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Sculpture of the Pala Period
The word "Pala," which means "protector" in Sanskrit, was the name of an important dynasty that flourished in eastern India from the 8th to the 12th century. During this period, the present-day Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal as well as the nation of Bangladesh were primarily under the control of the Pala family. While it is unclear whether the Pala kings were themselves Buddhist, Pala-ruled areas became one of the last strongholds of Buddhism in India; as a result, the religion and its arts thrived, although Hinduism gained dominance by the 11th and 12th centuries. At this time, Buddhist pilgrims, monks, and students from all over Asia flocked to the holy sites connected with the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and to the numerous monasteries and Buddhist universities. When they returned home, these travelers brought Pala-period Buddhism and art with them in the form of manuscripts, small sculptures, drawings, and other portable imagery. Consequently, the Pala style particularly influenced the art of Burma, Nepal, Tibet, Shrivijaya, and Java. Both Buddhist and Hindu temples from the Pala period were built of brick and decorated with stone images that were set into wall niches; the Asia Society's collection has four such sculptures. |
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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara |
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Shiva and Parvati |
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Bodhisattva Manjushri |
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Crowned Buddha Shakyamuni |
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Buddha Shakyamuni |
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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara |
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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara |
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Shiva and Parvati |
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