Amaravātī School
The Amaravātī School of art emerged under the Sātavāhana Dynasty in the southeastern Deccan region, present-day Andhra Pradesh, and was a significant early phase of the Andhradesha artistic tradition. Flourishing for approximately four centuries, this school is renowned for its production of intricate Buddhist sculptures and the construction of the Great Stupa, a large circular mound initially built during the time of Aśoka in the third century BCE and later expanded by the Sātavāhanas. Although the Great Stupa has now been destroyed, the remnants reveal a complex layout, including a circular railing with multiple entrances. The sculpture from this period is celebrated for its elegance and detail, showcasing a transformation in Buddhist art from Hināyāna to Mahāyāna practices. This artwork, characterized by fluid human figures and elaborate narrative scenes, reflects the spiritual depth of the culture and the wealth generated by trade in the region. The Amaravātī School stands as one of the most important ancient Buddhist sculptural traditions, marking a vibrant historical and artistic legacy.
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Subject Terms
Amaravātī School
Related civilization: Ancient India.
Date: c. late second century b.c.e.-225 c.e.
Locale: Andhra Pradesh, South India
Amaravātī School
The Amaravātī (ah-mar-ah-VAH-tee) school of art flourished under the Sātavāhana Dynasty and was the early phase of the Andhradesha school. Located in the southeastern Deccan region, modern Andhra Pradesh, the school flourished for approximately four hundred years. Production focused on a large complex consisting of the Great Stupa and a number of minor stupas and buildings. Discovered in 1880, the Great Stupa consisted of a large circular mound (192 feet, or 73 meters, in diameter) surrounded by a huge circular railing (vedika) with four entrances. The foundation of the Great Stupa dates to the time of Aśoka in the third century b.c.e., but it was enlarged and refurbished under the Sātavāhanas. The Great Stupa has now been destroyed, but those remains that have been recovered consist of upright and crossbeams of the vedika and large slabs that probably were used as casing stones for the stupa mound. There are distinctly discernible phases among the fragmentary finds, but the stylistic chronology has not been determined with certainty.
The elegant sculpture of all phases reflects a beautiful regional style that represents human figures with plastic, fluctuating surfaces and minute, lavish detail of seemingly infinite variety. The subject matter, generally consisting of Buddhist aniconic and iconic narrative scenes, indicates a shift from Hināyāna to Mahāyāna Buddhism. The earliest sculptural treatment is less densely arranged, but the work became increasingly elaborate in subsequent centuries. Regardless of the period, the sculpture demonstrates a rapt spirituality. One of the greatest of all ancient Buddhist sculptural achievements, the richness of the work reflects a thriving kingdom grown wealthy from trade.
Bibliography
Knox, Robert. Amaravati: Buddhist Sculpture from the Great Stupa. London: British Museum Press, 1992.