Silpa in Indian Tradition (Concept and Instrumentalities)

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From The jacket The book attempts to examine certain basic conceptualization about art (silpa), artists (silpi) and the canon (sastra), the three defining elements in traditional Indian sculptures. It takes up issues concerning the valorization and devaluation of silpa, including its concordance with form (rupa), its secular domain and, for that reason, its vulnerability. Using both textual and epigraphic sources, its section on artists and craftsman of different order – Kokasa lineage of a millennium-long standing included-deals with the question of their historical antecedents, anonymity, organization, operations and activities, work culture, authority, discipline and dissent, pecuniary gains, and the patronage that made their work possible. In the section on the canon (sastra), an attempt has been made to underscore their operational and aesthetic bearings in the works of art, within the framework of traditional Indian poetics and iconography. The book also has an appendix on mason's marks which serve as the silent assertions of ancient artists' identity and have a presence from second century BCE to seventeenth century.

Professor R.N. Misra worked in the Universal of Saugar (1959-76) and Gwalior (1976-2001); he was a Professor in the University of Allahabad (1986-87), and in the Jiwaji University, Gwalior (1980-2001). His last assignment, as a Fellow (2002-2005), was in the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.

he is the author of Bharhut (In Hindi), (Bhopal 1971); Ancient Artists and Art Activity (Shimla 1975); Indian Sculpture (In Hindi), (Delhi 1978, Rep. 2002); Yaksha Cult and Iconography (Delhi 1981); Sculptures of Dahala and Daksina Kosala (Delhi 1987); Prachina Bharatiya samaj, arthavyavastha evam dharma (In Hindi), (Bhopal 1991); Adhinayaka mathadhishon ki sanskritik sadhana (Professor R.K. Mukherjee Memorial Lectures), (In Hindi), (Lucknow University 2004). He has also published more than a hundred papers on Indian art, iconography, artists and culture.

Preface This work is a sequel to work at the IIAS, titled Ancient Artists and Art Activity (1975). It attempt to examine three basic and defining elements in Traditional Indian sculptures, viz., art (silpa) and the canon (sastra) and the conceptualization relevant to them. It makes a brief historical survey of silpa taking up issues concerning its valorization and devaluation, its concordance with from (rupa), its secular domain and, for that reason, its vulnerability. Using both textual and epigraphic sources, its section on artists and craftsmen of different order – Kokasa lineage of a millennium-long standing included – deals with the question of their historical antecedents, anonymity, organization, operations and activities, work culture, authority, discipline and dissent, pecuniary gains, and the patronage that made their work possible. In the section on the canon (Sastra), an attempt has been made to underscore their operational and aesthetic bearings in the works of art, within the framework of the formulations in the Sastra texts on traditional Indian poetics and iconography. The book also has an appendix on mason's marks: that Marks that serve as the silent assertions of ancient artists' identity and have a presence from second century BCE to seventeenth century. There are many more monuments in central India – temples of Khajuraho, the Sas Bahu temple of Gwalior, monuments in Malwa, even the Mughal works at Fatehpur Sikri, for instance – carrying such marks, but not included in this work, which leaves ample opportunity to those who may like to read these marks further.

It is my pleasant duty to gratefully acknowledge that I owe this work to the encouragement of my guru late Professor V.S. Pathak. In fact, the entire scheme of this monograph took shape in my mind, thanks to the regular discussions I used to have with him, long before I started working in it at that IIAS. The entire project would still have remained dormant but for the opportunity that Professor G.C. Pande so graciously offered to me at the IIAS. Not only that, in the discussions that I could have with him at Shimla, he offered sharply focused insights on the academic content of this work in a manner which only he is uniquely capable of. At the conclusion of this work now, I am happy to be able to express my unmitigated gratitude towards both these scholars, Professor Pande and late Professor Pathak, to whom I dedicate this work.

Pursuing this project at the IIAS was a joy and I should take this opportunity to place on record my sincere gratitude to my friends and well wishers at the IIAS and elsewhere for their support in making this work possible: to the Directors of the IIAS – Professor V.C. Shrivastva and Professor (Ms) Bhuvan Chandel – who were a constant source of inspiration, always willing to help me out in whatever ways required towards completion of this project; to the current Director of the IIAS, Prof. Peter R. deSouza, who expedited the publication of this work which was submitted in the form of a manuscript as early as September 2005; to Professor Bettina Baumer and Karuna Goswamy for reading the manuscript and offering suggestions; to Navajyoti Singh for his constant interest and critical comments; to Anu Kapoor and her distinguished students for help in finally re-assembling this monograph together after its completion; to the officers and staff of the IIAS, who left nothing to chance in making my family and me comfortable at the Institute in various ways; to Veena, my wife, who was a constant source of confidence to me specially when I started having doubts about competing the manuscript within the scheduled time as other responsibilities at the IIAS, like: arranging and managing a major seminar and editing a bi-annual journal were heaving impinging on my time. I was even toying with the idea of leaving out certain portions that have finally figured in the monograph, but her encouragement and support made me re-work the materials with profit, and do her satisfaction, which is a matter of great joy to me.

Some words about the form and text of his monograph may also be necessary. For diacritical marks on the terms in it from Indian classical language (e.g., Sanskrit and Pali), the Harvard-Kyoto convention has been generally adheres to. Barring exception, no such marks have been used in describing proper nouns representing names of person or places. Index is brief because the contents at the beginning describe the issues that have come up for discussion in the work. The realization about the overuse of Sanskrit terms and phrases in the text came to me too late when there was no time to make amends. I am aware that it might make the reading heavy, but then it, in certain ways, does seem to adhere to the spirit and contents of the subject which may perhaps justify their use.

Finally, I express my sincere thanks to Dr. Debarshi Sen, the Publication Officer and Mr. Ashok Sharma, the PRO at the IIAS, and Mr. Vikas Arya of Arya Books International but for whose active support this work would not have come out the way it finally has.

Contents

	Preface	v
	List of illustrations	xi
1.	Silpa	1
	Prologue; Silpa's Rights' of Passage in Tradition; Secular Terrains of Silpa; Rupa-Silpa Interface.
2.	Silpin (I)	44
	Anonymity Factor; Artists' Outline in History; The Kokasa Lineage (vamsa)
3.	Silpin (II): Silpis' Organisation and Operation	86
	Artists' Organisation: Collectives and Grouping; Silpis at Work; the Patron; Operations; Stores and Supplies; Working Environment; Sutradhara's Role; Work Culture and Discipline; Discipline and Dissent; Modes of Payment; Discharge; Final Dispensations; Concluding Remarks.
4.	Sastra	141
	Interactive Domain of Silpasastra in a kindred Group; Constitutive Elements; Representation-centric Conceptualizations; Creative Process: Anusandhana, Anukarana and Anyathakarana; Laksana; Compositional Structure.
	Appendix	185
	Bibliography	207
	Index	215