Art History- South and southeast Asia before 1200 Research Paper

Art History- South and southeast Asia before 1200 - Research Paper Example The emergence of contemporary era has molded and changed forms of art, including the Buddha statues. The Buddha and Attendants in the Kushan Period (late 1st – early 2nd century) is in reference with the Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light, and Two Attendants during the Edo Period of Japan (18th century). The Buddha and Attendants in the Kushan Period have height of 27 Â ¼ inches while the Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light, and Two Attendants is only 1 3/8 inches in height (Thorndike, n.p.). The two sculptures are related because they depict the practice of Buddhism, specifically the practice of how people should meditate and mourn. They are also related because of similarities in the two attendants that are believed to welcome the souls of the dying person. I found the contemporary example compelling and exciting as well as poor and uninspiring in reference to the original. The Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light, and Two Attendants is compelling and exciting because the sculpture is made with wood and gold. Anyone who would see the sculpture might draw attention due to the distinguished gold color. On the other hand, I found the contemporary sculpture poor and uninspiring compared to the original because of its size. The contemporary example is too small compared to the original. During the Kushan Period, the size of the reclining Buddha clearly discerned the emotional reaction of the mourners, which explains why the size of the reclining Buddha increases dramatically in size (Karetzky, 43). If the belief could be applied to the contemporary example, it would be disrespectful to the mourners to make a Buddha of approximately an inch in height. In addition, the small size of the contemporary example makes it uninspiring because the beauty of the structure of Buddha cannot be completely appreciated. I also believed that when it comes to religious beliefs and other arts concerning religion, artists should maintain the traditional sculpture and simplicity of