South Indian Bronzes: A Historical Survey of South Indian Sculpture with Iconographical Notes Based on Original Sources c6.35

c6.35

The most authentic informations regarding the South Indian Schools are those referred to in Tārānath's interesting sketch of Indian art-history which is supposed to have been written in 1608 A.D. "Wherever Buddhism prevailed", says Tārānath, "Skilful religious artists were found, while wherever the Mlechchas (Muhammadans) ruled they disappeared. Where again the Tirthya doctrines (Orthodox Hinduism) prevailed, unskilful artists came to the front. Although in Pakam (Burma) and the Southern countries the making of images is still going on, no specimen of their works appear to have reached Tibet. In the South three artists have had many followers: Jaya, Parajaya, and Bijaya." Tārānath does not give any estimate whatsoever of the character of the artistic performances in the South nor is there any indication as to whether the three artists named were his contemporaries. But considering that their reputations as leaders of the Schools of image-making in the South reached Tibet about 1600 A.D., it is possible that these South Indian masters lived about a century or two before, say, about the 13th century. This assigns them to the period of Saivaite figure sculpture which flourished under the lavish patronage of the Chola kings from the tenth to the thirteenth century. I have been unable to discover any actual examples of sculpture which could be attributed to Jaya, Parajaya, or Bijaya, but close enquiries and research among the innumerable old bronze figures in the South Indian temples might lead to the identification of works of any of these artists. Many of the older examples illustrated in this volume probably represent the styles which these very artists might have founded. Some of the oldest living *Sthapathis* in Tanjore and Kumbakonam still remember the names of these artists but they are unable to identify any actual specimens of their works.