Architectural Decoration and Ornament in Italy;Buddhist Iconography;Indic Reliefs;Buddhist Reliefs;Antiquities in Sanchi, India;Dehejia, Vidya;
摘要
The carved sandstone Torana reliefs at the Buddhist monastic site at Sanchi，India, communicate the story of the Buddha and the truths of Buddhism. There is undoubtedly an emphasis on the historic life of the Buddha with the tales of his previous incarnations taking a secondary role. However，there appears to be no organizing principle in the placement of reliefs, and repetition of themes is noticeable. This large-scale repetition occurs not only because certain stories were very popular but because individual donors of architraves or pillars chose the tales they wished to be depicted. The theological aspect of the stories was certainly important，but it was rarely allowed to eclipse artistic creativity. Perhaps the most impressive feature of the carvings is their joyful expression of all life's activities in the lively everyday world of the first century B.C.; Buddha is not depicted as isolated or larger than life but is shown as one player among many others, and viewers, once captivated by the charm of the reliefs, take in the Buddhist content effortlessly. The writer goes on to examine some of the carvings in detail.
