Art of Ancient India and the Aegean

Art of Ancient India and the Aegean
Fortuitous Parallels or Cultural Contacts?
By A.S. Bhalla

H 245 x W 174 mm, 166 pages, 22 figures, 8 tables, 4 maps (colour throughout)
Published July 2024, Archaeopress Archaeology

This book examines similarities and differences between art in ancient Indian (Indus) civilizations and that of the Aegean civilizations. The comparison raises questions about possible cross-cultural influences, which became more significant following Alexander’s invasion and the subsequent adaptation of Indian art under the Indo-Greek kingdoms.

Art in physical forms and shapes (e.g. buildings and paintings) existed in both prehistoric and modern societies. This book examines similarities and differences between art in ancient Indian (Indus) civilizations and that of the Aegean civilizations (i.e. Minoan, Mycenaean and the Cycladic). In prehistoric cultures, art was distinct from the modern, which was defined in terms of utility or practicality rather than aesthetics. It was expressed not in terms of the beauty of an object, but rather its purpose, such as for worship through representations of gods and goddesses (male and female sculptures) or the use of figurines as votive offerings; it was also used for trade and commerce (stamp seals) and for indication of social hierarchy (jewellery and ornaments). Demand for prestige objects in the Minoan and Mycenaean societies grew in response to royal and elite patronage, which was absent in the Indus Valley. The book discusses production and consumption patterns of objects such as pottery, figurines, seals, jewellery and paintings to show striking similarities between the Indian and Aegean civilizations. The comparison raises questions about possible cross-cultural influences, which became much more significant and direct following Alexander’s invasion and the subsequent adaptation of Indian art under the Indo-Greek kingdoms.

Contents

Foreword – Dr Dimitrios Th. Vassiliadis

Preface

Introduction
Issues relating to Chronology
Definition. Scope and Coverage of Art
Structure of the Book

1. A Brief Introduction to Ancient Societies
Indus (India)
Minoan (Crete)
Mycenaean (Greek Mainland)
Cycladic

2. Egalitarianism, Elitism and Prestige Goods
Towards a Framework of Analysis
How Unequal or Elitist were Ancient Societies?

3. The Art of the Indus Valley and the Aegean
Pottery
Sculpture
Male Busts and Stone Figures
Frescoes and Paintings
Seals and Signet Rings
Jewellery
Architecture
Concluding Remarks

4. The Indus Valley and Minoan Crete: Fortuitous Parallels or Cultural/Historical Contacts?
Parallels between the Indus Valley and Minoan Crete
Indirect Contacts
Direct Contacts
Cross-Cultural Influences in Ancient Art
Functionality of Ancient Art
oncluding Remarks

5. Direct Greek Influences on Indian Gandhara Art
Pottery
Sculpture
Painting
Seals and Signet Rings
Jewellery
Coins
Architecture
Concluding Remarks

6. Conclusion: Patronage, Pomp and Power
Royal and Elite Patronage
The Social Context
Peace and Stability
Parallels between the Indus and the Aegean: Coincidence or Contacts?
Concluding Remarks

References

Index

• Dr A.S. Bhalla is a former Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, UK, and former Special Adviser to the President of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada. He has held academic positions at the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester, Oxford and Yale. His previous publications on the history of art include Royal Tombs of India, Buddhist Art in Asia, Monuments, Power and Poverty in India: From Ashoka to the Raj, Glimpses of Medieval Switzerland, and Imperial India: A Pictorial History.