss the Gupta mag1C, lts naturalism, and even つつ ー (see Fig. 5 ) 1tS mannensms. Another recent survey, 77 尾月な研月既海ん市ロ by Susan Huntington, also attempts tO redress earlier neglect by devotmg several chapters tO the reg10n and penod. Huntington very carefully avoids making value 」 udgments about later sculptures while making clear that they are quite different 伝 0n1 the earlier matenal in both form and intent. Thus, she descrlbes the sculptures on the Kandanyä Mahädeva temple at Khajuräho in the following manner. 25

aesthetic quallty Of the sculpture tO a much greater extent than was apparent ln Gupta lndia. TO put lt another way, when lndian sculpture is V1ewed in isolation and not in situ, north lndian medieval sculpture is bound tO suffer in our estlmation precisely because the tradltional museologlcal approach tO this matenal diminishes the very essence Of its exlstence—to function as an integral part Of a more comprehensive spatial expenence and COSn1010g1Ca1 system. This presents an interesting dllemma for the organization Of this exhibition. ldeally, these sculptures should never have been separated 伝 om their ongmal edifices S1nce that would be the most approprlate way tO appreciate and understand them. But the reality is something quite different. Many 0f the temple and religlous structures 伝 0n1 whence these images came have been destroyed by battles and the ravages of time. Some lmages have long been divested of their ongmal architectural context, and Others may have been removed more recently. Whether it is appropnate or not, these sculptures can now be seen only as singular entitles and are appreciated as individual works Of art by pnvate collectors and museum VIS1tors alike. ln Other words, as articulated by a number Of scholars in recent years, these decontextualized sculptures have acquired the new aesthetic 29 aura essential tO their present reality. Depending on one s politlcal and phllosophlcal bias regardmg notlons of "universal aesthetics," one could argue that these tWO "realities" 0 「 medieval sculpture—past contexts and current re—presentatlons—are mutually exclusive and cannot be explored simultaneously. But, as lrene Winter states, if we claim that one Of the most fundamental reasons for the exlstence Of an art museum IS tO understand other cultures through art forms, then it is imperatlve that bOth the aesthetic reallty Of an art ObJect as well as its ongmal meaning and function be properly artlculated in the instltufional 30 settmg. lndeed, one Of the challenges for exhibitions such as th1S is tO sustain the tension between the individuality Of the ObJect in a museum context and its role as a referent tO a grander, architecturally and cosmologlcally onented 市 01e. Both the exhibition installation and the catalogue are organized with th1S duality of intentlon. ln the exhibition the obJects are arranged within broad categones that suggest their ongmal location and function ln a temple. Thus, lmages that were intended for particular placement on temple extenors are grouped in the first sectlon, which conslsts Of sculptures 伝 0n1 the outer walls ofnorth lndian medieval temples. Sculptures made for the intenor of temple halls ( 川叩 4 叩の and lnner shrine doors constitute the middle sectlon. The last sectlon IS reserved for the images that may have been placed as singular objects 0f worshlp in the inner sanctum (g 韲励の . Of course, one ofthe diffculties in such an arrangement is the fact that it is not always possible tO ascertaln ongnal architectural location Of obJects that have been separated 伝 om their edifices, and it is likely that some sculptures in the present exhibitlon are not placed appropnately. Nonetheless, such an arrangement emphasizes the fragmentary nature Of the sculptures and suggests larger architectural and spatial assoclatlons. TO the extent possible, the sculptures are exhibited at a height indicatlve Of their onglnal placement ln an architectural setting. HopefuIIy, this departure 伝 om the usual museum practice 0f dlsplayng works Of art at eye level will not only heighten the viewer s awareness Of the ongmal function 0f the 0bJects but also allows the 0bJects t0 be viewed 伝 om the vantage point for which they were created. One Of the reasons that north lndian medieval sculptures Often 信 il tO be appreciated in a museum setting is that many were created for specific locatlons in a temple, and their forms were appropnately compensated to be viewed properly 伝 om a partlcular point. The exaggerated limbs or awkwardly twisting forms of some figures, for example, have a very different impact when they are viewed 伝 om their ongmal vantage. Thus, liberating the north lndian sculptures 伝 om the 'tyranny" of eye-level viewlng is also to allow the aesthetic essence of the singular obJects t0 come through properly, whlle providmg a sense oftheir onglnal location. On the other hand, the inclusion of photographs, architectural drawings, and an audiovisual presentation Of temple worship is mtended tO subvert the singulanty 0 「 the sculptures as museum ObJects and remmd the viewer that the 29

mamfested himself in the 応 rm ofBuddha to delude the asuras 1ntO abandoning the sacred texts and SO forfeitlng their power as wamors. Across 伝 om Buddha is Visnu's last and future incarnatlon, the equestnan Kalkin, who cleanses the world at the end of the た浦ーー the age of darkness and final of the four recumng phases Of creatlon. The 4 ras project on lotus bases 伝 om the p enmeter of the relief. Within this surround, the rehefplane is pierced so that Visnu seems tO stand free of his stone matrlx with his flat oval halo suspended behind him. The 応 rm of halo and relief as well as the sharp sideways bend of the attendants are renumscent Of contemporaneous lmages 伝 0n1 Madhyade'a and DähaIade'a to the east. The smooth planes and almost concretelike texture Of the carving, however, together with details of anatomy (pinched waist, tapenng but tubular le ) and partlcularly the very oval faces with na 江 0 , slantlng eyes and recedmg chins link the piece with images known tO have onglnated around the city Of Mathura in southwestern Uttar Pradesh ( No. 28 ). 2 1. The four-armed standmg Vi»u IS considered to have twenty—four aspects ( ルⅲ川なれり , distinguishable by the order in which his four attributes are held. The configurauon of this Vi}pu identifies him as Tnvikrama but does not relate him to the Tnvikrama ofthe set (the gant 応 rr ofthe dwarfVämana). Certain texts ト ee Rao, 石川明な研 H 加れ「叩 , vol. 1 , pt. 1 , pp. 235 ー 36 ] state that each class of person should worship one of these twenty-four 応 rms. For example, men Of the Va1'ya or merchant class should worshlp Tnvikrama. However, there are Other, more esotenc reasonings for the 2. See also the Agm in the Denver Art Museum, Acc. No. 1973. 83 ; illustrated on p. 25 ofDenver Art Museum, D ル月な M 川 . M ル越ⅲ the Co 市 0 れ (Denver, 1981 ). 264 71. ・ Vi in His Boar lncarnatlon ProbabIy 伝 om a sanctum or subshnne Provenance unknown, probably northern Rajasthan (Märude'a) About A. D. 1000 Sch1St; 83.8 x 43.8 cm Asian Art Museum ofSan Francisco, The Avery Brundage CoIIect10n; B62 S15 surrounded by cursory flames. 応 rms a naturahstlc circular border are delineated, and a thick windmg stem IS more than the usual stylized lotus. Stamens Even the halo ( 4 川叩 behmd Varäha Brahmä on the le 代 and Siva on the nght. Other tnmty members seated on lOtuses: 53 ). Behind Varäha are small icons of the the lower portlons of doorways (Nos. 51 ー an umbrella, as it does the nver goddesses on the back of the relief. One shelters him like belt. Lotuses, indicative of 、 vater, grow up short garment with a dagger tucked into his lower body is in human 応 rm. He wears a hand gently touchmg h1S snout. Varäha's perches on the god's uprmsed left elbow, her The small figure ofBhü, the earth, spints, flank Varäha and honor him. ommpresent, ausp1C10us, and chthomc water No. 72 ) and his wife. Two more れ畩 , those They are the pnmordlal serpent Ananta ()e 靼 , supported by intertwined れ畩 4 and れ畩え His le 代 leg rests on an a lotus pedestal h1P W1th a snake 's ね 11100P ed over his thumb. He places his fin hand (lower le on his g (upper le の , and conch (upper nght). typical attnbutes: the 砌た ra (lower nght), (Nos. 70 , 72 ) , Varäha cames Vispu's most Like the four-armed 応 rm ofVisnu aspects いルルアの 0fVisnu. considered to be Aniruddha, one of the four embodiment Of agnculture. Varäha is alSO plowing led Varäha to be seen as an between the boar's rootlng and the act Of earth free 伝 om the muddy deep. The parallel boar and dove intO the water tO root the the ocean. Visnu manifested himself as a great earth Bhü, personified as a woman, beneath the demon, Hirapyäksa, had impnsoned the parucularly horrendous demon. ln this case ofVaräha tO rescue the world 伝 01 れ a his Other incarnatlons, Visnu tOOk the f0n11 of the God Vi}vu ( No. 70 ). As with most of earthly incarnatlons or descents ( イ 4 レ 4 ー ra め Varäha, the boar, IS one of the ten

Gods, and Gods, Guardians, and Lovers Temple Sculptures 伝 om North lndia A. D. 700 ー 1200 The early medieval age in north lndia (). D. 700 ー 1200 ) , often viewed as the period ofdecline 0 「 the earlier classical tradition, was, in fact, marked by an eftlorescence 0 「 literary, cultural, and artistic achievement. The building of magnificent temples' replete with elaborate sculptural programs symbolizing complex cosmologlcal concepts, was one Of the most significant accomplishments ofthis penod oflndian his 、 [0Ⅳ . For the first time, 100Se sculptures 佇 0n1 north lndian medieval temples are examined Within their architectural, religlous, philosophical, and historical context. This approach is intended tO serve as a basis for more comprehensive study Of a subject that previously has received scant scholarly attention. This publication accompames a seminal exhibition at Asia society Galleries, New York, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum 0f Art, Kansas City, Missour1, which brings together north lndian sculptures 佇 om public and pnvate collections in the United States' lndia, England, and Europe. Vishakha N. Desai is the Director of The Asia Society Galleries, New York. Prior to assuming her current positlon in 1990 , Dr. Desai was at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she se ハ ted as the assistant curator Of the lfidian, Southeast Asian, and lSlamiC collections; coordinator 0f academic programs; and acting head of the Education Department. She has taught at Boston University and the University 0 「 Massachusetts. She received her Ph. D. 伝 om the University of Michigan. As a scholar, teacher, and student Of Asian art, Dr. Desai has received numerous awards in lndia and the United States. Among the exhibitions organized by Dr. Desai are: Life at Court: Art for lndia's Rulers, 16th ー 19 市 Centunes, and Faces: Portraits 伝 0n1 the Permanent CoIIection, both ofwhich were accompanied by m or publications. She has wntten extensively on lndian painting and has lectured nationally and internationally on lndian and Asian art. Guardians, Lovers Temple Sculptures from North lndia A. D. 700 ー 1200 Gods, Guardians, and Lovers Darielle Mason is currently a member of the staff 0 「 the Asiatic Department at the Museum 0 「 Fine Arts, Boston, where she is responsible for the lndian, lslamic, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan collections. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, completing a dissertation on north lndian temple architecture and sculpture. Recipient 0 「 numerous awards during her graduate study, she has conducted extensive field research in the states Of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Ms. Mason has also worked at The MetropoIitan MGseum 0 「 Art, New York, and the PhiladeIphia Museum of Art. Other titles of interest Mud, Mirror and Thread ん T 川市ⅲ R 町ん市 4 Edited by Nora Fisher PIeasure Gardens of the Mind e 山 G 砒加わ G 〃 Co 〃 i 明研 ん市明 Pa ⅲ行 Pratapaditya PaI, Janice Leoshko, Stephen MarkeI Victoria & AlbertMuseum ◆ lndian Art Ser1es Company Paintings ん市 4 〃ⅲ行 the B ⅲなん MiIdred Archer For a complete catalogue of books on lndian art and culture, please wrlte to : Mapin PubIishing Pvt. Ltd. Chidambaram, Ahmedabad 380 013 lndia Jacket 〃ん立 ra 行のパ Front: Celestial Woman Undressed by a Monkey ( No. 13 ) ; The NeIson-Atkins Museum ofArt Kansas City, Missour1. Back: RoyaI CoupIe, 伝 om base molding 0 「 temple at Abaneri, Uttar Pradesh, about A. D. 800 ー 825 ど od u あミ The Asia Society Galleries Mapin 第農興す■ 00 す 00 ー 0 MRP lNCt. OPALLTAXES S 1 亠

31. A Pair ofMythicaI Aquatic Creatures ( Ma ara り Spnngers for an arch frontlng a porch Khajuräho, Madhya Pradesh 0 勺 ek 記 e 効 About late 10th century Sandstone; 70 x 106 cm each Shri Sadu ShantiprasadJain Art Museum, Khajuräho; KI 186 , KI 21 Auspic10us and punfY1ng, the 川黻 ara is a mythlcal sea creature combimng the Jaws Of a crocodile, trunk of an elephant, and, often, paws and ears 0f a lion, fish's tail, and ram's horns. Like the 4 or た il 市川 , the 川 4 た ara can appear ln a number oflocatlons and configuratlons withm the temple, each fixed by tradition. The 川 4 ra is the 面加 of the personified nver goddess Gafigä (Ganges, NO. 52 ) and of the directional guardlan Varuna, ancient Ved1C Lord of the 嶬 te ( No. 58 , Fig. 81 ). FrequentIy it is through the mouth of a pr0Jectmg 川 4 gargoyle that lustral liquids flow outward 伝 om the sanctum. Most frequently, however, 川 4 た ara appear as terminals for an arch. When the arch acts as upper po れ 10n of an lmage frame (Nos. 64 , 65 ) , the 川黻ロ tend tO face out 、 vard.When they anchor a free-hangmg or detached arch, on the other hand, they face inward. This latter configuratlon is depicted on the slantlng seat back (No. 33 ) , where the arch itself is often spewed 伝 om the creatures' gapmg Jaws. Such elaborate free-hangmg arches, called 川 ara rat! are frequently polylobed and covered with intrlcate carvlng. These garlandlike arches can appear in several locatlons. ln the temples Of ℃ ste ロ 1 lndia of the tenth century and later, they often link the freestanding intenor pillars of the hall. At Khajuräho, the ongm of th1S pmr, single elaborate 川 4 た ara ra れ still front the entry porches of several of the standing temples. Ascend1ng steep stairs, the worshlper passes between and belO , the sea creatures and under the wavlng stone garland. The ra 〃 4 terminals closest in 応 n11 to these are the arch remallllng in place the best known of the Khajuräho temples, the Kandanyä Mahädeva, built in approxlmately A. D. 1025. As opposed to the ra 〃 4 on the mld-tenth—century Laksmana temple nearby, where the garland-arch emerges 伝 0n1 the mouths Of the animals, that 194 on the Kandanyä, as on these P1eces, sprlngs 伝 om the top of the head and displays additional niches with figures on attached impost blocks. The size of the pieces, which may exceed even those on the Kandariyä, imphes an extremely large structure. ln the early 1970S , at least one of these two 川 4 員 ay in the compound of the Säntmätha temple at KhaJuräho, a recently rebuilt shrine within a group OfJaina structures tO the east Of the town. TWO Other temples remaln at this site, one (Adinätha) in a reasonable state of preservation and the largest (Pär'vanätha) partlally ongmal and partlally rebuilt utilizing old carvmgs. Numerous fragments also litter the area. Many, like the 川口た 4 川 are no , incorporated intO the collectlon Of the museum 」 ust outside Of the temple precinct. Although the iconography is cunous, it IS a good supposltlon that th1S 川 ara pmr did indeed ongmate on a Jmna temple. Unlike the clearly Saiva figures m a similar location on the Kandanyä Mahädeva temple, the figures in the niches on these P1eces are diffcult to decipher. One prece shows, on one side, a man, possibly divine, seated in the posture Of royal ease on a sprouting lOtus. His le 丘 hand rests on his knee, while h1S nght cradles a blossom. To his nght, a male attendant holds a hand upward, p 0 ssibly in the reverentlal gesture Of 4 4 ″川イ r , although the figure is t00 badly defaced for clanty. The opposite side ( 0 蟶 , 畩 ) has survived better and depicts a male and a female muslcian, he playlng the flute and she the tambourine. The second 川 4 川 has on its le 仕 ( 0 性卩 ) a seated male holdmg a lotus in one hand as the Other embraces a ー 01 れ an , perched on his knee. Behind them, a smaller male kneels, clearly dlsplayng ロ可ロ″Ⅷ雇 The opposite frieze depicts a seated male waving a scarf with his le 丘 hand. ln front 0f him a second man appears t0 be kneehng

Preface ods, Guardians, and Lovers: Temple ScuIptures 伝 om North lndia, A. D. 700 ー 1200 has been in the makmg since 1988 , when I was at the Museum 0 「 Fine Arts, Boston. lt began with a very simple, and perhaps somewhat naive assumption that these so—called medieval sculptures had not yet received the kind Of senous and multidisciphnary attention that they deserved. AS a museum curator specializing in lndlan painting, I was continually surpnsed and slightly frustrated by the idea that many of these sculptures, which orlglnated in a geographic area wider than Europe dunng a penod spannlng more than five hundred years, could not be dated more precisely than within two t0 three hundred years. Although the proper lconographlc identification for many 0 「 the figures could be made, generally very llttle informatlon about their 0r1 nal architectural context or suggested location on a temple wall was available. Clearly, a scholarly exanunatlon Of these sculptures は s long overdue. AS a museum educator and professor Of Asian art, I also was particularly aware Of the alternatlng sense Of bafflement and intense cunosity felt by many museum VIS1tors when confronted with the multiarmed gods and goddesses and sensually elegant celestial females—hallmarks of the penod—so often exhibited. lt could be argued that these sculptures, many of which are "medieval" north lndian, typify the average museum visitor's conceptions about lndian art. If the project were tO serve as a catalyst tO the development Of a fresh, comprehensive, scholarly approach to the study of north lndian "medieval" sculpture, it would have to be done m a way that would be useful to both the specialist and the nonspecialist. lt was clear at the outset that the geographic and chronologlcal scope of the project had t0 be delineated. The geographic span of the exhibition—from north of the Narmadä River ln central lndia to the western part 0 「 Uttar Pradesh through all of Rajasthan and Gujarat (see pages 16 ー (7)—made art-histoncal sense. The sculptures 伝 om this broadly defined area share some 応 rmal charactenstics. These commonalitles are due tO a number Of interrelated factors, ranglng 伝 0n1 shared architectural forms and intrareglonal political connectlons tO possible nugratlons 0f crafts guilds in search 0f suitable patronage. As stated by Professor Chattopadhyaya, the broad northern-southern division of the subcontment at the Narmadä R1ver and Vindhya Mountains has been acknowledged even in the literature of the penod. The more problematic geographic boundanes of this exhibition are in the eastern and northern areas. one could argue 「 br the inclusion Of some parts Of easternmost and northernmost Uttar Pradesh and for southeastern Madhya Pradesh. However, 伝 om a visual standpoint, the outlying reglons have highly pronounced localized forms that are not shared by mainstream north lndian medieval areas as defined here. ln addition, such outer areas 信Ⅱ outside the domain Of cross—cultural and political interactlon that charactenzed the anclent subreglons discussed in Danelle Mason's catalogue entnes. Although the chronologlcal parameters of this exhibition are similarly broad by art—histoncal standards, they are carefully considered. lnitially our intentlon was to begm the exhibition with images dating 伝 om about A. D. 550. But as we began to develop the conceptual basis for the exhibition and recognized that among the most salient features Of these sculptures is their architectural function and placement in a temple, it became clear that ℃ should move our termmus post quem date to around A. D. 700. Sculptures 伝 om A. D. 550 to about 700 can be considered transitional in that they gradually change 伝 om being individual relief forms tO what Michael Meister has descnbed as architectural "fragments 伝 0n1 a divine COSm010 ,. ' There is no questlon that 佇 om A. D. 700 onward, sculpture

Mitter charactenzes the early group ofart histonans as 、、 archaeologlcal" and transcendental. " See Mitter, op. cit. , p. 256. J. Burgess and H. Cousens, 月け町 月をⅲⅲ研 NO 肥″ 1 G 韲酊 (London: T. Rubner & Co. , Ltd. , 1903 ) , p. 31. As quoted in Mitter, op. cit. , p. 245 , and G. H. R. Tillotson, 月肥 Tra 市行明 ん市 a 〃月ⅲ“ tu 尾 (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1989 ) , p. 36. Tillotson, op. cit. , p. 38. lbid. , p. ⅸ . E. B. HaveII, ん市 ScuIpture 明イ P ⅲ (London: John Murray, 1908 ) , p. 41. lbid. , p. 10. lbid. , p. 28. Ludw1g Bachhofer, E ロん市 & (ptu 尾 , 2 vols. (New York: Pegasus Press, 1929 repnnt, 2 vols. in 1 , New York: Hacker Art Books, 1972 ) , p. vii. Mitter, op. cit. , pp. 278 ー 80. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, H ⅳ 0 り′研 ん市明ロれイ加豆明月れ , repnnt (New York: Dover PubIicat10ns, 1965 ) , pp. 105 ー 09. Stella Kramnsch, 77 肥 Hindu 川ら 2 vols. (CaIcutta: University of Calcutta, 1946 ). For a detailed iconographic discussion 0 「 lndlan sculptures, particularly 伝 om southern and eastern lndia, see Gopinatha T. A. Rao, Elet れ閉な研 H ⅲイ " 明 0 叩〃ア , repnnt (New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1968 ) ; andJ. N. BanerJea, 7 e D Ⅳ el 叩川ど厩研 H ⅲ面加叩〃ア , 2d ed. (Calcutta: University of Calcutta, 1956 ). Among the more recent publications on lndlan sculpture are those by Stella Kramrisch, M ロ可立ロ研 S Ⅷ (Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1981 ) ; Pramod Chandra, & " tu 尾 ん市ロ 3000 B. C. ー 00 , 4. D. (Washington, D. C. : NationaI Gallery of Art, 1985 ) ; and Pratapaditya Pal, ん市 & ゆ tu 肥 , V01. 2 (Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum ofArt and Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988 ). lt could be argued that one 0 「 the reasons for the neglect Of architectural context Of sculptures IS tO avoid the uneasy discusslon about hOW the sculptures may have been removed 丘 om their ongmal locatlon. Ben. 」 amm Rowland, 77 肥月れの 月剏ⅲ“ tu 尾研加市 a : Buddhist, Hindu, 山ⅲ (Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Pengum, 1970 ) (paperback ed. ). 22. J. C. HarIe, 77 肥月灯イ月な tu 尾研〃肥 ん市 a れ & ィ厖 0 〃ⅲ肥 (Harmondsworth, MiddIesex: Penguin, 1986 ) , p. 157. Susan Huntington, 7 み e 月灯研 , 4 れ朝 ん市ロ (New York: WeatherhiIl, 1985 ) , p. 479. 23. 21. 20. 19. 18. 17. 16. 15. 14. 13. 12. 1 1 . 10. 9. 8. 7. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. Among the books published on Gupta art in the last fifteen years are: Pratapaditya Pal, 月肥〃 6 加巳 77 肥 G 叩 ScuIptural Tradition and 垣 / ん閉化 (New York: The Asia Society, in assoclatlon 、 vith JOhn Weatherhill, 1978 ) ; J. C. Harle, G 叩 & 'ptu 心ん市 S 田ゆ tu 尾研〃肥 F 囲卍ロ 0 Sixth C 閉なⅲい , 4. D. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974 ) ; and Joanna G. WiIIiams, 77 肥 月灯研 G 叩ん市ロ : E 川の Province (Pnnceton, NJ: Pnnceton University Press, 1982 ). H. Goetz, "The Gupta School" in 77 肥 ん花ア cl 叩 e 市 4 は / 旧月れ , Massimo Palloting, ed. , V01. 7 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1959 ) , quoted in Harle, op. cit. , p. 8. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, H ⅳ 0 り′ ん市イ S 〃肥ロ立月豆ロれ月灯 , as quoted in Pal, 77 肥〃 6 加 6 , p. 13. This is further elaborated bv Professor Chattopadhyaya in his essay. WiIIiams, op. cit. , p. 175. For a more detailed discusslon Of the changmg contexts Of non—Western 、 Ofart, see lrene Winter, "Change in the Amencan Art Museum: The Art Histonan's Voice," in 1 ) ! 〃群レ ' 0 な : 月 Social, Cultural, の H ⅳ 0 記 Fra ″肥脚 for C 〃ⅲ〃肥月川 ca れ月灯第パ川 , Marcia Tucker, ed. (New York: Association Of Art Museum Directors, 1992 ) ; and CIifford Geertz, 7 加 P 市川 e 研 C ル尾 : 石性れ〃ト C 群 ltu り′ E 加叩 / り′ , も ratu 肥 , and 月灯 (Cambndge: Harvard University Press, 1987 ). Winter, op. cit. , p. 39. Mitter, op. C1t. , p. 286.

scraping his pinions. 嶬市 ile the / Ⅷな口 frieze contlnues as a ceiling component after the tenth century, the birds lose this quirky naturalism and become stiff and repetltlve. The bodies 0 「 these / Ⅷな are sharply undercut, 応Ⅱ , and round. Their beaks feature nasty teeth, a characterlstic found in bOth lndia lran, anatomically inaccurate, perhaps, but c 叩 tunng the animal's aggresswe nature. MuItipIe sharp, overlapping folds compose their W1ngs and glve the carving its visual impact. The dense but salient dimensionality 0 「 the entlre celling can be extrapolated 伝 om this fragment alone. 2 ( ) 6 40. CeIestiaI Woman PIaying BaII Ceiling bracket ofan open hall Provenance unknown, attnbuted to . Madhanya (Tusa) , RaJasthan (Medapäta) About A. D. 94g950 Sandstone/CaIcite(?); 90 x 41 cm Museum Rietberg Zünch, Gift ofReinhoId H. and Ann Schüepp; RVI 300 ( No に可 0 叩〃ム 2 に 20 & 丿 Western lndian architecture in the tenth century and onward covered the halls fronting the temple sanctum with elaborate and intncate ceilings. Grand circular ceihngs formed of concentnc corbeled moldings and supported by pillars became the common covenngs for open 'dance" halls ( ra ロ川叩 4 叩 ) in the reglon (Fig. 57 ). Such ceilings are ca ハ tO resemble a great three— dimensional lOtus flO 、 ver, potent and anclent symbOl 0 「 the unlverse S generative force. This lotus, in b100n1 , stamen pendant, shelters and encompasses the devotee. Often supenmposed across the layers of petallike cuspate moldings are large bracket figures, one above each of the usual eight pillars forming the hall. Taking the 応 rm of beautiful celestial women ( ロ 4 ′示ロめ in vanous enticmg or playful postures, they lie almost flat against the dome Of the ceiling in a very different configuration 佇 0n1 the ロ 2 a ー示 brackets that rlse 佇 0n1 pillar tO ceiling (Nos. 41 ー 46 ). This 叩示 plays with a ball, held up to her by a small female attendant. Her posture and anatomy are slightly adJusted so that she may appear graceful and correct when suspended at an angle ℃ 11 above the viewer's head. Ongmally she would most likely have stOOd on a bracket in the shape Ofan elephant spnngmg out 丘 om the wall. Her nght arm would have reached upward toward a mass offruited foliage behind her head in the posture of the 可 / (tree goddess), a pose descended 斤 om the fertility-related ) , 黻 (female nature spirits) 0 「 early lndian art. Ancient Medapäta, the reg10n around the city ofUdaipur in eastern Ra. 」 asthan, contains four temples datable by inscnption tO the third quarter 0 「 the tenth century. The 叩 bears a very close stylistic resemblance tO lmages 斤 0n1 these n ・ lonuments, particularly those 0 「 the Ambikämätä temple at Jagat 0 「 ca. A. D. 961

64. Vaiiqava 4 ara Upper portion ofan image surround, sanctum lntenor Provenance unknown, probably eastern Rajasthan (Märude'a-Sapädalaksa, northern Medapäta, or Uparamäla) About mid-9th century Sandstone; 31 x 82.7 cm National Museum ofAmencan Art, Sm1thson1an lnstitution, Gift of John GeIIatIy (Courtesy ofthe Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian lnstitutlon); LTS 1985.1.592 garland of buds, the ends of wh1Ch are Although the windowless intenor walls grasped in the curvmg trunks 0f two of the cube-shaped g 韲励 4 , the sanctum elephants beanng addiuonal celestial couples. sanctorum, usually appear smooth and The た所た exhibits the very human nose undecorated, an elaborate 伝 ar れ e 灯た ara ) and lips familiar 伝 om other ninth-century almost always surrounds the image 0f the deity that resides there (Fig. 2 ) , except in the images (Nos. 55 , 56 ). Likew1se, it displays the same extraordlnary merglng Of animal and case of the centrally placed Siva ″ 4 (Fig. vegetal 応 rms. Flanng fohage encircles its 24 ). Th1S frame bears a structural format and face. SmaII stnatlons rephcatmg the filaments symb olic mo tlfs that make it analo gous b 0 th of an open lotus flower discreetly overlay the to the door and to the temple as a whole lip and lower eyehds. (No. 67 ). The bodies have long waists and ln th1S upper po 山 on ofa 2 ロ灯 ra , two doll-like rounded limbs. These anatomlcal 川黻韲 ( No. 31 ) appear at the sides. The features link the piece somewhat tO images relief dlsplays three promment male figures in 伝 om mnth-century Märude'a-Sapädalaksa mches: the dwarf Vämana on the le 化 seated (Nos. 23 , 55 ) but the cnspness of carving the center, and seated Räma bespeaks a tle tO monuments 伝 om the W1th a female attendant on the right. They Mahä-Gurjara milieus farther south in are the 6 丘 h , sixth, and seventh 酊 of the Medapäta or perhaps to the somewhat related God Vi»u ( No. 70 ). The sides of the frame, contemporaneous structures in Uparamäla. like the jambs of a door, most likely would have dlsplayed similar niches completing the set of ten (the first 20 likely conJ0ined). 圧 the central image represented an avatar such as Varäha, the remainlng SIX would have fit evenly onto the two Jambs. The surface of the arch is filled to overflowmg W1th flY1ng celestlals beanng garlands, flO , e , musical instruments, and 0 飛 nn in celebratlon of the God. Above the central niche, a great た ii ・川たん 4 sprouts a 1. See Dhaky, "The Genesis and Development 0f Märu-GurJara Temple Architecture. 2. See the overdoor 伝 om Chittor, Nat10nal Museum, New Delhi. 252