Asian Art History: Hindu and Buddhist Sacred Architecture and Sculpture

Comprehensive question-and-answer flashcards covering Hindu and Buddhist sacred sites, iconography, architecture, and religious practices across India, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia.

What 12th-century Cambodian temple complex of the Khmer Empire is pictured here?

Angkor Wat

Who built Angkor Wat, and to which deity was it originally dedicated?

It was built by Khmer King Suryavarman II and was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.

What sacred cosmic mountain do the five towers of Angkor Wat represent?

Mount Meru (Mt. Meru).

In the 'Churning of the Ocean of Milk' relief at Angkor Wat, how does Vishnu produce the elixir of immortality?

By wrapping a cosmic serpent around a mountain, twisting and pulling it up.

What dual funerary and political functions did Angkor Wat serve for King Suryavarman II?

It served as a mausoleum facing the setting sun to request immortality, legitimizing the ruler in life and deifying him in death.

How was Angkor Wat altered when it later shifted into a Buddhist temple under King Jayavarman VII?

Jayavarman VII added portrait busts of his head portrayed as a Buddha.

What concept of divine union through sacred sexual imagery is depicted in these Bhakti carvings from the Lakshmana Temple?

Mithuna (divine union, joining with the opposite to enter the divine realm and creation).

How were women regarded according to the notes on the Bhakti carvings at Lakshmana Temple?

Women were viewed as equals, demonstrating reverence for female energy.

What was the early background of Siddhartha Gautama before he renounced his lifestyle around 500 BCE?

He was born a Hindu prince in a wealthy family who abandoned his rich lifestyle to live as an ascetic.

What key events occurred at Bodh Gaya (Bodghaya) and the Bodhi Tree in the life of Siddhartha Gautama?

Gautama traveled to Bodh Gaya at the convergence of two rivers to meditate, achieving Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.

What does the form of Shiva Nataraja signify in Hindu art, and what are its visual characteristics?

It signifies the dance of creation by Shiva (male god of destruction and creation), depicted with graceful, flowing, sensual movement and extra limbs to show divinity.

In Hindu ritual practice, what is 'darshan', and how were bronze festival images like Shiva treated?

Darshan is physically connecting with the deity; the deity was bathed, clothed, fed, given offerings in the temple, and paraded during festivals.

What 930 CE Hindu temple in India, dedicated to Vishnu, is pictured here?

Lakshmana Temple

Who was the patron of the Lakshmana Temple, and what decorative aesthetic principle characterizes its exterior?

Chandella leader Yashovarman (built to legitimize rule); it features symmetrical, ornate carvings exhibiting horror vacui (fear of empty space).

What are the six steps of the ritual circumambulation pathway at the Lakshmana Temple?

1. See the mandapas from a distance as celestial mountains; 2. Climb stairs to view exterior deities in relief; 3. Enter the building where window light illuminates relief carvings of Chandella Dynasty accomplishments; 4. Walk toward the darkness of the garbhagriha; 5. Enter the garbhagriha alone to circumambulate clockwise; 6. Exit along the same walkway toward the entrance.

What 750 CE Buddhist volcanic stone temple in Indonesia is shown in this aerial view?

Borobudur Temple

What are the three structural and spiritual levels of Borobudur serving as a 'roadmap to formlessness'?

1. Kamadhatu (level of desire / karma); 2. Rupadhatu (level of form / rupa); 3. Arupadhatu (level of formlessness / arupa, to which humans have access).

How is Borobudur decorated, and what does its site topography symbolize?

It is decorated with 2,000+ relief sculptures and 500+ Buddhas; built at the confluence of two rivers as an island mountain on a lake, it resembles a lotus, a symbol of nirvana.

Where is the Jowo Rinpoche housed, what is it made of, and what was its original function?

Housed in the Jokhang Temple in Tibet (7th century); made of gilt metal and semi-precious stones; brought as a dowry for a Chinese princess marrying a Tibetan king.

Which mudras are displayed by the Jowo Rinpoche depicting Buddha Shakyamuni at the moment of Enlightenment?

Dhyana (meditation) and Bhumisparsha Mudra (calling the earth to witness).

Prior to the 5th century CE, how was the Buddha represented in early Buddhist art and worship practice?

Visually aniconic (without human depiction), using symbols like a platform for the speaker and footprints ('walk the path of Buddha') for solo worship.

What 6th-century rock-cut monument along the Silk Road in Afghanistan is pictured here?

The Bamiyan Buddha

What ritual process did pilgrims perform around the 175-foot Bamiyan Buddha?

Pilgrims ascended stairs to a shoulder view with a sun god painting in the vault, circumambulated the head, and descended, symbolizing a pilgrimage to heaven.

How and when was the Bamiyan Buddha destroyed?

It was destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban through iconoclasm.