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The other set of motifs which came under the category of decora-
tion and ornamentation was jewellery (fig-14), some of which in
course of time acquired iconographic connotation. Long necklace or
Vijayantimala,
ear-studs based on the fish motif
(makara kun-
dalas)
were the ornaments associated with Vishnu. While the gar-
land of skulls
(rundamala),
serpentine ear studs
(sarpakundala)
had developed as the special attributes of Shiva,
Kaustubha,
keyura, kankana, mauktika, vesara, nupura
acquired significance in
relation to the deity wearing them.
Added to this were some of the weapons, such as Vishnu’s quoit
(■
chakra
) and mace (
gadha
), Shiva’s trident (
trishula
), axe
(parasu
)
and a variety of weapons which enlarged the conceptualization of an
icon.
Enriching the iconographic traits and enhancing their aestheticity
were the coiffure and costumes, in course of time which had devel-
oped distinct traditions of their own.
Coiffure was arranged in a variety of styles, depending on the
socio-religious and cultural status of the icons. The head gears of
the divinities in particular known as mukuta were of two types, the
crown (
kirito
) (fig-16) and matted hair arranged in piles
(jata),
(fig-15)
Vishnu
and the
Vaishnavite
icons were adorned with
kiri-
tas
indicating the status of a royal divinity.
Brahma, Saraswati,
Shiva
and
Saivite
icons on the other hand, had them arranged in the
jata
fashion revealing their ascetic associations.
The costumes similarly had distinct iconographic connotations.
Vishnu’s icons were required to be clad in golden yellow silk
{pith-
ambara
), those of Shiva covered with the skin of the animals
(
charma
).
The contribution of iconometry to iconography is of great sig-
nificance, particularly in so far as the differences in sizes were con-
cerned, which indicated spiritual or the gender status of the icons.
The measurements or the tala, mana concepts involved in making
the icons, highlight their special traits. While the icons of
Tirthank-
aras
were done to a specific scale the icons of his attendant deities,
were executed on a smaller scale. The icons of
Vishnu
were invari-
ably done to a scale much larger than those of
Lakshmi.
Such rela-
tive disparity in the sizes of the icons between the king and the at-
tendant, queen and the maids, the dancers and the accompanists
were invariably adopted by artists in making the icons.
The artists were expected to execute an icon with due consid-
eration of Bharata’s
Natya Shastra
(fig-17), Abhinavagupta’s
Alankara Shastra
(fig-18) and Vatsayana’s
Kamasutra.
The im-
pact of these sciences was expected to enhance the aesthetic
qualities of icons. The standard of beauty, stances, poses, senti-
ments gradually permeated the
silpa shastra,
is evident from a large
number of sculptures executed within the format of the traditional
scheme. The well
- built, long-limbed (
ajanubahu
) concept of the
male ideal was incorporated into the icons of
Tirthankaras, Buddhas
and
Bodhisattva.
The icons of the female deities were required to
have round moon-like face, fish-like eyes, slim waist, large breasts
and broad hips, which extended their jurisdiction over the figures,
done in the secular idiom.
Apart from the. symbols, accessories, iconometry and the aes-
thetic requirements, the colour symbolism played an important role
in endowing a certain degree of distinctiveness to the iconographic
forms. Though the practice of painting the icons of wood, clay,
stone,metal and ivory did exist, the painted pictures of the icons
with colour attributes began to appear subsequently on a larger
scale.
A convention had been set up which made it mandatory on the
part of the artists to follow the colour symbolism as prescribed by
the texts
(shastras).
Blue for
Krishna
and
Rama,
white for
Shiva,
black for
Kali,
are some of the important colour symbolisms inte-
grated into the iconic forms.
The popular use of terms like adoption, assimilation, amalga-
mation, transference, transformation in the context of the develop-
ment of iconography, in recent times, have acquired distinct conno-
tation, enabling the scholars to make iconography in general, more
articulate and understandable.
( T . K )
SELECTED REFERENCES
Gopinath Rao, T.A.,
Elements of Hindu Iconography,
Varanasi,
II edition. 1971.
Banerjea, Jitendranath.
The Development of Hindu Iconogra-
phy,
Calcutta 1958.
Gupte. R. S.
Iconography of the Hindus, Buddhists And Jains,
Bombay 1972.
Daniel Smith, H.
Vaishnava Iconography,
Madras 1969.
Encyclopedia Britannica.
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