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The Art of Pakistan

The art of the country now known as Pakistan draws heavily on Indian styles and practises. It also shows the influence of Greco-Roman art which was brought to the region in the time of Alexander the Great. The emphasis in the gallery's collection is on sculptural works, as they have survived the test of time.

1. Title: Garuda abducting a maiden
Date: c.200-99
H.=40.6cm
Garuda, the Indic mythological being is here shown grasping a woman by the waist and preparing to fly off with her. The sculpture, carved from grey schist, is largely Indian in style. This is most obvious in the depiction of the woman who wears traditional attire (although it does make a feature of drapery) and holds a pose reminiscent of dance, a large part of Indian women's cultural role. When placed in front of Garuda, however, with his head bent down to his left, an overall 'pose' of the piece is created which is similar to Classical European sculptural poses. It has a certain Classical air.

2. Title: Head of a disciple of the Buddha
Date: c.200-99
H.=21.5cm
This image is a good example of the difference in representations of mortals as opposed to representations of divine entities. The man's face, carved out of stone, is shown in an expression of mourning by the lines in his forehead caused by his frown and the angle of his eyebrows. His eyes, mouth, ears and chin are slightly asymmetrical. This is not a fault on the part of the carver, but more a translation of the naturally irregular human features. He also has a moustache, an attribute of humanity which does not belong in the realm of the divine. His head hair is plain and unadorned, without symbolic reference. The influence of Greco-Roman forms of representation in this more naturalistic style have been adapted to this image of a mortal man.

3. Title: Head from an image of the Buddha
Date: c.400-99
H.=27.5cm
Smoothly formed from pale stone, the buddha is shown in his usual state of contentment and peace. His facial features are highly stylised, depicted with clearly delineated forms in perfect symmetry. His hair is coiled in the traditional symbolic form, but it is perhaps not as immaculately formed as in some other images of the Buddha. The top knot in particular appears quite loose. This may be a drift away from the traditional mode. The form of the nose and mouth are also different from the Indian tradition, showing more of a western influence. The simply formed eyes, however, are more in keeping with the depiction of Buddha as a divine human who stood apart from normal mortality.

4. Title: Figure of Avalokiteshvara
Date: c.700
H.=50cm
Avalokiteshvara, the youthful bodhisattva of compassion is here shown in the rigid samabhanga pose, with his twelve arms carrying symbolic objects and forming gestures which relay his own personal attributes. These include reassurance (for mortals with regard to the afterlife), charity, adoration (of the Buddha) plus his main attribute of compassion. Cast in bronze, with eyes laid in with silver, Avalokiteshvara is depicted as a simple man, wearing no jewellery, only a simple cover about his waist, with his hair matted into locks. There is some doubt as to the true origin of this piece, but based on style, it is likely to have originated in north-western India, or what is now Pakistan. For another image of Avalokiteshvara, see the page on Nepalese art at the National Gallery.

5. Title: Stupa gable
Date: Kushana dynasty, 1st-2nd century
80.6/40.4cm
This carved wooden gable would originally have marked a site where relics of Buddha were thought to be held. Its form reflects the style of early Indian chaitya halls, with the balconies in the lower section and the vaulted roof. The top section shows Buddha in two scenes surrounded by his devotees, with decorative motifs adorning the architectural space being suggested. The symmetry and simplicity in composition are common in Asian Buddhist art. In the lower section, however, we can see the influence of Greco-Roman forms of narrative, figure modelling and composition within the frame. This is due to the invasion of this region of what is now Pakistan by the men under Alexander the Great, who brought with them the artefacts and styles of the Roman Empire.

For an introduction to Islam, see my page entitled

Islam: the main religion in Pakistan

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Jane Carter 19.10.95