The Development of Hindu Iconography c7.2

c7.2

Iconography, the nature of the subject, 1-2; its intimate association with religion. 2-4; both rivalry and good feeling between different sects emphasised by the study of this subject, 5-6. Its study, an aid for the study of the art history of India, 6-7;—also an aid for that of political or general history of India, 7. Materials for the study of iconography: (a) monumental, and archaeological, 7-11; (b) literary: of a general character, 11-2;—of a technical character, consisting of iconographic and iconometric texts, 12-23 (texts attributed to mythical Ṛṣis and Devas, 13-4; Mānasāra account of the origin of the different kinds of artists, 14-16; Vāstuśāstra and its 18 expounders, 14, 16; Bṛhatsaṃhitā and Nagnajit, 16-7; such other works and anthologies 17-9; their original sources, 19-21; similar texts in astronomical works and Nītiśāstras, 21-2; anthologies, 22-3); dhyāna- and praṇāma-mantras of divinities, aids to iconographic studies, 23-5. Mode of determining dates of iconographic texts, 25-9; universal or regional character of the texts, 29-32. Correlation between the texts and extant images, 32. Comparative paucity of ancient Brahmanical images, reasons for it, 32-3. Uncommon names of images given in their pedestal-inscriptions, 34-5.