page_title: Indian art
section_title: Mauryan art (c. 322 BCE – c. 185 BCE)
hierarchical_section_title: Indian art / Early Indian art / Mauryan art (c. 322 BCE – c. 185 BCE)
caption_attribution_description: English: Sarnath Lion Capital, Mauryan period, circa 250 BCE. The capital in 1905 at the time of discovery (different photographic angle). 中文: 位於鹿野苑阿育王柱柱頭的獅子與法輪。年代為公元前250年左右的孔雀王朝。
context_page_description: Indian art consists of a variety of art forms, including painting, sculpture, pottery, and textile arts such as woven silk. Geographically, it spans the entire Indian subcontinent, including what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and eastern Afghanistan. A strong sense of design is characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern and traditional forms.
  The origin of Indian art can be traced to pre-historic settlements in the 3rd millennium BC. On its way to modern times, Indian art has had cultural influences, as well as religious influences such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam. In spite of this complex mixture of religious traditions, generally, the prevailing artistic style at any time and place has been shared by the major religious groups.
  In historic art, sculpture in stone and metal, mainly religious, has survived the Indian climate better than other media and provides most of the best remains. Many of the most important ancient finds that are not in carved stone come from the surrounding, drier regions rather than India itself.
context_section_description: The north Indian Maurya Empire flourished from 322 BCE to 185 BCE, and at its maximum extent controlled all of the sub-continent except the extreme south as well as influences from Indian ancient traditions, and Ancient Persia, as shown by the Pataliputra capital.
  The emperor Ashoka, who died in 232 BCE, adopted Buddhism about half-way through his 40-year reign, and patronized several large stupas at key sites from the life of the Buddha, although very little decoration from the Mauryan period survives, and there may not have been much in the first place.  There is more from various early sites of Indian rock-cut architecture.
  The most famous survivals are the large animals surmounting several of the Pillars of Ashoka, which showed a confident and boldly mature style and craft and first of its kind iron casting without rust until date, which was in use by vedic people in rural areas of the country, though we have very few remains showing its development. The famous detached Lion Capital of Ashoka, with four animals, was adopted as the official Emblem of India after Indian independence. Mauryan sculpture and architecture is characterized by a very fine Mauryan polish given to the stone, which is rarely found in later periods.
  Many small popular terracotta figurines are recovered in archaeology, in a range of often vigorous if somewhat crude styles.  Both animals and human figures, usually females presumed to be deities, are found.
caption: Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka, circa 250 BCE. Sarnath Museum
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