Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-07-09
ART IN ENDfA.
its Origin I'm Obseurity-The Inca,
bacity for Painting and ScuIp-
ture.

London Times1
The origin OF the arts in India Is
wrapped in the Cbscurity OF the history
Of the first peopling and primitive civil
izatlon Of the country. The Deccsns is
the remains o. sHhrnerged continent,
which was once continuous +4it, the
continent OF Africa. 1t was inhabited
Oy negroid race, and it was NOT until
the union Of the Trinscrisn island of the
Deccsn with the continent of Asia by
the upheavsl of the Himalayas and
gradual deposition Of the plains Of the
Indus and Gsnges, tina! the Sc called
aboriginal Turanisn tribes, followed cub
sequently by the great Drsvidian races
Of the south, and In l0ng-subse quent
ages by the Sanskcit-speshing Aryans,
successfully settled in India. y, this SIS
1T may, Indian art, whether Hindu or
MOgul, shows negro and Turanian infu-
enees, as well as Aryans. There never
was, however, that progressive develop
ment OF Aryan art in India which pro-
| duced such grand results in Assyris,
which, through Assyria probably, influ-
eDced the civilization of Egypt, and
subsequently, through PhmQicia aud
Asia Minor, along the line Of Aryan
emigration, reached its last consun-
mate excellence in Greece. Two infiu.
ences, from opposite sources, are always
strongly marked in Indian art, whether
Hindu o. Mogul, one of effulgent colors,
coming up from the bright dye-land OF
the south and CeylOn, and the other Of
form imported with the Turauians and
ATyans from Central Asia, and in Mo.
gul times derived from Persia and Bag-
dad, Egypt and Cons antinople, and
even Italy and Spain. The Hindus
have, indeed, always shown capacity
for thoroughly assimiistiDg foreign in
fluences in art when allowed to act on
them naturally, as in the case
OF the MOSAIC work Of Agra,
which originated with the Ital-
ian decoration of the Tel by
Austin de Bordeaux, and the revival OF
which in the present generation is due
to DR.. Alexander Murray, Of the Bengal
medical service. OF course, Saracenic
art itself was at secondhand from the
arts OF India and Persia and Byzantius.
The tncapscity which the people Of India
have shown for painting and sculpture
Is owing to the objection OF the Hindus
and Budhlsts to anatomy, and of the
M0b&mmedans to the representation of
|
| snG jeWelry and golden chariots and
weaving are mention Ell In the Vedas, or
sacred books of the Hindus, dated from
b. @. 1900 to 1000. In the great Hindu
epics, the "Mahsbarats" and "Ramay.
ana" which were probably written from
| the fourth to the second centuries 3, c.,
we find almost every Hindu manufac-
ture of the present day enumerated 4;
lofas OF gold and silver and copper, and
earthenware and OF inwrought gems
arms and armor for infantry and cavalry,
requirements for horses, camels and ele-
| plants, drums, trumpets and banners
chariots of gold starred with gems and
hung all around with golden bells; lew
elry set with diamonds, ru5ies, emer-
aids, tOp5zes, sapphires and csts-eyes;
and cOl0red silks interviewer with gold
| and golden pearl-wrOught dresses. They
describe pure gold as ''soft as wax" the
common descriptive phrase for 1t all
over India. The gambling match OF
| DurvOdhana with Yudhisthira and the
| installation of the latter, In the Omaha
barata," and the marriage Of Rama
| and his brothers, in "Ramay.
ana" are such scenes es are wit
| Messed daily in the life Of modern
[ Hindu-Tsjahs' courts. The s53h of Jey-
pore deliberately planned the decors-
! tons of the royal city for the prince oil
| Wales's reception from the description
of Avodhys in the Ramsyana." Later
on in the Buddhistic sculptures by San
Chi and AmIavsti, dating from the first
to the fourth century, A. D., and in the
paintings Of Atlanta, Of the same period,
we have graphic representations of In
| dian textile fabrics and jawelry, musical
instruments, and Ottery, etc of exactly
| the same character Of those of the pres
/ ent day. 10 the Greek writers the metal
work and textile fabrics Of India are &c.
| curately described exactly as they are
| manufactured to this day. The prince
| Of Wales's collection might almost be
completely labeled out OF them. The
Greek connection with the trade of India
| was very old. Homer cslls tin by its
Sanscrit name, which still survives, as
pointed out by M. Vaux, in Cassiter
street, Bodmin; and the French /" Mar
gueriten and the Latin Margarita "
are merely the Greek form Of the Sans
| crit word for pesr', marscata." 1t is the
traditional character OF Hindu art which
IS the source Of It's purity and fascina-
ton, and it should be the object Of every
cultivated Englishman in India and Of
every educated nstive gentleman to pre-
serve it from the deb4sing Influences of
English schools OF art and English
manufacturing energy, or the art of
India, like that of Japan and China,
VIII soon become p delight Of the past.