Parvati
India, Tamil Nadu
Chola period, early 11th century
Copper alloy
H. 35 in. (88.9 cm)
1979.19

July 1, 2005 – January 8, 2006

This exhibition focuses on the Hindu and Buddhist sculptural imagery of South and Southeast Asia. Hinduism and Buddhism both originated in India and spread across these regions through the sacred language of Sanskrit, creating ties that began as early as the first century C.E.

In the early period, Indian immigrants brought Hinduism and Buddhism with them to Nepal, while traders, missionaries, and scholars from India and Sri Lanka introduced these belief systems and their imagery to kingdoms of Southeast Asia. These include the countries that we know today as Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and Cambodia. In Southeast Asia it is likely that local rulers first invited learned Indian Brahmans to court. These scholars imbued royal rituals and ceremonies with their knowledge and helped to legitimize the ruler’s power. By the seventh century both Indian and Chinese forms of Buddhism had been known and practiced in Tibet, although it was not until the eighth century that Tibetan rulers adopted Buddhism as the state religion.

Blended with indigenous beliefs, aspects of Indian Hinduism and Buddhism were incorporated in the art and architecture. Even in kingdoms where one of these belief systems came to dominate, deities from the other religions also found an important place. Often the same artist made sculptures for both religions. Moreover, the Buddhist and Hindu rulers of Southeast Asia frequently asserted their power by constructing a capital city with a temple at the center, providing a state setting for religious representation. Geographic and political ties among Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms led to further cultural and artistic exchange.

This exhibition is made possible, in part, with support from the Partridge Foundation and the Lee Foundation, Singapore.

Support for the Asia Society's Museum and Cultural Programs is also provided by the Friends of Asian Arts, The Starr Foundation, Arthur Ross, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Helen and Will Little, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Hazen Polsky Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Beningson, Dr. John C. Weber, Altria Group, Inc., American Express and the New York State Council on the Arts.

This site features a small, representative selection from the exhibition. Please visit the Collection in Context (www.asiasocietymuseum.org) for more information about objects in the Rockefeller Collection.