Sculpture of Bangladesh

Sculpture has been an indispensable part of Bangladeshi culture. Bangladesh was at times an important centre influencing stone sculpture in South Asia, especially in the post-Gupta and medieval periods. Terracotta reliefs are a particular local characteristic of Hindu temples (with figures) and mosques (without figures) in recent centuries.

The earliest sculptures in Bangladesh discovered so far date back to the 3rd century

BC. Since ancient times, sculptures have been serving as a substantial manifestation of the profound heritage of Bangladeshi culture and history

.

Historic significance

Sculptures have been a key of source of rendering the historic identity of the ancient Bangladesh. Even though the art of sculptures in Bangladesh began almost 2500 years ago, it mostly flourished during the

Sena dynasty

all of which belong to the early Middle Ages (1–1200 CE).

Gupta sculptures

The Gupta rulers were devoted

Kusana and the Gupta phases. The image is preserved with quite a number of other Vishnus of the Gupta period in the Varendra Research Museum. The Gupta sculptures of Bangladesh are mostly icons and their forms were determined by the characteristics of the gods as prescribed by the priests of Central India

.

Pala sculptures

During more than four hundred years of Pala rule (8th–12th century AD), many centres of sculptural art flourished simultaneously in different regions of the extensive empire of Bangladesh. The products of these centres were not only varied but also numerous. Thousands of sculptures of this period have been discovered and they now form part of the collections of a number of museums in Bangladesh. Many of them have also found their ways into a number of museums in Europe and America. Most of these sculptures have been found through the excavations in Somapura Mahavihara. Pala sculpture derives its origins from the late Gupta style, but later on deviated from it.

Sena sculptures

A large number of sculptures representing

goddesses

belong to the phase of artistic activity initiated under the Sena rulers (c 1097–1223 AD). From the artistic point of view, Sena sculpture is a continuation of the Pala style in vogue till the late 11th century AD. The slender body form of the late Pala period sculpture is retained in the Sena period, but the modelling quality shows a marked deterioration.

Materials

Most of the ancient sculptures discovered in Bangladesh are made of

black stone

etc. The earliest sculptures were made of terracotta dating back as early as 3rd century BC. The trend of using bronze for sculptures started from the 7th century. The black stone sculptures also originated from that period.

Terracotta

The history of terracotta sculpture in Bangladesh starts from the

Mauryan

sculpture it can be inferred that the art had a long and continuous heritage. These sculptures became much more elegant, refined, well-shaped and worldly in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.

Bronze

The trend of using bronze in sculptures started in the 7th century CE mainly from the

Gautam Buddha

. However, later on sculptures depicting the Hindu deities were also made with bronze.

Black stone

Stone sculptures so far discovered from Bangladesh that are assignable to the first three centuries of the

Brahmanism, Buddhism and Jainism

.

Religious depictions

The Bangladeshi sculptures, especially those belonging to the ancient and early Middle Ages mostly depict the Hindu deities and the deities worshiped by the Buddhists, especially Gautam Buddha. Thus, these sculptures can be divided in two major categories considering their religious significance.

Hindu sculptures

Sculptures depicting the

Indian Subcontinent

.

Buddhist sculptures

These sculptures mostly depict the

Rangpur region

of the country.

Modern sculptures

Sculptures, created after the independence of Bangladesh can be referred as modern sculptures. Most of these sculptures depict the gallant struggle of Bangladeshis during the

Bangladesh liberation war. Some notable sculptures depicting the liberation war are Aparajeyo Bangla, Shabash Bangladesh, Jagroto Chowrongi, Pataka Ekattor by Rupam Roy, Imran Hossain Piplu and Muhammad Ziaul Huq Shimul etc. Nitun Kundu, Shyamal Choudhury, Mrinal Haque

are some of the notable modern sculptors.

References

Roy, Alak (2012). "Terracotta Sculpture and Mural". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
Bautze-Picron, Claudine (2012). "Bronze Sculpture". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
Alam, Shamsul Alam (2012). "Pala Sculpture". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
Alam, Shamsul (2012). "Sena Sculpture". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
Bhattacharya, Asok K (2012). "Sculpture". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
"Bangladeshi Sculptures". fineartsbd.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
"Liberation War in Sculpture". The Daily Star. 21 March 2012. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
Hossain, Takir (13 December 2013). "Sculptures themed on the Liberation War". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017.
"Sculptures in Bangladesh". Embassy of Germany, Dhaka. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2013.