The Chinese edition of 5000 years of Indian Art, authored by Sushma K Bahl, is finally out. She talks to Devi Singh about how it all shaped up and the evaluation of Indian art from the Chinese perspective
Indian art still remains by and large an unsolved mystery to many. The process of demystifying the aesthetics of one of the most profound ancient civilizations in the world is not that uncomplicated. Sushma Bahl chronicled the same four years back in her book titled, 5000 years of Indian Art and the Chinese version of the same was launched recently by Sichuan Fine Arts Publishing House.
The english edition which came out in 2012 is now out of print which might have helped in bringing out the Chinese version. Besides the fact that Bahl curated an exhibition on Indian art in Shanghai at the China Art Museum might have also intrigued the Chinese interest in her book.
Elaborating on the same Bahl told us, “It reinforces the link between two of the world’s most ancient civilizations. The comprehensive reference book was conceived as a resource for people interested in Indian art. It’s also relevant because of the shared interest in Buddhist art among Indians and the Chinese. The book with expansive visual documentation entailing elucidations demystifies the story of Indian art, from the earliest era to contemporary times and makes the publication engaging for the Chinese readers and scholars.”
The book presents a panoramic view of Indian art which is presented in all its significant modes and métier through 200 selected masterpieces sourced from nearly 40 different museums, galleries and collections around the country and the world. “Putting the book together involved years of research and study, which the publishers seem to have, valued and appreciated,” she added.
The book documents artistic genres like prehistoric art, ancient Indian art of Vedic and Buddhist traditions, temple art, Mughal miniature painting, and more. It also illustrates primitive markings on stones, caves, and frescos to exquisite paintings, sculptures, modern photography, artefacts, and other forms of contemporary art.
Some of the renowned works of art in the book are Bhimbetka cave paintings, figures and sculptures from the Indus Valley Civilization, Ajanta and Ellora cave paintings, Khajuraho and Konark temple art, Mughal miniature paintings from key texts like Akbarnama, portraiture, among others.
According to the president of Sichuan Fine Arts Publishing House the interest in Indian art is not something newfound in China. With the boom in the world art market the curiosity in Indian art has also increased over the decade. That’s why it’s only sensible to introduce more Indian art to China.
“There have been numerous books on Indian art before. But they mostly focus on a particular part of Indian art. In contrast, 5000 Years of Indian Art is a brilliant book providing an overview of Indian art,” she said.
The Chinese interest in Indian art dates back to third century during the Han dynasty in China and Kushana reign in India, with records of scholarly and trade exchanges involving monks, pilgrims and philosophers. The cultural connect between the two countries is definitely evident. linguistic exchanges in Sanskrit and Pali between the two cultures can be traced back to the Vedic era. There are some references to China in Mahabharata and to Sindhu as Shendu in documents recorded by Chinese scholars and historians.
“Several classical texts were translated from Sanskrit to Chinese shared through the Silk Route. There is a fascination and a desire to fathom each other’s artistic traditions, which might seem exotic but in fact is deeply ingrained in consciousness of each other,” said Bahl.
The two art markets are pretty similar when it comes to global projection. They continue to offer plenty in terms of rare antiquities as well as high quality contemporary art. “India appears to be a conservative market as the culture of buying and collecting art is at a nascent stage. Though not short of funds, very few young collectors seem to be genuinely interested in art,” she concluded.