KUSHANA PERIOD
Introduction
The Kushan period (1st century to 3rd century AD) of imperialism reigned over the region covering
present-day Afghanistan, north-west Pakistan and north-western India.
Artistic activities were fairly widespread and two main spheres of Kushan art are generally recognised.
1. The broader Bactria-Gandhara region in the north-west lower Kabul Valley and upper Indus around
Peshawar where strongly Hellenised and works of Persian influence were produced.
2. Northern India, particularly the Mathura region, the winter capital of the Kushans , where works in
the Indian style were produced.
Features of Kushana Art
Powerful depictions of human beings indulging in multifarious activities.
Development in style and technique of carving figures.
New methods of narrating long and continuous stories.
Effective combination of old and new motifs.
Influence of Gandhara art.
Appearance of images of the Buddha, Tirthankaras and different Brahmanical deities.
Introduction of portrait sculpture.
Kushana Art in North
Architecturally, buildings in these areas are somewhat different from
Buddhist structures found in the Indian parts of the empire. They accepted a
blending of different architectural settings used for decorative purposes.
TEMPLES AND BUDDHIST BUILDINGS :-
Zurmala is a 12-m high Buddhist stupa, found in the north-east of the
ruins of Ancient Termez. It was built in the Kushan era, about I-II
centuries BC
In the course of time, the Buddhist stupa reduced almost to a shapeless
mound of clay, which could be hardly identified as a Buddhist ritual
structure.
MONUMENTAL SCULPTURE
The range of subjects and scenes in Bactrian monumental sculpture was unusually
wide and varied, both secular and religious, dynastic and public.
Of the dynastic groups, particularly illuminating are the sculptures at Khalchayan
dating from the beginning of the Christian era, Dalverzin-tepe from the first century
a.d. and Surkh Kotal (second century a.d.)
A considerable impact on the development of sculpture throughout the Kushan
region was made by Buddhism.
Head of the Buddha from Head of a devata. Dalverzin-tepe. Gypsum on clay.
Fayaz-tepe. Termez.
Gypsum on clay
In portraying the image of the Buddha , the Bactrian sculptors followed the established canons of
the beginning of the Christian era.
But for the secondary figures in the Buddhist pantheon – devatas, genies or gandharvas – they
returned to earlier Graeco-Bactrian traditions.
“The Birth and the First Seven Steps of the Buddha”, Indian-style Kushan embossed and chased silver dish
2nd or 3rd century A.D. showing a yaksha drinking, 3rd or 4th century A.D.
Under the Kushans , conquerors from central Asia, two of India's most
important styles were developed between the 2d and 5th century A.D.
Gandhara Art
Mathura Art
Kushan Art of Gandhara
Its development began during the Parthian Period (50 BC – AD 75).
After 2nd AD it came in existence as its separate identity.
Gandhara art, named after the region of Gandhara now in Pakistan, presents some
of the earliest images of the Buddha.
Gandhāra is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist Art, which
developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence.
It can be seen that the Gandhara style was tremendously influenced by Hellenistic art (originated in
France) of second century.
Hellenistic art is the art of the Classical period dating from the death of Alexander the Great in 323
BC to the emergence of ancient Rome (31 BC).
Very little work has been done so far to establish Kushan’s origin in Gandhara proper.
Because the Kushan art of Gandhara has so far been studied from a limited perspective.
Kushan material has been excavated from only three major cities within the cultural periphery of
Gandhara – at Begram (or Kapisa), Puskalavatı (or Peucelaotis) and Taxila.
Also from the two sites outside the Indus region, that is, Mathura and
Surkh Kotal.
These also yielded material for study - Takht-i Bahi, Jamal Garhi,
Sahr-i Bahlol, Shah-jiki-Dheri (Peshawar), Tharelli, Mekha Sanda,
Nathu, Sanghao, Hadda, Manikyala,Rani Ghat, etc.
Gandhara art has so far been studied only for the sake of its sculptural
wealth and Buddhist religion or to detect Western influence, never
with a view to studying the civilization of which the sculptures were a
part.
GANDHARAN ART AND BUDDHISM
The Kushan sculptures from Gandhara are predominantly Buddhist. Although the
Buddha himself never visited Gandhara. But with the passage of time the area became
a veritable holy land for his followers.
It is a moot point where and when the first image of the Buddha was made – in
Gandhara or at Mathura.
Probably, it developed simultaneously at both places, one developing directly out of
indigenous Indian art and the other (Gandhara) borrowing its type from the West.
Earlier than evolution of this art, the Buddha`s presence was primarily represented
only through symbols such as the Peepal tree, the wheel of life, footprints, and an
empty throne.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHIST ART
The sudden liberalization of Buddhism was a signal for the development of Buddhist
art in Gandhara and it soon reached its peak.
SCULPTURE
The Kushan art of Gandhara is mainly known from the wealth of sculpture recovered
from the numerous Buddhist stupas and monasteries.
There were Standing and seated statues of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva Maitreya,
and stone slabs depicting in low relief the legend of the Buddha’s birth stories.
Most of these statues and panels were carved out of a locally available grey or blue
slate stone called schist, but stucco was also used for making statues and reliefs.
FIGURE OF THE BUDDHA
The Gandhara Buddha is an idealized figure having a delightful face unaffected by age
or affliction. Standing barefoot or seated cross-legged he is always shown wearing an
undergarment and a monk’s robe.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES
The most characteristic feature of Gandhara sculptures is their frontality.
Figuresnormally stare fixedly into one’s eyes or are turned completely to right or left. There is
seldom movement in their bodies.
This can be understood in the light of Kushan sculptures from Khalchayan which are turned
slightly not strictly frontal.
The fixed, unemotional frontality of the Kushan art of Gandhara has obviously been brought
from Khalchayan.
Miracle of Sravasti, Lahore Museum
Standing Bodhisattva, Lahore Museum
Mathura
Under the rule of same Kushans, only at different geographical area i.e. farther east and south at the
contemporary Mathura, the Mathura style was developed.
Mathura is known as it had created a wholly Indian sculptural art.
The usual medium used for sculpturing was the reddish limestone.
The Mathura sculptures incorporate many Hellenistic elements, such as the general idealistic realism,
and key design elements such as the curly hair, and folded garment.
These elements can be seen in the representations of the Buddha.
The representations of the Buddha in Mathura, in central northern India, are generally dated
slightly later than those of Gandhara and are also much less numerous.
Specific Mathuran adaptations tend to reflect warmer climatic conditions, as they consist in a
higher fluidity of the clothing, which progressively tend to cover only one shoulder instead of both.
COMPARISION
Mathura School Gandhara School
Strong Greek influence and was based on Greco-
No foreign Influence, however, later it cross
Roman norms encapsulating foreign techniques
fertilized with the Gandhara School. Its
and an alien spirit. It is also known as Graeco-
development took place indigenously.Initially Buddhist School of art. Assimilating various traits
inspired by Yaksha Images of Acamenian, Parthian and Bactrian traditions into
Spotted Red Sandstone the local tradition is a hallmark of the Gandhara
style.
Early period: Light volume having fleshy
body.Later Period: Flashiness reduced.Not much ii.Blue-grey Mica / Grey Sandstone
attention to detailed sculpting. iii.Finer details and realistic images. Buddha
The halo around the head of Buddha was carved out in various Mudras. Curley hair,
profusely decorated. anatomical accuracy, spatial depth, and
foreshortening.
Images are less expressive.
Halo not decorated and the images are very
expressive,
THANK YOU
