Seated Buddha. Thinking and Writing about Art History

This paper will discuss the bronze statue called Seated Buddha. It is necessary to speak about the style of this sculpture, its artistic elements, and its relation to the social, religious political and cultural world of that period.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Seated Buddha. Thinking and Writing about Art History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This work of art was created in Thailand in the fourteenth century. Its height is approximately fifty inches. The name of the sculptor remains anonymous to art historians and archeologists. The subject of this artistic piece is SiddhÄ rtha Gautama, the originator and spiritual leader of Buddhism. His legs are crossed and one his hands nearly touches the earth. This gesture has to symbolize Buddha’s victory over Mara. One can only deduce the true purpose of this work. Probably, this work of art strives to demonstrate the placidity of Buddha and his serenity. Similarly, the message of this sculpture may not be clear to the viewers at once. Probably, this author tried to show that only by following the principle of Buddhism one can achieve peace with the others and with oneself. To some degree, this statue demonstrates how an enlightened person can look like. By creating this statue, the author tried to set an example for the viewers. Yet, this is just a conjecture. This Seated Buddha was created during the so-called Sukhothai period. This period which began in the early fourteenth century, and this work has several elements of the sculptural style which evolved during that time. Namely, we should speak about slightly elongated head of Buddha, placid facial expression, and very smooth skin. It should be noted that during that time, the statues of Buddha were usually cast out of metal and at that time it was a real departure from the convention.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fir st paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overall, the person depicted by the sculptor produces the impression of power and tranquility. In part, my response can be explained by his posture and facial expression. Unfortunately, we do not know whether this artistic piece fits into the career of the sculptor or not. Moreover, there is very little information about the life of this sculptor. It is quite possible that he relied on both visual and literary sources. For example, the depictions of Buddha are present in numerous illustrated manuscripts and drawings of the twelfth and thirteenth period. We can mention such sources as the so-called Pali texts which explain how the statues of Buddha should look like (Kislenko, 81). It is worth mentioning that these Pali texts present a very detailed portrayal of Buddha; there are many metaphoric descriptions of his face, body, feet, skin, and so forth (Kislenko, 81). Thus, the sculptor could have relied on wealthy literary tradition. Currently , there are no documents of that period which discuss this work of art. One cannot tell how this piece was perceived by the contemporaries. Yet, we know that this sculpture was cast in during the time when the Sukhothai Kingdom was very powerful (Kislenko, 10). Such sculptures could represent not only Buddha, but also the rulers of the country. Overall, this work of art demonstrates that such religion as Buddhism played a very important role in the life of the the Sukhothai Kingdom. At that time, the teachings of SiddhÄ rtha Gautama became prevalent in the intellectual circles of the Sukhothai Kingdom. This philosophy truly became the mainstream ideology. Even now its importance cannot be underestimated.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Seated Buddha. Thinking and Writing about Art History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is possible to compare this Seated Buddha with other sculptures created earlier. For ex ample, one can draw parallels between this statue and Amida Buddha created in the thirteenth-century Japan. They are similar in terms of posture and facial expression of SiddhÄ rtha Gautama. Nonetheless, the Japanese structure differs in terms of technique, since it is made of carved wooden pieces which were joined together. Apart from that, the hand of Amida Buddha makes a gesture which symbolizes peace. Thus, the statue that we are discussing emphasizes the perfection and power of Buddha, whereas its Japanese counterpart focuses on his peacefulness. These are the main differences between them. These distinctions can be explained by the fact that the two sculptors perceived this person in different ways. At this point, art historians do not know very much as to how this sculpture was created. One can see that this statue consists out several metal casts which were joined together. Yet, it is very difficult to determine the methods that the sculptor applied while creating this art istic piece. Moreover, it is unclear if he/she made some preliminary steps in order to better visualize the image of Buddha. These questions are still of great interest to modern art historians and archeologists. This sculpture is a prominent example of Thai art. It shows that during the Sukhothai period this culture achieved enormous degree of sophistication. Moreover, this piece demonstrates the extent to which Buddhism shaped the identity of Thai people. In this case, Buddha symbolizes an ideal which everyone must try to attain. Finally, this artistic piece can be praised for its meticulous metalwork which is very difficult to surpass.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Kislenko, Arne. Culture and customs of Thailand. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Print. 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SAMURAI AND KNIGHTS essays

SAMURAI AND KNIGHTS essays The Medieval Era saw the emergence of two distinct warrior classes in Europe and Japan. These were the Samurais and the Knights. They were marked in history as a code for courage and sacrifice. Never had the world seen such courageous and dedicated military class before them. Although, they represented two different cultures; they were similar in several ways. The Samurais were the military class warriors of Japan. These warriors acted as retainers to greater lords, fighters, and the enforcers of policy and morality. Their importance and influence grew during the Heian Period (794-1185) when the powerful landowners hired them for the protection of their properties. The knights on the other hand were the most significant figure of the feudal system of the European Middle Ages. The word knight derived from the Old English word cniht, the equivalent of the Latin word caballarius, meaning horseman. The Knights duty was very much similar like the Samurais. They were hired to protect land and the people. Ironically, the Samurais and the Knights came from noble families, since horses, armor, and weapons were costly and their use required long training. They stood at the top of the social hierarchy and had many privileges. On the other hand, they was supposed to be a good example to the lower classes and had to follow the principles of th eir religion. The samurai's and Knights most important principles are unlimited loyalty to his master, extreme self-discipline, and brave, selfless behavior. These great warriors had one aim; to serve their lord and be successful. The Japanese Samurai and Western European Knights were similar in their approach to conflict. They fought for their position status and to gain ones aim. A Knights appearance on a battlefield was very similar to that of a Samurai. A Knight in armor would present a very strange appear...

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Final project - Essay Example Some may notice and make unending controversies, others might ignore but at the end of the day, we can’t deny the fact that we are at the face of an impending threat, one that we can do very little in changing the kind of threat the same has come to pose on us. Climatic changes have been at our exposure for long, human kind have had the opportunity to prevent any catastrophes from the same but the ignorant aspect of ignorance has always taken effect altogether. This project is set in a geographical aspect that seeks to explain the general ignored aspect on the threats that we face from climatic changes. The same project comes in, in a manner that seeks to create awareness on the remedies that man may possibly use to prevent a future disaster. Climatic changes may be as a result of a lot of factors, but the fact will always remain that our actions as human beings will always remain the core reason for the problems we face. It has a endeavor of our own undertaking, one that has rendered all human being victim of climatic change threats. This is in the sense of population health, in manner that shows no sign of giving up but promises to keep on increasing in future at levels that might even go critical. Since the effect come in the context of health, this project is one oriented at saving the human fraternity in future. This is the context of creating awareness, give a clear description of the dangers and giving the possibilities of saving th e situation before it totally gets out of handle. Climate change has a lot of implications, but global warming is the most threatening of all. It causes direct effects like heat waves that might affect man. This is not only in the context of air pollution but also in the impacting phenomenon of ecological relationships and systems that involve marine productivity, mosquito ecology and crop yields. The same may also extend to indirect impacts that come in the context of displacement, impoverishment, and resultant conflicts