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Buddhist Art
f
California
RegionalFacility
THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
cv
I
THE BEGINNINGSOF
BUDDHIST ART
Primed forA.
PAUL GEUTHNERand A.
bySucc", Anoers, France.
BURDIN.
F.
GAVLTIER
THtBERT,
en
W
tn
':'iissxsr:'
""
< o p
DEDICATEDWITH PROFOUND RESPECT AND AFFECTIONATE REGARDTO
>
M.
AUGUSTE BARTHMember of theInstitute:
MASTER OF PENETRATING AND CREATIVE CRITICISMIN ALL
BRANCHES OF SANSKRIT LEARNING
June 1^14.
TREFACE
To
the
ratherthe
limited circle oj scholars
interested in
Indian Art and
Archeologystudies
work of M. Foucher requires no introduction. His numerous devoted to these subjects, and in particular his comprehensive treatise
on
the
Grseco-Buddhist Art of Gandhdra, have fully established his position
as a
leader in this sphere.
A
collective
edition of his essays
and
addresses,
dispersed in various serial
and
periodical publications, will therefore be sure
of a
warm
welcome.this
The translators do not disavow a hope that
English version
may
appeal
not only to those readers, chiefly in the East, to
whom
the
author
s original
presents a difficulty,
but also
to
a rather wider public in England and which in Paris attendedthe
America. Aware of
the interest
delivery of
M.
Toucher's lectures, they would regret ijthe
charm had
so far evaporated in
translation as to forfeit
a share inespecially
the
growing appreciation of Oriental
art.
Buddhism jor veyed is.
it is
Buddhist monuments that are here sur-
of course,
a
subject of vast extent.
We may add
that
it is
a highlystage,
organic subject,
and
that the study of it is still at
a specially interesting
the stage of discovery.
We
cannot touch
it
in
any part without evokingmight compareletit to
res-
ponses from distantcarpet;
and unexpected quarters.
We
a magicGrsco-
we fix upon some well
defined topic, relating,
us say,
to the
Buddhist school of Gandhdra, and promptly, even without our volition, someanalogy or connection transports usto the
Central Asia, China or Japan of
many
centuries later, even if
we have
not to continue ourflight to Java in the
ninth century or
Cambodia
in the twelfth. The reader will find in these pagestransitions.to the
abundant examples of suchingeniousitself,
The first essays reach back by a highlyvery origins of Buddhist art in India
and probable hypothesis
and
give us the measure of
its possibilities
by what
it
has achieved at
Sdnchi and Barhut. Already wethe Persia of the
detect
some traces of foreign influence, from
Achxmenids. Soon an abrupt irruption of Hellenistic art
VIII
PREFACEthe the
overwhelmstions,
native schools,
and
creates a repertory of religious composito
which
Buddhist propaganda carriesislands.
Central Asia, the
Far East,most
and
the
Malay
Thus
is
established,
a
genetic connection between the
religious art of
Europe and Asia
a double
efflorescence
from oneclosely
root,
strikingly exemplified in the case of thethe earliest sculptural type of Christ,
Buddha
type,
which
resembles
and most curiously
in that of the ^Tutethe
lary Pair' , found throughout the zuhole Buddhist spherein ancient
and at
same time
Gaul
:
or shall
we claim
the highest degree of interest for the case
of the
'Madonna' group {Essay IX). which
ultimately derived, in allthe
probability,
from ancient Egypt has ended by conqueringto be fruitful, both
whole world
?
Tins splendid generalisation cannot fail
on the European:
and onwhileit
the Asiatic side, in inspiration for future researches
in the
mean-
may
be
welcomed as reestablishing by
the aid
of art that feeling of
solidaritythe
and sympathy between India and Europe,
luhich flourished
during
palmy days of Vedic
studies, but latterly has been
somewhat discouraged
by specialism.
Need we remark
that,
where religious art and archeology are
the thenu,
literature and literary history cannot be far
away
?
M. Fouchrhas commentedwith which heis
upon
the predominantly narrative character of the bas-reliefs:
dealing
it
may indeedlife mt'St,
be said that, apart from purely decorative figures
andthe
symbols, the great bulk of them are illustrations of scenes
from
the life
of
Buddha. The
indeed, be conceived in
an ample
sense, according to
that grandiose Indian conception whereby, asus, the biography is not confined to
M.
Fouchcr opportunely remindsthe
a single span, but coversexistence,
whole
series
of
countless births, under all
forms of
which were necessary for
the
accumulation of the positive and negative characteristics manifested finally inthe
Great Being,
the
Perfijly Illuminated. The scenes thenfore needvery alphabet
to be
read,
and at
first the
was wanting. The problem was offar
greater obscurity than in the case of what
M.
Foucher terms
the magnificent
illustrated bible constituted by the sculptors of the cathedral of Chartres.texts of the
Thethosethe
Buddhist religion have only gradually been made knownlife
:
events in the
which were specially marked out for illustration
twelve acts of Buddha
and
so forth
had
not been separated out
;
the
J^taka
book, recording the tales of previous births,
was
not at first available.
The
names of
those scholars to
whom we
are indebted for the
first tentatives at
decipherment, such as the inspired, if not impeccable, archxologist. General Sir
Alexander Cunningham, Prof. Griinwedel of
the Berlin
Ethnographicalof the Imperial
Museum, Dr. Serge
d' Oldenburg,
Perpetual Secretary
PREFACE^Academy ofSt. Petersburg,
IXfound recurring inFoucher' s
and
others will be
M. Fou-
chers pages. But undoubtedly the matter has in
M.
own work made
a long
step
forwardso
:
the reader will
remark not only
the artistic insight
which gives
much
ease
and
certainty to the identifications in this volume, but
also the emergence of principles fitted to serve as a guide for future discovery
and
criticism in this field of study.art,
In a word, we
see
taking shape, not onlyin
an
but also
a science of discoveryto
and
interpretation
regard
to
Buddhist, and by consequence
Indian, illustration.is
lA history of Buddhist Art
a task for
the future
;
may we some day
have the pleasure of welcoming a systematic treatise upon the subject from
M.
Foucher's oiun pen. For the presentits
we are
only at the commencement.
Nothing guarantees us that inwithit
beginnings the Art shall be found on a level
the doctrine, or that it shall
follow a parallel course, or again thatrapidity.
shall develope with
a proportional
Gn
the contrary,
we
see
alreadyit
that
atits
Sdnchi
and
Barhut, afterto
centuries
of
active
speculation,
makespiety.
appeal primarily
a community
characteri::^ed by
naive and simple
In
the case of Christianity
how many
centuries
of dogmatic strife
precede the age of the primitives ! Nevertheless the reader
who turns from
the
essays on
Barhut and Sdnchi
to those
dealing with the Great Miraclebe his impression, if he
and
with Boro- Budurhis
much clearer wouldof
embraced in
view
the
medieval and modern art
China, fapan, and Tibet
cannotpartialless sophis-
fail
to note the
metaphysical contemplation which has groiun upon the decayto the
of
the older
popular piety. Yet even here we have a warning as