Overview of Ancient Art in Bangladesh
Bangladesh ancient art refers to the art works produced by Bangladesh in the ancient period of history, mainly in the fields of murals, carvings, paintings, decorations, etc., these works of art often have Indian cultural characteristics, and integrate Persian and Chinese artistic elements to form a unique Bengali style.
Ancient Bangladeshi murals often show colorful patterns and patterns, which are often characteristic of Indian culture and incorporate Persian and Chinese artistic elements to form a unique Bengali style.
A large number of carvings were used in the country, and their carving techniques were exquisite, while also showing colorful characteristics in patterns and patterns, reflecting the extensive religious beliefs and cultural traditions of Bangladesh at that time.
The paintings are mainly expressed in the murals and panel paintings of Buddhist temples, which are often characteristic of Indian culture and incorporate Persian and Chinese artistic elements to form a unique Bengali style.
Its architecture and decoration employ a large number of carvings and paintings, which are often characteristic of Indian culture and incorporate Persian and Chinese artistic elements to form a unique Bengali style.
Ancient art first appeared on European cave paintings around 30,000 BC, one of the earliest forms of artistic expression of mankind.
The art stage of ancient civilization is one of the important stages of ancient art, mainly including ancient Egyptian civilization, ancient Greek civilization, ancient Roman civilization, ancient Indian civilization and ancient Chinese civilization.
These civilizations have made unique progress and achievements in politics, economy, culture and other aspects, and their artworks also reflect the thoughts, beliefs, aesthetics and lifestyles of people at that time, including architecture, sculpture, painting, pottery, jewelry, clothing and other fields.
Ancient art of Bangladesh is closely related to the maritime culture of the Bay of Bengal region, such as the Mandela culture period from the 7th to the 13th century AD, the rapid development of trade activities in the Bay of Bengal, which has had an important influence on various cultures such as the Selendra culture, the Bhaktya culture and the Moro culture.
Bengali art of this period showed strong Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic styles, such as the sculpture and temple architecture of Poselema Temple.
In India in the 6th century BC, the spread of Buddhism and Jainism led to the rapid development of cave temple architecture and wall paintings, and the color and line treatment techniques in the murals influenced the fine arts of Israel, Persia and other places, and influenced the history of European painting in the early 20th century.
Ancient art in Bangladesh is also distinctive, showing a different style from India in terms of creativity and design.
For example, Bengali art during the Mandela culture period from the 4th to the 7th century AD showed smooth and gorgeous lines, elegant gestures and highly expressive dynamics, which are unique features of Bengali art.
Second, the development of ancient architecture
The Bronze Civilization emerged in Bangladesh around the 4th millennium BC, while around 700 BC, the Iron Culture began to emerge, which had a profound impact on the later architectural development of Bangladesh.
Numerous archaeological excavations confirm the use of black polished ceramics by the ancient inhabitants of Bangladesh, which also directly influenced the choice and use of later building materials.
In the process of the evolution of ancient architecture in the country, the early days were mainly houses built of natural materials such as wood, grass and bamboo, and later, the architecture of ancient Bangladesh was influenced by different religious cultures such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc., forming its own unique architectural style and characteristics.
Water structures were developed by farmers in Bangladesh to adapt to seasonal floods and use local resources.
Located in water, wooden piles inserted directly into the riverbed as a foundation, and constructed using building materials such as bamboo, grass and reeds, are common in rural Bangladesh and are often used for storing crops, dwelling, and worship.
With the spread of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and other religions, temple-style architecture in Bangladesh has been widely developed and evolved.
The temple-style architecture is mainly made of modern materials such as brick, stone and wood, the most famous of which are the Paharpur Temple and the Mahastabang der Mosque, both of which have a long history and unique architectural style, and are now listed as World Heritage Sites.
Bangladesh is a country with many rivers, so water architecture is an important feature of ancient architecture in Bangladesh, which are usually built from natural materials such as bamboo and grass and stand in the water.
Originally built by farmers to accommodate seasonal flooding, these structures can store crops, dwell and worship, and are cleverly designed to withstand floods and storms.
With the spread and influence of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, temple-like architecture in Bangladesh has also been extensively developed and evolved, and these buildings are usually built from modern materials such as brick, stone, wood, etc., the most famous of which are the Paharpur Temple and the Mahastar Mosque.
With their beautiful design and ornate decoration, these buildings have a deep cultural and historical heritage, and they are known as masterpieces of ancient Bangladeshi architecture and one of the greatest buildings in the world.
Although not architectural, they are historically significant and were built by former British colonial rulers in Bangladesh to execute local opponents.
Although these guillotines brought great fear and humiliation, they also became an important part of the development of ancient architecture in Bangladesh, being preserved and restored as historical monuments.
The cactus island of Bangladesh is an ancient town built around the 13th century AD, this town is well-planned, rich in architecture and rich in history and culture.
The town's main buildings, including the royal palace, mosque, museum and market, all have unique designs and decorations, and today Cactus Island is still considered a masterpiece of ancient Bangladeshi architecture.
In the ancient period of Bangladesh, the architecture was mainly water buildings and adobe houses, with the spread and influence of religious culture, temple-style architecture became the main architectural form, these buildings embody the Hindu and Buddhist architectural styles, the main feature is the use of special technical techniques such as round arches and domes.
When Islam was introduced to Bangladesh, another unique architectural style evolved - Islamic architecture, which used more arches and domes to make the buildings lighter, simpler and more curved.
The ancient architecture of Bangladesh is very richly decorated, covering different artistic styles and characteristics of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, and temple-style buildings are usually carved and carved on the exterior and interior of the building, showing exquisite patterns and meticulous carving.
Islamic architecture, on the other hand, pays more attention to the details of decorative objects and the use of geometric shapes, and in Islamic architecture, metal products such as coins are made into various beautiful works of art for people to enjoy and use.
The building materials of ancient Bangladesh were mostly natural materials such as adobe, bamboo, and wood, and over time, people began to use materials such as masonry to build temple-style buildings, and in Islamic architecture, these materials were reused again and presented in a more elaborate and beautiful way.
In addition, Bangladesh's architecture makes full use of other materials in the environment, such as natural materials such as reeds and swamp grass for aquatic buildings, which are relatively easy to obtain in humid Bengal and have high applicability and toughness.
Third, the formation and development of ancient sculpture art
Temple-style sculpture is one of the most representative genres of sculpture in ancient Bangladesh, and this sculpture is mainly found in Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries. They are usually carved out of stone, displaying images of the sacred and majestic.
The form of this sculpture is usually half-man, half-beast imagery, such as the sphinx and half-bird and half-human, as well as images of various gods.
In temple-style sculpture, carvers use delicate lines and fine carving techniques to create a variety of vivid images, shaping important characters and scenes in Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, and expressing the spiritual and cultural connotations of faith.
Tower sculpture is an important sculptural style of ancient Bangladeshi Islamic architecture, and this sculpture is usually found on the architectural components of mosques and mausoleums, including domes, buttresses, doors and windows.
The themes of this sculpture are often gardens, figures and geometric patterns, and the carvers create beautiful patterns with very subtle lines and geometric shapes with an astonishing depth and finesse, these sculptural techniques and forms originated in Central Asia and Persia, expressing the traditional and aesthetic views of Islamic art.
Takorak sculpture is another well-known genre of sculpture in ancient Bangladesh, this sculpture is often found in mixed architecture, they are a mixture of Hindu and Islamic cultures, often found in the architecture of temples and mosques.
Its form resembles temple-style sculpture, but in a simpler and more practical style, often found on doors, windows, buttresses and pillars of buildings, expressing the importance of faith and religious culture.
Carvers used stone and clay to create a variety of sacred patterns and images that were inextricably linked to Hindu and Islamic beliefs.
Ancient Bangladeshi sculpture has a great attention to detail, whether it is temple-style sculpture, tower sculpture or tower kolak sculpture.
With exquisite skills, the carvers portray various details, such as the texture of the muscles, the patterns of ornaments, the patterns of decoration, etc., which not only makes the sculpture works more realistic, but also shows the artistic talent of the carvers.
In the images of half-man and half-beast, the characteristics of animals often represent important roles in certain myths or beliefs, and some specific gestures and gestures also have symbolic meanings, such as clasped hands together to indicate piety, lotus hands to indicate purity, etc., this symbolic expression gives more cultural connotation and deep meaning to the sculpture.
In temple-style sculpture, the half-man, half-beast figure often has a streamlined curve that is visually very comfortable and graceful.
Tower-shaped sculpture pays more attention to the symmetry and balance of geometric patterns, such as patterns and patterns in the Arab world, and these formal aesthetic elements make ancient Bangladeshi sculpture art appear more artistic value and aesthetic.
The form, style and detail of temple sculpture and Takorak sculpture are influenced by the history, culture and geographical environment of Bangladesh, which reflects the unique cultural and artistic traditions of Bangladesh and the exchange and integration between different ethnic groups and cultures.
Buddhism and Hinduism were very popular in ancient Bangladesh, which also became an important influence on the art of painting, and religious beliefs led not only to the choice of subject matter, but also to the characteristics of the expression of painting.
Bangladesh is located in the South Asian subcontinent, its natural environment and geographical location also affect the development of painting art, Bangladesh has relatively rich natural resources and water resources, in the painting works can often see nature, water-related themes.
The country was historically a colony of the Persian and Indian empires, and has long been subject to culture shock from countries such as China and Vietnam, and the fusion of these heterogeneous cultures has made Bangladeshi painting art highly diverse in technique and style.
The art of painting takes color tone as one of the main expression methods, which is also one of its unique features, color tone makes the painting works appear more colorful, but also brings people a more pleasant visual experience.
Bibliography:
Cunningham, A. (1879). The Ancient Geography of India: I. The Buddhist Period, Including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang. London: Trubner & Co.