The fascinating journey of India’s spiritual art

A new exhibition at the British Museum in London presents the rich journey of spiritual art from India. Entitled of ancient India: living traditions, it brings together 189 remarkable objects covering centuries.

Visitors can explore everything, sculptures and 2000 -year paintings to complex narrative panels and manuscripts, revealing the amazing evolution of spiritual expression in India.

The art of the Indian subcontinent underwent a profound transformation between 200 billion and 600 AD. The imaging which represented gods, goddesses, supreme preachers and enlightened souls of three ancient religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism – has been redesigned from symbolism more recognizable by the human form.

While the three religions shared the common cultural roots – worship the minds of ancient nature such as powerful snakes or the panel Fecheux – they negotiated dramatic changes in religious iconography during this pivot period which continues to have a contemporary relevance with two millennia.

“Today, we cannot imagine the veneration of Hindu, jain or Buddhist divine spirits without human form, can we make this transition so interesting,” explains Sushma Jansari, conservative of the exhibition.

The exhibition explores both continuity and change in the sacred art of India through five sections, starting with the minds of nature, followed by sub-sections dedicated to each of the three religions, and ending with the spread of confessions and their art beyond India to other parts of the world such as Cambodia and China.

The centerpiece of the Buddhist section of the exhibition – a two -sided sandstone panel which shows the evolution of the Buddha – is perhaps the most distinctive to represent this great transition.

One side, sculpted in about AD250, reveals the Buddha in human form with complex embellishments, while the other – carved earlier in about 50-1BC – it is symbolically represented through a tree, an empty throne and footprints.

The sculpture – of a sacred sanctuary of Amaravati (in the south -east of India) – was once part of the decorative circular base of a stupa or a Buddhist monument.

For this transformation to be presented on “a single panel in a single sanctuary is quite extraordinary”, explains Ms. Jansari.

In the Hindu section, another early bronze statue reflects the progressive evolution of sacred visual imagery by the representation of the goddesses.

The figure resembles a yakshi – a powerful spirit of primordial nature which can grant both “abundance and fertility, as well as death and illness” – recognizable by its floral hairstyle, its jewelry and its complete figure.

But it also incorporates several arms holding specific sacred objects which have become characteristic of the way in which the Hindu feminine deities were represented during the following centuries.

Captivating examples of Jain religious art, which also focuses on its 24 enlightened teachers, who are largely focused on its 24 enlightened teachers called Tirthankaras.

The first representations of these first were found on a marble pink sandstone dating back to around 2000 years and began to be recognized by the sacred symbol of an endless node on the teachers’ chest.

The sculptures ordered through these religions were often made in common workshops in the ancient city of Mathura which, according to the Conservatives, explains why there are similarities marked with each other.

Unlike other Southern Asian shows, the exhibition is unique because it is the “first” look at the origins of the three religious artistic traditions together, rather than separately, explains Ms. Jansari.

In addition, it carefully draws attention to the origin of each object exposed, with brief explanations on the trip of the object in different hands, its acquisition by museums, etc.

The show highlights intriguing details such as the fact that many donors from Buddhist art in particular were women. But he does not respond to the reason why the transformation of material in visual language took place.

“This remains a question of a million dollars. Researchers are still debating it,” said Jansari. “Unless more evidence is through, we are not going to know. But the flourishing extraordinary of figurative art tells us that people really took the idea of ​​imagining the divine as human.”

The show is a multisensory experience – with perfumes, curtains, sounds of nature and vibrant colors designed to evoke the atmospheres of Hindu religious sanctuaries, Buddhists and active jain.

“There are so many things in these sacred spaces, and yet there is an innate calm and serenity. I wanted to bring out,” explains Ms. Janansari, who collaborated with several designers, artists and community partners to bring it together.

The punctuated screens are screens displaying short films of faithful practitioners of each of the religions in Great Britain. These underline the fact that this is not only “ancient art but also of living tradition” which is continuously relevant for millions of people in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world, far beyond the borders of modern India.

The exhibition is inspired by the South Asian collection of British Museum with 37 loans of private lenders and museums and national and international libraries in the United Kingdom, Europe and India.

Former India: Living Traditions is presented at British Museum, London, from May 22 to October 19.

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