Indian art and architecture: Gandhara and Mathura
Gandhara and Mathura
Under the Kushans, conquerors from central Asia, two of India's most important styles were developed between the 2d and 5th cent.
Farther east and south, contemporary Mathura, also under Kushan rule, created a wholly Indian sculptural art. Reddish limestone was the usual medium. More sensuous, heavier Buddhas whose limbs are created according to canonical instructions, smile directly at their worshipers. Reliefs of the yakshis carved against railing pillars are more frankly sensual and erotic than those at Sanchi. Buddhist iconography was developed in Gandhara. Mathura, however, preserved and developed Indian forms for three centuries.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- The Modern Era
- Indian Painting
- Architecture and Sculpture of the Hindu Dynasties
- The Gupta Period
- Gandhara and Mathura
- Sunga and Andhra Dynasties
- Post-Indus Civilization through the Maurya Dynasty
- Indus Valley Civilization
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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