Studies in Indian Art

Studies in Indian Art by Vasudeva S. Agrawala is a substantial collection of 45 scholarly papers examining the history, symbolism, iconography, sculpture, architecture, and aesthetic traditions of Indian art. Agrawala approaches Indian art not merely as visual form, but as an expression of Indian religious, philosophical, literary, and cultural ideas, giving particular attention to the symbolic meanings embedded in artistic motifs and sacred imagery. The volume ranges from Indus Valley art and early Indian symbolism to the Mauryan, Śuṅga, Mathurā, Gupta, and medieval periods. Important subjects include the Pūrṇa-kumbha or Full Vase, Yakṣas and Yakṣīs, Bharhut and Sanchi, Mathurā sculpture, Buddhist and Bodhisattva images, Gupta temples, Hindu iconography, Śiva and Viṣṇu imagery, and medieval temple sculpture. The book is enriched with 165 line drawings and eight plates, making it a valuable reference for the study of Indian art history, archaeology, religion, and iconography.