the art of india and southeast asia (topic see picture)

Paper Topic:

When religious and ritual objects are put inside of a museum and placed on view they are taken out of their religious, cultural and architectural contexts. First, read Svetlana Alpers’ essay, “The Museum as a Way of Seeing,” which is posted on CCLE under “Meg’s Sections.” Based on the knowledge that you have acquired thus far in the course, from your readings and Alpers’ essay, you are being asked to examine two sculptures in the South and Southeast Asian Art Gallery at LACMA: Shiva and Parvati (M.80.121) and Shiva’s Family (M.75.11). Museum labels aside, how do we know that these sculptures depict the Hindu God Shiva? What iconographical symbols and attributes help us to identify these images as such? You should be able to write about the importance of iconography and specifically its standardization within religious imagery. How are these sculptures displayed at the museum, and how does this differ from how similar images would have been originally viewed in situ? Your analysis should consider the objects’ medium, composition, and original function including the notion of darshan. How does Alpers’ essay help you understand the display of these objects at LACMA? Do you believe that LACMA has done an adequate job of displaying these sculptures? If you were given the opportunity to re-display these sculptures at LACMA, how would you display the objects to convey their original religious, cultural and architectural contexts? While your imagination is much appreciated, try to find a solution that is both realistic and that would work within the confines of a museum.

If you are especially interested in the display of the art, try visiting some of LACMA’s other galleries and see how objects from other cultures are displayed as this might make you think about things about the South and Southeast Asian Art gallery that you might not have otherwise paid attention to and thus help you in your argument.

General Readings:
1. Stella Kramrisch, Manifestations of Shiva. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1981.
2. Joseph Dye, Ways to Shiva: life and ritual in Hindu India. Philadelphia, Pa.: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1980.

On “Shiva’s Family:”
1. Pal, Pratapaditya. The Divine Presence: Asian Sculptures from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lenart. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1978, p. 24-25, cat. no. 12.
2. Pal, Pratapaditya. Indian Sculpture, vol.2. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; University of California Press, 1988, vol. 2, 99, color plate pg. 22, cat. no. 34.

On “Shiva and Parvati:”
1. Pal, Pratapaditya. Indian Sculpture, vol.2. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; University of California Press, 1988, vol. 2, 284-285, cat. no. 152.

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