Fwd: Gorgeous Gandhara Art: by Fayza Haq, The Daily Star, Bangladesh

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gandhara , Yashwant K <yashwant0k wrote:

 

Part 1 of the article

 

Gorgeous Gandhara Art

by Fayza Haq, The Daily Star, March 23, 2004

 

 

 

Isabelle Johne, German art historian, speaks at Goethe Institute

Chittagong, Bangladesh -- Speaking to The Daily Star, Isabelle Johne, an art

historian, who recently presented a slide show and gave a lecture on Gandhara

Art at the Goethe Institut, said that the Gandhara culture was of such

importance that people of Bangladesh should be aware of it. She said that this

art form is the base of a number of cultural influences found in Bangladesh.

This is seen in the art exhibits at National Museum. She said that Gandhara art

was of world importance.

 

Sculpture of blackstone that is found in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the northern

part of India was one of the basic forms of Gandhara style of sculpture, Johne

continued. As it is a world heritage, this should interest Bangladeshis too she

felt. The stone sculptures produced here in Bangladesh have the same basic

shapes, Johne explained. 'From the 8th to the 12th century Pala and Sina period

such sculpture is found in north east and west Bengal too,'she said.

 

Asked if there are any parallel cultures where such rich cultural influences

have been combined, she said that it was rare as it had Indian, Iranian and

Graeco-Roman influences. Giving examples of Gandhara art, she mentioned statues

from the Zorastrian, Greek and Roman religion representing gods and goddesses

from the different regions and religions. Explaining how the various religions

came to combined, she said, it was based on the influence of trade, specially

the Silk Route, as the exchange of goods is connected with ideas, beliefs

philosophies as well as technical know-how, as found even in some arts and

crafts (in architecture and handicrafts, among others).

 

Talking about whether Gandhara Art had parallels in China, Tibet and Nepal,

where Gautam Buddha, gods and goddess have sculptures and artifacts, Johne said,

" Not parallels, but there are sculpture and artifacts that are something similar

to it.

 

Speaking of how she came to be interested in Gandhara Art, she said that she was

fascinated in that particular genre of culture when she was studying Indian Art

and Philology.

 

 

 

 

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