Reading Summary Unit 5

Ismael Arriaza

Indian Art and Shiva

In Indian art there is a resemblance in design and construction of the ancient cities of the Indus Valley.  There have been terracotta figurines, strong, and bronze statuettes that have been found in the Indus Valley.  There are two main styles of Indian art.  One style can be resembled to Mesopotamian art in its motifs and abstract rendering.  The second style of art that can be seen is the foreshadowing the Indian artistic tradition in its naturalism.  Some examples of this is the Priest King which is also known as the torso of a man.  This can represent a leader or ancestor figure of the time.  The garment of the Priest King is patterned with a trefoil or three lobed motif.  From this sculpture traits from the Indus Valley people can be seen, such as low forehead, thick lips, and broad nose.  Another example is Nude male torso that was found at Harappa.  This is an example of the contrasting naturalistic style.  In this sculpture you can see the soft texture of the human body, and its muscular form.  The nude male torso had attributes of later Indian sculpture.

Shiva was a major hindu god which was known in Vedic times as Rudra “the howler”.    Shiva means 

“benign” which exhibits a wide range of aspects or forms, both gentle and wild.  There are different 

forms of Shiva that are seen in the monumental relief panels in the Cave Temple of Shiva that make it 

more attractive.  It was carved on the Island of Elephanta.  The cave temple reflects the nature of Shiva 

by its complex layout and conception.  The forms of Shiva symbolize its erotic nature and aspect as the 

Great Yogi who controls his seed.  In the North South axis of the Cave Temple there is a relief on the 

southwall representing Shiva in his subtle body.  This represents his Sadashiva, which has different 

meanings on each body part.  The head, left and right shoulder have a meaning.  The reliefs are early 

examples of Hindu monumental tradition.