Govt plans to preserve Buddhist caves - The Times of India

GANDHINAGAR: The state government is busy readying a master plan to preserve the Khambhalida caves. This is part of an initiative designed to give due importance to Buddhist destinations in the tourism circuit.

The government, in reply to a question posed by Jodiya MLA Raghavji Patel, said on Tuesday that there are places of Buddhist importance in Siyot in Kutch, Ranpur in Jamnagar, Sana, Junagadh, Prabhas Patan, Savnigiri in Junagadh district, Khambhalida in Rajkot, jajpur in Bharuch district. Apart from the Khambhalida plan, the government plans to spend Rs 43.4 lakh for the caves in Rajkot.

Officials said there are three caves in Khambhalida, the central one being a 'chaitya' with a worn-out stupa. The entrance of the 'chaitya' is flanked by two large sculptures of the Bodhisatvas-Padmapani on the right and Vajrapani on the left. These caves dates back to 4th-5th century AD and are scooped out from the local limestone rock.

The Siyot caves in Lakhpat of Kutch districts date back to first century AD. They have an east-facing sanctum and an ambulatory. Siyot must have been one of the 80 monastic sites that the 7th century Chinese travellers reported at the mouth of Indus river. The government said that it has been spending over Rs 1 lakh for the maintenance of these caves.

Prof claims to have discovered clinching evidence | Annigeri, the department of Kannada of Karnatak University (Dharwad) | - The Times of India

HUBLI: Even as people are curious to know the mystery behind the skulls found at Annigeri, the department of Kannada of Karnatak University (Dharwad) has claimed to have discovered two important inscriptions of the 10th century, which may unravel the mystery.

J M Nagaiah, associate professor of Dr RC Hiremath Institute of Kannada Studies ( KUD), has said that he has discovered the inscriptions, one each at Hottur near Shiggon taluk of old Dharwad district, and at Gawarwad near Annigeri.

According to the Hottur inscription, Chola emperor Rajaraja, during an expedition, had attacked Belaval-300 province with the help of his nine-lakh-strong army and captured Annigeri during 1007-08. The emperor then tried to forcibly convert people into Shaivas (followers of Lord Shiva). He is also said to have ruthlessly chopped people, including children, who refused to be Shaivas. King Sataysharava Irive Bemdag of Chalukyas of Kalyan was ruling Annigeri then.

The Gawarwad inscription says emperor Rajadhiraja I of Cholas, during his expedition, attacked Annigeri, the then capital of Belavan Nadu-300 (comprising 300 surrounding villages). After capturing Annigeri, Rajadhiraja I destroyed Jinnalya, temples built by Jains, and also killed those who opposed the destruction of temples during 1018-1050.

The Hottur inscription is included in `Epigraphy India' (volume No. 16), while the Garwada inscription is included in `Epigraphy India' (volume No. 15). "The two inscriptions are enough to unravel the Annigeri skull mystery," Nagaiah told `The Times of India'.

He said that human skulls discovered at Annigeri must be of those who were killed for opposing Rajaraja's attempts to convert them to be Shiavas, or of those who were killed by Rajadiraja for protecting Jain temples.

"But for these incidents, there are no evidence of massacre (near Annigeri). The skulls must be of those who were killed by the Cholas," he claimed.

"I'm planning to bring the two inscriptions to the notice of State Archeological Department. We will be able to come to a definite conclusion about the skulls after getting the carbon dating test report from Bhuvaneshwar," he said.

Bronze battle-axe | Excavated in 1965 from the No. 1 Subutun Shang Tomb in Qingzhou, Shandong province

BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The on-going exhibition, The Art of Chinese Bronze Wares, at the National Museum of China, offers not just a peek into ancient Chinese civilization, but also a rare look at the sense of humor of its ancient creators.

Take the Ya Chou bronze battle-axe, for example.

Excavated in 1965 from the No. 1 Subutun Shang Tomb in Qingzhou, Shandong province, and now kept in Shandong Museum, this bronze battle-axe of the Shang Dynasty (16th century-11th century BC), is 32.7 cm long and 34.5 cm wide, and features a human face with exaggerated features such as bow-shaped eyebrows, round eyes, elliptical ears, a bull-shaped nose, and a wide-open mouth full of sharp teeth.

"This style is consistent with other bronze wares of the Shang Dynasty, that are both majestic and scary," says Lu Wensheng, head of Shandong Museum.

As one of the 18 weapons of ancient times and commonly used by the king, the battle-axe stood for power and justice.

This also explains why the Chinese character for "king" found on bone inscriptions resembles the shape of the battle-axe.

Another bronze battle-axe was also excavated at the same time from the No. 1 Subutun Shang Tomb, the largest and best Shang tomb after the Tomb of Shang Kings in Anyang, Henan province.

Now kept at the National Museum of China, this battle-axe also has a human face like the Ya Chou, except the eyes and nose are shaped differently and the mouth is even bigger.

These two bronze battle-axes are the only ones found in China with an openwork carving of a human face.

Another key difference between the two is that there are four symmetrical pictographic inscriptions of "Ya Chou" carved under the two ears on both sides of the Ya Chou battle-axe, while there is none on the other one. The inscription is also the reason the battle-axe is called "Ya Chou".

Guo Moruo (1892-1978), Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist and an expert on ancient writing, believed that Ya Chou was the title of an ancient nation that existed in the Xia Dynasty (21st century-16th century BC) or even earlier.

It is believed the human face on the Shang Dynasty battle-axe was intended to scare the enemy. But it is hard to say how effective that strategy was.

Gazing at it in the 21st century, one is more amused than scared, a feeling that also seems reflected in the upturned corners of the mouth of the image.

National museum exhibits 14th century Chinese celadon

Popular Longquan ware found in sunken ship off coast of Sinan shows beauty and culture of 14th century Asia


The National Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition featuring about 90 pieces of 14th century Chinese celadon ware found in a shipwreck.

The featured pieces are known to be from the Longquan region of China’s southern Zhejiang province, where the most superior kind of Chinese celadon ware was produced at the time.

In 1323, a Chinese merchant vessel carrying more than 30,000 items for export, including ceramics, sank off the southwest coast of Korea at Sinan. It was en route from Ningbo, China to Kyoto, Japan.

The ship was accidentally discovered by a Korean fisherman in 1975 ― more than 650 years after sank. Its site was excavated from 1976 to 1984, bringing the long-lost artifacts back to the surface.

Among the 30,000 artifacts, 14,000 pieces were found to be Longquan celadon ware, including tableware.

Celadon Vase with Two Grips incised with Lotus Designs (National Museum of Korea)

“The pieces found in the Sinan wreck show how the Japanese had a strong preference for Longquan ware at the time,” said Kim Young-mi, a researcher at the National Museum. “By the 16th century, Longquan ware was being exported to Western Asia, Africa and even Europe.”

The exhibition showcases different types of Longquan ware, its signature jadish color, and cultures of 14th century Asia reflected in the featured pieces.

It was during the Southern Song Dynasty that the production and quality of Longquan ware reached its highest level. The icy, jadish color of the celadon ware was called “Fenqing,” meaning layers of transparent blue with a subtle white hue.

Celadon plate with cloud and crane patterns (National Museum of Korea)

“They were trying to imitate the color of a clear sky after rain,” said Kim.

The items on display include dishes, bowls, stem cups, ewers, incense burners, flower vases and pots for interior decoration.

Many of them are decorated with patterns of peonies, lotus flowers, eight trigrams and dragons with clouds.

“The Japanese enjoyed tea ceremonies using Longquan ewers and cups,” said Kim. “They also used the incense burners to keep their indoor air pleasant. And some people simply used them for decoration purposes.”

The term “celadon” in fact has a close connection with Longquan ware. During the 16th century, an opera called “l’Astre,” was extremely popular in Europe.

In the opera, a character named Celadon, who loves the heroine l’Astre, wears a costume of jadish color.

When Longquan ware pieces were first imported to Europe, people started calling them “celadon ware,” as their color was similar to the one of opera character Celadon’s costume.

“China does own a lot of Longquan ware,” Kim said. “But I believe our museum owns one of the widest collections (of Longquan ware) in the world.”

18th-century Chinese silk scroll painting tops $30M at Paris auction

18th-century Chinese silk scroll painting tops $30M at Paris auction
PARIS (AP) – A giant 18th-century Chinese silk scroll painting of a military troop review has been sold at auction for more than euro22 million ($30.8 million), the highest auction price for a Chinese work in France.

The work, found in a Paris attic and sold in Toulouse by auctioneer Marc Labarbe, is one of a series of four works of 17th-century maneuvers that mobilized some 20,000 men.

A Hong Kong collector, who asked to remain anonymous, made the winning bid Saturday of euro22,057,000 after a ferocious bidding war with seven others.

The 24-meter-long (78.7 feet) horizontal scroll was painted around 1748 under Emperor Qianlong.

One of the four scrolls is in the Palace Museum of Beijing, and another was auctioned off in 2008 at Sotheby's in Hong Kong for $67.86 million.

Korean Ceramics from Leeum Collection at The Met, starting April 7

NEW YORK - A special loan exhibition focusing on the dynamic art of buncheong ceramics will go on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on April 7. Featuring more than 60 masterpieces from the renowned collection of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul, Korea—the majority of which have never before been seen in the U.S.—Poetry in Clay: Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art will explore the bold and startlingly modern ceramic tradition that flourished in Korea during the 15th and 16th centuries of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), as well as its eloquent reinterpretations by today's leading ceramists.

The exhibition will also present a selection of Edo-period (1615-1686) Japanese revivals and works by modern and contemporary Japanese potters from the Metropolitan's collection to highlight the fascinating reverberations of buncheong idioms beyond its original place and time of production. This is the first exhibition to feature both buncheong ware and later Japanese ceramics inspired by them and to explore their connections.

The exhibition is made possible by the Korea Foundation. Additional support is provided by Willis.

Poetry in Clay: Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art is organized by Soyoung Lee, Associate Curator in the Museum's Department of Asian Art, and Seung-chang Jeon, Chief Curator of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul. Buncheong ware represents a unique genre of ceramics distinguished by its inventive surface decoration employing white slip and a variety of modes of embellishment, including inlaid, stamped, incised, sgraffito, iron-painted, and brushed designs. There are no comparable parallels in other cultures matching buncheong's expressiveness nor range of slip-applied decorative vocabulary.

Produced from the end of the 14th century, buncheong evolved from the famed inlaid celadon of the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392). The technical, stylistic, and aesthetic transformations represented by the new ceramic were grounded in its antecedent and were radical. Its manufacturing centers were located primarily in the central and southern provinces. Initially used by the court and the elite—as tableware and ceremonial vessels—it rapidly became pottery for the commoner class. A major reason for this shift was the increasing demand and preference for white porcelain. By the second half of the 16th century, buncheong production all but ceased on the Korean peninsula.

In neighboring Japan, a parallel life of buncheong unfolded from the 15th century on, where imported vessels were adopted, used, and treasured by connoisseurs and participants of the tea ceremony. Subsequently, in the 17th through the 19th century, various kilns in Kyushu and other parts of Japan manufactured white slip-decorated ceramics incorporating certain buncheong expressions catered to Japanese aesthetics.

The strikingly expressive and contemporary designs of buncheong ceramics, which embody the creative dynamism of the period, continue to resonate with 21st-century artists and viewers.

The exhibition will showcase a number of masterpieces, including six registered Treasures, such as the stunning Large Jar with Inlaid Peony Decoration (Treasure no. 1422) and the arresting Drum-shaped Bottle with Peony Decoration (Treasure no. 1387). Many of the works feature minimalist or abstract designs, such as an example with an eye-catching Miró-esque decoration (Flask-shaped Bottle with Incised Abstract Design) or another with a scrolling motif rendered with calligraphic virtuoso (Jar with Floral Scroll Decoration).

Three 20th-century Korean paintings from Leeum's collection will also be on view, highlighting the kinds of intuitive, purely visual connections to buncheong that one can find in modern art.

A fully illustrated catalogue published by the Metropolitan Museum and distributed by Yale University Press will accompany the exhibition.

The catalogue is made possible by The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Foundation.

Education programs organized in conjunction with the exhibition include a special lecture by Soyoung Lee on April 15 and a Sunday at the Met lecture and roundtable discussion on May 15. Gallery talks will also be offered for general audiences.

A web feature about the exhibition, as well as a podcast narrated by Soyoung Lee on the history and tradition of buncheong ceramics, will be available at www.metmuseum.org.

After its viewing at the Metropolitan Museum, the exhibition will be shown at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art online at www.metmuseum.org.

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Well unearthed in Nara linked to special ceremonies in 8th century - The Mainichi Daily News

A large well unearthed from the remains of the ancient capital of Heijo-kyo in Nara is pictured on March 3. In the background stands the Suzaku-mon main gate. (Mainichi)

NARA -- A large hexagonal well dating back to the Nara Period was unearthed from the remains of the ancient capital of Heijo-kyo, leading researchers to believe that the well had likely been used for special occasions.

The well -- two-tiered with the upper part square-shaped and the lower part hexagonal -- was found in an area called Sakyo Sanjo Ichibo, some 130 meters southeast of the Heijo-kyu palace's main Suzaku-mon gate, researchers at the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties announced on March 3.

Since the area in front of the Suzaku-mon gate had been used as a venue for official ceremonies, including rituals welcoming and bidding farewell to foreign envoys, it is highly likely that the well had played a special role during those ceremonies. It is the largest known well among those found in the former Heijo-kyo capital except for inside the Heijo-kyu palace.

The well's upper part measures some 2.5 meters each side and the lower part some 1.1 meters each side, with the latter's depth reaching some 1.8 meters. With the upper and lower parts combined, the well was apparently three meters deep in total.

Grooved pillars were found buried at the four corners surrounding the well, with plates fitted into the grooves. The frame for the upper well has been removed.

Since Haji pottery jars and eaves tiles have also been unearthed, it is believed that the well had been in use in the latter 8th century.

"Despite the presence of the huge well, which is located near the Suzaku-mon gate, no signs of people having lived there were found. We'd like to clarify the whole picture through supplementary studies in the next fiscal year," said Kazuo Inoue, deputy head of the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.

Shipwreck exhibit stirs up storm at Smithsonian - CNN.com

London, England (CNN) -- Though they sit quietly beneath the waves, shipwrecks are a cause of much wrangling above the surface. The issue of underwater archaeology is clouded by concerns about treasure hunting, the safety of wrecks, and the sale of finds.

A planned 2012 exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, featuring 9th century Chinese artifacts salvaged from a wreck in Indonesian waters in 1998 is at the center of the latest row.

Archaeologists within the institution -- and further afield -- are criticizing the curator's decision to mount the show and, in particular, questioning the nature of the original salvage.

Discovered off the coast of the island Belitung in the Java Sea by fishermen diving for sea cucumbers in 1998, the 9th century Arab dhow was a treasure trove of objects including glazed ceramics, and silver and gold wares.

The Indonesian government granted permission to a private German salvage company, Seabed Explorations GbR, to excavate the wreck using divers.

The collection of finds, which included 60,000 objects, was sold largely intact to Sentosa Leisure Group, a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry, for $32 million, according to the Smithsonian.

Julian Raby, director of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian, where the exhibition is due to take place, said that the finds represent a highly significant discovery for historians, in particular showing the existence of a kind of maritime silk route between Iraq and China.

"The reality of this wreck, understanding the mixture of things that are involved -- it completely blows your mind," said Raby. Yet some scholars are unhappy about the show.

Paul Johnston, Curator of Maritime History at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian, believes that the wreck was excavated too quickly. He said that it was done within just two short seasons -- one of which was just two months long -- and therefore without enough due diligence.

"I don't personally see how anyone could possibly recover 60,000 objects in just two seasons and claim that it's a scientific excavation," he said.

But in an email to CNN, Tilman Walterfang, of Seabed Explorations, wrote: "The (Indonesian) government dictated the pace of recovery (not us) because security for the artifacts and the team couldn't be guaranteed. It was a race against time, with the monsoon season approaching fast, and looters hovering both day and night."

Raby, for his part, defends the salvage company, saying that the objects were conserved to a high degree and that archaeologists were on hand to help with excavations. He also said that the world should celebrate the fact that the collection was sold intact, and not dispersed across the market.

While some looting did take place between seasons, he said, the majority of the wreck's artifacts are kept together.

The Belitung wreck highlights a broader dispute between the archaeological community and commercial excavators, which David Mearns, marine scientist and director of commercial salvage company Blue Water Recoveries, likens to "an open warfare."

"There is a group of academic archaeologists who for whatever reason don't want anything to be touched at all other than by themselves, and certainly not sold," he said, adding that often archaeologists are invited to take part in commercial excavations, but refuse on principle to participate.

"The real concern archaeologists have in regard to this exhibition is that a lot of people on the commercial side will be able to use this to justify their own activities," said Bruce Smith, Curator of North American Archaeology at the Smithsonian. He fears that it will open the door to what he calls "treasure hunters."

But both Seabed Explorations and Raby believe that a middle ground may be reached, that archaeologists and commercial enterprises can work together to excavate wrecks to the highest possible standards.

They say that wrecks are at risk of being looted by local divers and face damage wrought by the ocean itself. Archaeologists may not have the funding to reach a wreck in time, they say, but salvage companies do.

Still, Paul Johnston believes that where money is concerned, due diligence and proper scientific work can often be compromised. In his experience, which includes excavating wrecks in American waters, the vessels are more likely to be damaged by the actions of man than the ocean itself, he said. He maintains he has never had any trouble getting funding for a shipwreck excavation.

In an effort to clear a path through these thorny arguments, Raby of the Smithsonian is inviting some of the most eminent scholars in the field of underwater archaeology to discuss the issue at a conference set for the end of April.

"If we're looking to raise public and political consciousness about the importance of cultural heritage," he said, "then I think one has to ask whether diktat is better than dialogue."

Libyan people & ethnic tribes - China.org.cn

The Libyan population is estimated at 6.5 million, including 1.5 million immigrants. The Arabs are the majority inhabitants of Libya, who brought Islam to the region during the 7th century AD from Arabia. The North African country has about 140 tribes and clans that will likely determine the political future of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Libya's Population and Energy Production

Libya's Ethnic Groups

With an area of almost 1,800,000 square kilometers, Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa by area, and the 17th largest in the world. The capital, Tripoli, is home to 1.7 million of Libya's 6.4 million people. >>

The main Arab tribes: The tribal system is still a fundamental part of Libyan society. Most Libyan surnames carry the tribal name and therefore one can easily identify a person's tribe simply by knowing his surname. >>

The Berber tribal groups: The Berbers are the indigenous inhabitants of Libya and the Sahara. There are numerous tribes found in East Libya, West Libya and across the entire Sahara desert where they have been since the beginning of civilization. >>

The Tebo: The Tebo (or Tebu, Tibu, Tibo, Tibbo, or Tibbos) are a group of tribes found along the southern side of the Harouj mountain and to the east of Fezzan. >>

The Jews: The Jewish community's existence in Libya goes back to the time of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. >>

Immigrants: After the 1969's revolution, Libya witnessed a massive influx of foreign workers, primarily invited to take part in rebuilding Libya. >>

Bulgaria Thracian Gold Pictures

A plate with gold decoration on display pictured during a private exhibition at the National History Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria, 21 March 2011. Nearly 200 gold, silver, bronze and pottery items dating from between the 6th century BC to 1st century BC were shown in the exhibition 'Thrace and Ancient World' which is a collection of Bulgarian businessman Vassil Bozhkov EPA/VASSIL DONEV

A cache of Roman coins dating to the end of the 3rd century AD

rchaeological excavations carried out in Autun, a suburb of Arroux, in France revealed an ancient quarter composed of craft workshops and fine residences. The workshop of the famous coroplath (figurine maker) Pistillus was discovered, along with a pottery kiln and moulds, complete figurines and failed ones, and signed with the name of the figurine maker.

During the final weeks of the excavation the archaeologists also found a cache of Roman coins dating to the end of the 3rd century AD which were buried in a pit sealed with tiles.

The small bronze coins were of an ‘unofficial’ type, like many that circulated during the troubled period of the second half of the 3rd century/early 4th century. Internal wars and conflict between contenders to the emperor’s throne, epidemics, the financial burdens of sustaining a large army, pressures at the borders of the Empire, economic crisis, and a host of other troubles meant the Empire was in crisis at this time.

The Roman State was no longer capable of fully ensuring the long-term control of the monetary system. Small bronze mintings of little value appeared, which specialists would call “necessity coins”. The intent was not to deceive but to serve as spendable cash within the local economy. Though produced by private citizens, they were more or less tolerated by the State.

They were however poor imitations of the official productions and the effigies are difficult to identify. The coins discovered at Autun resemble typical 3rd century ones, such as those of Tetricus. Due to the high copper content of the deposit, the wicker basket in which they were stored is partially preserved.

Though this assemblage would have had a reasonable valuable, it does not seem to have been a hidden treasure, but rather a deposit of debased coins destined to be recast. The pit is in fact located within one of the metallurgy workshops revealed at the site.

In effect, to re-establish a healthy monetary economy, some emperors launched reforms and attempted to replace the ancient coins that had no value other than that of their metal. The monetary deposit of Autun is perhaps linked to the reforms of Diocletian under the Tetrarchy (late 3rd century-early 4th century).

These numismatic artefacts will contribute to an understanding of unofficial mints and the phenomena of debasement and recasting of coins during the Empire. They join the approx. 300 other Roman coins—mostly bronze—discovered elsewhere on the site.

Ancient tradition | Historical Society of Pandiya Nadu

SEGREGATION of burial grounds has existed in the Tamil country from time immemorial, say experts. C. Santhalingam, veteran archaeologist and secretary of the Madurai-based Pandiya Naattu Varalaatru Peravai (Historical Society of Pandiya Nadu), said people belonging to different communities lived in segregated habitations called cheris and each of them had its own burial/cremation ground.

According to him, the burial practice started from the megalithic period. “As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, we have evidence for megalithic burials. In such burials there are so many types, such as dolmens, dolmanoid cists, slab cists, urn burials, menhirs, hero stones, umbrella stones and cap stones,” he said.

The southern Tamil Nadu region has several urn burial sites, he said. “Recently at Pulimankombai village in Andipatti taluk in Theni district, archaeologists discovered some inscribed hero stones that belong to the 4th century B.C. These are the earliest hero stones with inscriptions so far found in Tamil Nadu,” he said. In Sangam literature, there are plenty of references to hero stones and the Pulimankombai discoveries corroborate them, he added.

In the early Tamil epic Manimekalai, of the 5th century A.D., different types of burials such as cremation and burial- suduvor (cremation), iduvor (burial), thaazhiyil kavippor (urn burial) and thaazhvayin adaippor (cist burial) are mentioned, Santhalingam said.

Throwing light on the hero stone culture, he said, “In some districts, including Tiruvannamalai and Dharmapuri, several inscribed hero stones have been reported by archaeologists. They were erected for the heroes who dedicated their lives to the cause of safeguarding the villagers and their cattle. In the process of reclamation of forest lands, they would have encountered dangers from wild animals and lost their lives. For such valorous persons also hero stones were planted. Their names and their country's names and other details were inscribed [on the stones]. Such practices continued from the 4th century B.C. up to the 16th century A.D.”

Referring to the changes that unfolded in pastoral life, he said people switched to cultivation as the main occupation. “Concomitantly, rigid state formation also started in the Tamil land. From the 6th century A.D. onwards, the Pallavas in northern Tamil Nadu and the Pandyas in southern Tamil Nadu established their states.”

As migration of the Brahmin community started from the north to the south, its members were patronised by the rulers (the Pallavas), who provided them fertile land, called ‘Brahmadeyas' or ‘Chaturvedimangalam', with exclusive water rights, Santhalingam said. So far in Tamil Nadu, around 800 Brahmadeyas have been enumerated from the 6th century to the 13th century A.D. These lands were owned by Brahmins, and the tillers, who were landless farm labourers, lived in separate areas called pidagais (hamlets). Each chaturvedimangalam might have had three or four pidagais.

“As there were separate dwelling areas for landowners and farm labourers, their burial grounds also must have been segregated,” he said. People also lived in segregated habitations known as kammala cheri, Parai cheri and Andhana cheri. So, each community had separate habitations and burial grounds, he added.

In support of the argument, he said, such differences could be seen in the Raja Raja Chola inscription of the 11th century A.D. ( South Indian Inscriptions, Volume-II, record No.5), “which speaks of Vellan sudukaadu (burial grounds of the Vellalas), Parai sudukaadu (burial grounds of Dalits), Eala cheri (habitation of toddy tappers) and Parai cheri (habitation of Dalits). The stone inscription dated A.D. 1014, the last regnal year of King Raja Raja Chola-I, refers to the boundaries of a land.”

The stone inscription was reported from the Thanjavur region and has been published in South Indian Inscriptions, Volume-II as record No.5 dated A.D. 1014. The inscription speaks about land boundaries; when land was donated to a temple, the four boundaries were demarcated. So, during the donation, burial grounds or land given to Jains and Buddhists were exempted from the donated land.

Santhalingam also referred to another stone inscription, dated to the 18th century A.D., found at the Kuduminathar temple in Kudumiyanmalai village in Pudukottai district. “It speaks about burial-related services rendered by some persons of the Valayar caste and engaging in such practices was banned by their own community, which also appealed to their kin not to take up such menial jobs.”

He said: “Though there is no evidence to show that each community adopted its own custom in performing the last rites, there is some historical evidence to show that when persons with royal background or some heroes were buried, their belongings such as swords, ornaments, diadems, haras made of metals and semi-precious stones such as carnelian, paste beads, glass beads, jasper and crystal beads, etc., were also buried along with the mortal remains. In some other places, we have unearthed earthen pots with their names, scripts and graffiti. From these pieces of evidence, we can differentiate the burial of royals and commoners. Gold diadems were collected from Athichanallur, the earliest – 1000 B.C. – burial site excavated 100 years ago on the banks of the Tamiraparani river in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district.”

A Huge Market, With New Players - NYTimes.com

SINGAPORE — An 11th-century Chinese mechanical marvel — a water-driven astronomical clock tower in Kaifeng that has long since been dismantled — has inspired the introduction of a new Hong Kong-based watch brand, the Chinese Timekeeper, which proudly proclaims its 100 percent Chinese-made pedigree.

“Greater China is a huge market for watches, and when you look specifically for mechanical watches, they’re almost all sold as Swiss-made,” Adrien Choux, the Frenchman who is founder and marketing director of the new brand, said in a telephone interview. “Yet when you look into the details, most of them have some parts manufactured in China. This proves that the quality of Chinese-made components is good and you just have to pay attention during the assembly process and apply a strict quality control.”

A report released in November by Bain & Co. said that the Chinese luxury watch market was worth 15.5 billion renminbi in 2009, or $2.34 billion, and that it was growing at 35 percent a year. The high end of the market was dominated by foreign brands, especially the top five: Cartier, Longines, Omega, Rolex and Tudor.

While there are several large Chinese watch brands — like Sea Gull, made by Tianjin Sea Gull Watch Manufacturing Group, the largest producer of automatic movements in the world, Rossini, Ebohr, Shanghai Watch and Fiyta — they have mainly focused on mass-market production. Aspirations toward the luxury end of the market, however, are starting to emerge among several Chinese players.

“The Chinese have always had a unique relationship to luxury products, such as silk, jade and porcelain,” Mr. Choux said. “They also have a long history in time-keeping, creating the first water-driven escapement mechanism, the first armillary sphere or even the mechanical gears. I felt there were all the elements to establish a strong new Chinese brand: A clear opportunity in terms of manufacturing, a huge consumer market and a history you can play on.”

Mr. Choux, who has lived in Asia for more than a decade, noted that in the two years before the introduction of the Chinese Timekeeper in December he had been encouraged by the fact that the French luxury house Hermès took a similar strategic approach to the market by introducing a China-made luxury brand tailored for its Chinese customers, Shang Xia. Of his brand, he added: “It’s a Chinese brand designed and assembled in Hong Kong by local watchmakers, inspired by a fascinating Chinese history and destined to intrigue the Chinese customers. The fact that I’m French doesn’t really matter. I see a great opportunity here.”

Another Hong Kong brand, Longio, started producing tourbillon watches in 2007 and now has seven models, with retail prices ranging from $2,800 to $8,000.

In 2009, Shanghai Watch released its first tourbillon, a piece designed by Eric Giroud, the Swiss designer behind the Harry Winston Tourbillon Glissière. In January, the brand offered the Unity 128 Tourbillon, again designed by Mr. Giroud in consultation with Carson Chan, managing director and international watch specialist at Bonhams Hong Kong.

While the first rose gold tourbillon retailed for 138,000 Hong Kong dollars, about $17,700, the new one retails at 238,000 dollars. The company declined to reveal how many of the first watches had already been sold, saying only that it was “close to sold out.”

“I think the Chinese are starting to make watches just as the Japanese made their cars in the ’60s and ’70s and the Koreans started making mobile phones in the ’90s,” Mr. Chan said. “Back then, a Samsung or LG mobile phone was seen as inferior. Today, the Samsung Galaxy pad is giving the iPad a run for its money.”

Tianjin Sea Gull Watch now produces about 300,000 watches with its own in-house movement, including 5,000 Sea-Gull tourbillon watches, and its general manager, Jian Wang, in an interview with the specialized watch Web site Europa Star, said it planned to triple its tourbillon production over the next few years. The Chinese company also plans to invest in a Swiss movement company to improve its own gear.

Ebohr, too, has announced plans to move into the mid-range watch market, by launching a tourbillon timepiece for 10,000 renminbi. And the company has invested in a new Swiss brand, Codex, which is targeting the mid-range market with chronographs priced from $4,000 to $5,000.

Mr. Choux of the Chinese Timekeeper said his new brand was using components from a variety of high-end watch manufacturers, primarily in Guangdong Province, and movements by Sea Gull that are then assembled in Hong Kong, which he said allowed for better quality control. “The idea,” he said, “is to offer a brand that competes in terms of quality and design with what exists in Switzerland, but giving it a Chinese look and heritage that consumers can relate to.”

The new brand logo on the rotating gear of the watch movement is a Chinese sage with his long hair characteristically tied in a bun. He is depicted walking with his hands behind his back on the rotating gear of a watch movement.

The design of the Chinese Timekeeper piece has kept that astronomical clock tower in Kaifeng in mind. The round case is composed of four stainless-steel rings, a play on the four-story pagoda, while the number 10 on the dial has been replaced with the Chinese character — which can also be read as “perfect.”

The first collection of this watch comprises six models, ranging from 17,800 Hong Kong dollars to 20,800 dollars. Since December, about 30 watches have been sold in Hong Kong, Mr. Choux said.

“It’s entry-level luxury,” he added. “I think that’s where a new Chinese brand needs to be if it wants to claim some differentiation and build its own legitimacy. Our challenge, being priced around €2,000, is to alter the current perception held by many Chinese customers of being too expensive for a Chinese brand.”

Grandville show a 'history-altering event' : DY Weekend : Features : DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri)

Grandville show a 'history-altering event' : DY Weekend : Features : DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri)

Kumi Matsumaru / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

French literature scholar Shigeru Kashima says his collection, which went on show last week in Tokyo, will alter people's perceptions of art history and greatly affect artists and illustrators.

His collection of work by French printmaker and caricaturist J.J. Grandville, who was active in the first half of the 19th century, is "the first overview of his works in the world."

"I don't think anybody else in the world has more of his works than I," Kashima told The Daily Yomiuri prior to the opening of J.J. Grandville: Gravures Francaises Fantastiques au XIXeme Siecle at Nerima Art Museum in Tokyo. "My collection teaches us a lot about his artistry and achievements."

Grandville, whose work also has been highly praised elsewhere, rose to fame with his illustrations of half-animal half-human characters in a collection titled Les Metamorphoses du Jour in 1829.

By the time of the book's release, Grandville had already proven his ability to express our subconscious instincts in the form of animals. He used his editorial illustrations for satirical magazines and books to take penetrating looks at politics and public morality through the guise of his fantastic drawings, which later had a significant influence on the Surrealist movement of 1920s France.

Kashima said he became fascinated with Grandville's works since when he found them at a second-hand bookshop in Paris. His collection is split into three sections split over the Nerima museum's two floors.

The first section covers his works from 1825 to 1835, highlighting the rise of Grandville as a leading caricaturist. The works on show include 47 out of the 73 drawings for Les Metamorphoses du Jour, which were published in 1828-1829 and poked fun at people of various classes.

In Je n'y suis pour personne., what appears to be a bear sits and waits as a bird--presumably his wife--stands behind him with cleaning equipment.

The second part of the show, which deals with his works up until 1847, examines how the artist developed his own fantasy world until 1847. Especially amusing is a series of drawings titled Scenes de la Vie Privee et Publique des Animaux, published in 1840-42, in which he depicts the private life of animals. In it, he lampooned people who relied on superficial means to change their image, and the idea that one should be careful of one's actions because there may be somebody watching.

The last section shows the extent to which Grandville, who died in 1847 at the age of 43, has continued to influence artists. The items on display include books containing half-finished works.

Kashima is known for having a vast collection of books that he says "makes money for me." He has opened an antique book studio he rents out for photographic shoots.

While he is unsure of exactly how many books he has, Kashima says he spent a small fortune on the Grandville books. "I'm sure I'm not the only one whose life changed the moment he saw these drawings," he writes in the exhibition catalogue.

Kashima is confident this showcase will spark a sort of Grandville-mania that leads to a rethink of art history.

"J.J. Grandville: Gravures Francaises Fantastiques au XIXeme Siecle," until April 3, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Nerima Art Museum near Nakamurabashi Station on Seibu Ikebukuro Line in Nerima Ward, Tokyo. Closed March 22 and Mondays, except for March 21. Admission is 500 yen for adults, with student and senior discounts available. For further information, visit http://tinyurl.com/GrandvilleDY.

Sotheby's New York Announces Sale of Indian & Southeast Asian Works of Art

Sotheby's New York Announces Sale of Indian & Southeast Asian Works of Art

An Illustration to the Gita Govinda: Krishna Adorns his beloved Radha, India, Kangra or Guler, circa 1780. Image: 5 ½ x 9 ½ in., 15 x 25 cm. Est. $150/250,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

NEW YORK, N.Y.- Sotheby Indian & Southeast Asian Works of Art sale on 24 March in New York will be led by a spectacular 10th century Khmer Koh Ker period Athlete from a European private collection (est. $2/3 million). Acquired by the original owner over 40 years ago, the figure is mate to the Koh Ker athlete at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena that is almost identical in posture and physical appearance. The sale also includes early South and Southeast Asian stone and bronze sculpture, Indian miniature painting, Tibetan and Himalayan bronzes, the famous Pearl Canopy of Baroda, Raj-era silver and fine ivory works. Overall the 112 lot auction is estimated to fetch $8.2/12.2 million. The Khmer Athlete was commissioned by emperor Jayavarman IV (r. 914 – 928) for his new capital at Koh Ker 80 miles north of Angkor. Koh Ker sculptures are among the great masterpieces of Khmer art. The impressive size and quality of the figure reflects the prestige and importance of the ruler who commissioned it as well of the skill of his craftsmen. The Athlete’s pose derives from Cambodian dance postures which often depicted Hindu epics and mythology. These dances have been a constant feature in the country’s long history. The imposing stance of this figure indicates that it was more significant than a mere temple guardian. Indeed, the Athlete would have been a major mythological figure, instantly recognizable to the Khmer elite of the day and this depiction stands as one of the great achievements of Khmer art. A further important Khmer work in the sale is a sandstone Standing Shiva, Baphuon style, from the 11th century (est. $300/500,000). This beautifully modeled figure is arguably one of the finest sculptures of the Baphuon School. Its expressive face includes a third eye on the forehead identifying the figure as Shiva. An exquisite silver and copper inlaid Pala bronze from eastern India depicting the bodhisattva Manjushri, one of the most iconic deities in Mahayana Buddhism, belongs to the 11th /12th century (est. $200/300,000). This superb sculpture demonstrates the refinement of Pala figuration which was known for its elegance and highly stylized motifs. The section on South Indian bronzes is highlighted by a fine copper alloy sculpture of the Jina Parsvanatha dating to the 9th century that has been in the same collection for nearly 50 years (est. $150/200,000). The unclad figure of the Jina stands on a tiered plinth scattered with ritual implements. The unusual anchor shaped srivatsa on the Jina’s chest as well as the paleography of the Grantha inscription on the base, confirm the sculpture’s early date. A pair of exceptional Tibeto-Chinese gilt bronzes from the Qing Dynasty are highlights of the Tibetan works in the sale (est.$150/200,000 each). The sculptures depict The Arhats Kalika and Ajita, enlightened disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. The group of Indian miniatures in the sale is led by An Illustration to the Gita Govinda: Krishna Adorns his beloved Radha (est. $150/250,000). The painting depicts a scene from the Gita Govinda (Song of the Dark Lord) composed by the 12th century poet Jayadeva. The verse is homage to the incarnation of the Supreme Being Vishnu as Krishna, the Divine Lover. Here Krishna is seen tenderly tying a jeweled girdle around the waist of his beloved Radha after their tryst on the banks of the Yamuna. The auction ends with a selection of fine decorative works including a pair of rare ceremonial ivory sandals of Sri Lankan origin dating to the 18th/19th century (est. $40/60,000), a sumptuous early-19th century gilt silver Pandaan of Deccani origin (est. $80/120,000) and a pair of finely-wrought silver goblets by Omerse Mawji of Kutch (est. $30/50,000) the lead Raj-era silversmith of India.

Dura-Europos: A buried city unearthed - Dover, MA - Dover-Sherborn Press

Boston —

Around 165 A.D., Christians, Jews and pagans lived and worshiped side by side in a cosmopolitan city called Dura-Europos by the Euphrates River on the frontier of the Roman Empire.
Located in modern-day Syria, it housed a Roman military garrison of more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians whose lives reflected the hopes and dangers of those uncertain times.
A couple exchanged an engagement ring engraved with the word “Omonoia,” or “concord.” Soldiers dallied in a brothel adorned with a statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. A man named Tiro sold a 28-year-old female slave Math-Sin for 700 denari, worth about two years of unskilled labor.
Then sacked by invading Sasanians and abandoned in 256, the city lay covered by earth and lost for 16 centuries.
Through serendipity and determined archaeology, the city has come alive again through a remarkable exhibition at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College.
Organized by the McMullen and Yale University Art Gallery, “Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity” opens a thrilling window into a multicultural society through fascinating artifacts of great beauty and historical significance.
For Lisa R. Brody, who helped organize the exhibit, the 75 artifacts on display “provide glimpses into the lives of the people” who lived in Dura-Europos so long ago.
An associate curator of ancient art at Yale University Archives, she said thousands of objects recovered from the site and resulting research provide a multidimensional picture of the physical and spiritual lives of the city’s residents.
Visitors can stand before reconstructions of sacred spaces from the city where early Christians baptized their children, Jews gathered and adherents of mystery cults participated in forgotten rituals.
They can gaze upon some of the earliest painted images of Christ performing miracles, a statue of Hercules battling a lion, a Roman’s red wooden shield or an invader’s flattened iron helmet.
The exhibit includes the earliest known example of a baptistry, or baptisimal pool, along with 14 painted plaster scenes of Christian narratives such as Christ healing a paralytic or walking on water.
The exhibit includes four copies of wall paintings from the synagogue, one containing symbols of uncertain meaning.
Visitors can see a Mithraeum, a shrine for the mystery cult known as Mithraism, often practiced by Roman soldiers that featured secret rituals such as the killing of a bull.
Assistant Professor Gail L. Hoffman, who teaches classics and fine arts at BC and helped organize the show, predicted visitors would be intrigued by the accidental discovery of the city in 1920 by British soldiers digging a gun emplacement and subsequent excavations by archaeologists from Yale University, France and Syria.
“The exhibition explores how the ancient town of Dura-Europos, while it was destroyed by and then unearthed as a result of the clash of empires, contains within its walls a city where cultures and languages, the arts and even settings of religious worship mixed and intermingled,” she said.
Far more than a collection of old objects, “Crossroads” brings alive the people of Dura-Europos by showing where they prayed, what they wore, how they fought and even how they divorced.
A document from 254 A.D. recovered from the site records the divorce decree between a soldier, Julius Antiochus, and Aurella Amimma, who is illiterate, in which they give each other permission to remarry and relinquish future claims against one another.
Life in Dura-Europos was as uncertain in 165 A.D. as it is today.
The city was founded around 300 B.C. by Macedonian Greek soldiers, prospered from trade on nearby caravan routes and vanished from sight after six centuries.
When the end came in 256, Sasanian and Roman soldiers fought to the death in underground tunnels, trying to sabotage and shore up, respectively, the fortress walls even to the point of using a kind of chemical warfare that presaged brutalities to come.
McMullen Museum Director Nancy Netzer compared the exhibit to a snapshot of a polyglot, a multicultural society that appeared to thrive in the face of threats from Sasanians, the precursors of the Persian empire.
She observed that some of the exhibit’s most important artifacts were inadvertently preserved when Roman soldiers buried several city blocks within an earthen embankment constructed to shore up the city’s western wall.
“The architectural record is so rich for this site...and tells us something about how different ethnic societies existed in the ancient world. Jews, Christians and pagans worshiped in buildings alongside each other. There’s no evidence of strife except that which came from outside,” she said.
For her own research, Netzer examined arms and military trappings worn by some of the invading Sasanians, which appear to have come all the way from England, suggesting trade routes and other ties that require further exploration.
Netzer said she was especially struck by architectural and decorative similarities in the spaces where Christians, Jews and pagans worshiped.
“The similarities provoke questions about relationships among different religious group in a very wealthy and strategic outpost of the Roman empire,” she said. “It’s a crossroads in many ways.”

“Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity”
Through June 5
McMullen Museum of Art
Boston College
Admission: Free
Call: 617-552-8587
www.bc.edu/artmuseum

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Famous Los Angeles Getty Museum exhibiting Ganesha and Vishnu

Prestigious J. Paul Getty Museum of Los Angeles (USA) is currently exhibiting 13th century Lord Ganesha in its "Gods of Angkor" exhibition, which will continue till August 14. This exhibition contains intricately detailed 26 historical bronze statues and ritual objects from Cambodia, including 11-12th century Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva's bull Nandi, etc. Ganesha statue, in a sitting posture, is shown with snakes forming his armbands. Applauding Getty Center for exhibiting Hindu focused art, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth. Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d'Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Art Institute of Chicago, Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa in Malibu houses approximately 44,000 works of art from Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. David Bomford is the Acting Director while Mark S. Siegel is Board Chair of Getty Trust.(ANI)