Today's Chinese Art 268 – The Birth of the Earliest Independent Still Life Painting of the Void, Celestial Dancer, and Buddha
This still life painting has much more meaning than you can see
The painting is believed to be the earliest known freestanding still life, with the theme "Vanitas Void", symbolically expressing that all glitz is nihilistic. The skull, large bubbles, flowers, and smoking urns in the painting are alluding to the brevity of life, while images such as the torture wheel and the rattle of a leper in the bubbles allude to human ignorance. The figures on either side of the arch above the skull are the ancient Greek philosophers Democritus and Heraclitus. Jacob de Gaine II (Netherlands, 1565-1629). Vanitas Still Life (1603).
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Look at this curvaceous mid-11th-century dancer Devata, who danced primarily for the Hindu gods.
Although anatomically invalid, her posture reflects the fusion of kaurnas and sthanas dances described in the ancient theatrical art treatise Natyasastra. In Indian aesthetics, exaggerated poses like this are believed to enhance the appreciation of beauty. Madhya Pradesh, India. Devata, mid-11th century.
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The theme of the work is "The Birth of the Buddha", and the protagonist is the Buddha's biological mother, Mrs. Maya, who reaches out and grabs a branch and miraculously gives birth to the Buddha. Look closely, the one standing on the petals in the middle to receive the first bath is the newborn Buddha!
This mosaic-style work is one of the most elaborate surviving and is often placed in private shrines and temples. The density of gemstones in this piece is astonishing, confirming that jewelry offerings are common in sacred religious centers like Nepal. Anonymous artist. The Birth of the Buddha, 18th-19th centuries, Nepal. Gold-plated silver frame set with mosaic-style gemstones (diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, garnet, quartz, pearl, amber, coral, lapis lazuli, turquoise and semi-precious stones).
