EARLY BUDDHIST ART – ANICONIC PHASE

          Buddhist art includes sculptures, paintings and other art forms that represent the stories and concepts of Buddhism. The earliest Buddhist art, which originated in India, was mostly symbolic and avoided figurative depictions of the Buddha. Later, as Buddhism developed and spread to a variety of cultures, its religous art came to represent the Buddha, boddhisatvas, and gods in rich figurative imagery. Ritual art, such as the intricate mandalas used in meditation, is also an important aspect of Buddhist art.

          The Aniconic Phase of Buddhist Art took part in between the 5th century and 1st century BCE. The first clear manifestations of Buddhist art date back to the time of the emperor Ashoka during the Mauryan era (322-180 BCE), through the building of numerous stupas, such as the one at Sanchi, and the erection of pillars. The pillars were surmounted by animal capitals and decorated with Buddhist symbols. Although Buddhism was born in India, which is a culture with rich religious iconography, early Buddhist art avoided figurative representations of the Buddha almost entirely. Instead he and his teachings were represented by symbols, including:

  • The Wheel of law, symbol of the Four Noble Truths expressed by the Buddha.
  • The Bodhi tree, the tree where the Buddha reached enlightenment. It has some antecedent in fertility cults and representations of the tree of life.
  • The Buddha footprint to represent the impact of the teachings of the Buddha on the world.
  • The Empty throne.
  • The Lions, symbol of his royalty. The Buddha was known as the “Shakya Lion” during Ashoka’s time, so this symbol was used on the Buddhist pillars he planted throughout India.
  • The Columns surmounted by a wheel, symbol of his teaching.
  • The Lotus, symbol of pure, unspoiled Buddha Nature, for its beautiful blooming and the impossibility for water to adhere to it, leaving it spotless.

          This reluctance towards anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha, and the sophisticated development of aniconic symbols to avoid it (even in narrative scene where other human figures would appear), seems to be connected to one of the Buddha's sayings, reported in the Dighanikaya, that disfavored representations of himself after the extinction of his body. This tendency remained as late as the 2nd century CE in the Southern parts of India, in the art of the Amaravati School. It has been argued that earlier anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha may have been made of wood and may have perished since then. However no related archaeological evidence has been found.  


The Bodhi tree




The empty throne




 The Buddha footprint




The Lions




The Lotus




The Wheel of Law

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