Eastern Indian Miniatures
Stylistic analysis of the eastern indian school of painting
After the mural tradition of India comprising of Ajanta and Post Ajanta, one sees the emergence of the illustrated manuscript tradition. 4 major 'pre-akbari' schools of manuscript painting have been identified- The Eastern Indian manuscript tradition, the Western Indian manuscirpt tradition, the Sultanate period manuscripts and their variants and the Chaurapanchasika group.
The Eastern Indian tradition is the earliest among the four. What survives of them is the Pala dynasty commissioned manuscripts. The dynasty existed between 750 AD to 1150 AD and the manuscripts of course belong to the same period. They were great patrons of the Buddhists and the manuscripts are mostly Buddhist texts of the Vajrayana school, though not exclusively as beleived uptill recently. Other than the Prajnaparamita Astasahasrika we also find some hindu texts. There are a few illustrations of Pancharaksha and Mahamayuri Manuscirpts as well. The manuscripts have been done on palm leaf with wooden covers. Some of them carry on them dates which are are chief source of historicising and art historical analysis.
The Astasaharrika Prajnaparamita manuscirpt consists of 30 folios. The name literally means 'the perfection of wisdom in 8000 thousand verses'. It was an imporatnt buddhist text. In the Hindu-Buddhist pantheon, it was highly revered as one of the oldest Mahayana sutras and a fundamental text for understanding 'emptiness'. The essence of the text was also personified in a deity of the same name, Prajnaparamita, ‘Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom’.The worship of books of wisdom (jnanapuja) assumed an important role in temple ritual. A large number of manuscripts on palm-leaf relating to the Buddhist themes were written and illustrated with the images of Buddhist deities at these centers, which also had workshops for the casting of bronze images. Students and pilgrims from all over Southeast Asia gathered there for
After the mural tradition of India comprising of Ajanta and Post Ajanta, one sees the emergence of the illustrated manuscript tradition. 4 major 'pre-akbari' schools of manuscript painting have been identified- The Eastern Indian manuscript tradition, the Western Indian manuscirpt tradition, the Sultanate period manuscripts and their variants and the Chaurapanchasika group.
The Eastern Indian tradition is the earliest among the four. What survives of them is the Pala dynasty commissioned manuscripts. The dynasty existed between 750 AD to 1150 AD and the manuscripts of course belong to the same period. They were great patrons of the Buddhists and the manuscripts are mostly Buddhist texts of the Vajrayana school, though not exclusively as beleived uptill recently. Other than the Prajnaparamita Astasahasrika we also find some hindu texts. There are a few illustrations of Pancharaksha and Mahamayuri Manuscirpts as well. The manuscripts have been done on palm leaf with wooden covers. Some of them carry on them dates which are are chief source of historicising and art historical analysis.
The Astasaharrika Prajnaparamita manuscirpt consists of 30 folios. The name literally means 'the perfection of wisdom in 8000 thousand verses'. It was an imporatnt buddhist text. In the Hindu-Buddhist pantheon, it was highly revered as one of the oldest Mahayana sutras and a fundamental text for understanding 'emptiness'. The essence of the text was also personified in a deity of the same name, Prajnaparamita, ‘Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom’.The worship of books of wisdom (jnanapuja) assumed an important role in temple ritual. A large number of manuscripts on palm-leaf relating to the Buddhist themes were written and illustrated with the images of Buddhist deities at these centers, which also had workshops for the casting of bronze images. Students and pilgrims from all over Southeast Asia gathered there for