Throughout the pre-modern world, sculpture was all around. When one thinks about sculpture during this time period, usually the person is picturing Roman and Greek sculpture. However, I think it is important to note that Asia also used sculpture during this time period. Both China and India used sculpture to reflect their religious and cultural beliefs and feelings.
Chinese Sculpture:
Chinese sculpture was becoming more popular, and by the third century, B.C.E., the Chinese had mastered the art. The Chinese "had developed scientific manufacturing processes for pottery adn knew how to control firing temperatures." (Sporre, 2010, p.254) The emperor during this time period, Qin Shihuangdi, was really focused on creating his palace and preparing his mausoleum and filling it with sculptures.
There were many sculptures of people and animals found. Also, it is important to recognize that the people that were sculpted had many different facial expressions. Some appeared to be warriors, with stern, intense looks. Others, however, were smiling and looked kind. The sculptures of humans each have different looks, from their eyes to their clothes. The artists of these sculptures clearly had a specific person in mind when sculpting these pieces. Also, horses were popular to sculpt. All the horses looked strong and powerful, reflecting the artists' perspective of the majestic creature. One specific piece of sculpture from this time period was "Guanyin, The Bodhisattva of Compassion". This sculpture depicts the goddess of mercy, and shows her smiling kindly, seemingly welcoming those who see her. According to the Buddhist beliefs, Guanyin is at a state of nirvana. All of these sculptures are very well-known for the Chinese, and the pre-modern world was a time of great art for the Chinese.
Indian Sculpture:
Also during this time period, Indian sculpture was becoming more prominent. As with Chinese sculpture, religion had a big affect on the Indian sculptures. Much of the sculptures related to Buddhism, although they were different from the Chinese sculptures.
One of the pieces that exemplifies the Buddhist sculpture in India is also the bodhisattva. This bodhisattva is very different from the Chinese representation of this figure. The Indian sculptor creates this figure as a man, with billowing robes around him. This signifies that he is of high importance, along with his necklaces and sandals. This bodhisattva does not seem quite as welcoming as the bodhisattva in Chinese culture. The sculpture is standing on a statue covered in pictures of Buddha's life. It is also worth noting that often Buddha sculptures were represented in traditional monk attire.
Conclusion:
All together, sculpture was very influential in Asia during the pre-modern era. It is interesting to compare and contrast the Indian sculpture and the Chinese sculpture.
Referenced:
Sporre, Dennis J. "Artistic Reflections in the Pre-Modern World." Reality Through the Arts. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2010. 254-57. Print.
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