Spirits in Transcultural Skies: Auspicious and Protective Spirits in Artefacts and Architecture Between East and West (Transcultural Research – Heidelberg ... on Asia and Europe in a Global Context)

The Volume Investigates The Visualization Of Both Ritual And Decorative Aspects Of Auspiciousness And Protection In The Form Of Celestial Characters In Art And Architecture. In Doing So, It Covers More Than Two And A Half Millennia And A Broad Geographical Area, Documenting A Practice Found In Nearly Every Corner Of The World. Its Transcultural Approach Aims At Gaining Insights Into Cultural Dynamics And Consistent Networks And Defining New Historical Mindmaps; It Examines Reciprocal Effects And Aspects Of Interwovenness In Art And Architecture With A View To Reconceptualizing Their Established Realms. The Collection Opens A Window On A Phenomenon In The History Of Art And Architecture That Has Never Before Been Considered From This Perspective. The Book Focuses On A Transcultural Iconography Of Aerial Spirits, Goddesses And Gods In Art History, Pursuing A Methodologically Innovative Approach In Order To Redefine And Develop The Practice Of Identification And Classification Of Motifs As A Means To Understanding Meaning, And Attempting To Challenge The Categories Defined By Academic Disciplines.-- The Goddess Of Victory In Greek And Roman Art / Kai Michael Töpfer -- The Iconography Of Zoroastrian Angelology In Sasanian Art And Architecture / Shervin Farridnejad -- Angels As Agents Of Transfer Between Hebrew Origins, Byzantium, And Western Europe: Marienberg In South Tyrol As A Case Study / Angelika Konrad-schineller -- The Dragon In Transcultural Skies: Its Celestial Aspect In The Medieval Islamic World / Sara Kuehn -- Winged Immortals And Heavenly Beings Across The East Asian Skies / Chari Pradel -- How Celestial Spirits Became Winged In The Architecture Of The Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (sixth To Nineteenth Century) / Niels Gutschow -- Solomonic Angels In A Mughal Sky: The Wall Paintings Of The Kala Burj At The Lahore Fort Revisited And Their Reception In Later South Asian And Qajar Art / Ebba Koch -- Ethereal Imagery: Symbolic Attributes In The Art And Architecture Of India / Rabindra J. Vasavada -- Entangled Visualities: Celestial Beings In Early Twentieth Century Architecture Of The Kathmandu Valley In Nepal / Katharina Weiler -- Epilogue / Katharina Weiler. Niels Gutschow, Katharina Weiler, Editors. Presented Here Are The Proceedings Of The Workshop 'spirits In Transcultural Skies', Held At The Cluster Of Excellence 'asia And Europe In A Global Context: Shifting Asymmetries In Cultural Flows' At Heidelberg University From 30 June To 2 July, 2011.--pages Xi-xii. Includes Bibliographical References. Contents 6 List of Contributors 8 Introduction 12 Transcultural Journeys 12 Messengers and Protectors 15 Cloud-Borne Beings and Controllers of Rain 16 Ethereal Escorts in Godly Realms 19 Entangled Angelology 21 References 23 The Goddess of Victory in Greek and Roman Art 24 The Greek Goddess: Nike 24 The Roman Goddess: Victoria 29 The Goddess of Victory in Roman Syria 32 Cross-cultural Developments in the Levant 32 Nike/Victoria in the Local Imagery 33 Image Adaptation in the Context of Local Religious Concepts: Victoria-Tyche-Gad 36 Nike/Victoria: A Powerful Transcultural Image 39 References 40 The Iconography of Zoroastrian Angelology in Sasanian Art and Architecture 42 Zoroastrian Angels: Term and Function 42 Sasanians and the Term ``Sasanian Art ́ ́ 43 The Concept of Spiritual Beings or the So-Called ``Angels ́ ́ in Zoroastrianism 44 Zoroastrian Angelology 45 Av. ama spnta (MP. amesāspand, [a]mahraspand) 45 Av. frauuai- (MP. frawahr) 45 Av. yazata (MP. yazad) 46 Angels in Sasanian Art: Notes on Their Iconography 47 Yazatas Depicted in Sasanian Toreutics and Rock Reliefs 48 Dancing Girls 48 Frauuais Depicted in Sasanian Rock Reliefs and Toreutics 54 Winged figures of Tāq-e Bostān 54 Winged Figures in Toreutics 58 Conclusion 58 References 61 Angels as Agents of Transfer Between Hebrew Origins, Byzantium, and Western Europe: Marienberg in South Tyrol as a Case Study 65 Introduction 65 Iconographical Translations: Byzantine Models for Christ in Majesty and Angels 69 Textual Sources Relating to Angels of Biblical and Byzantine Origin 82 Angels in the Book of Revelation 82 Pseudo-Dionysius, the Byzantine Liturgy, and Their Adaption in Western Christianity 84 Spaces of Transition: Angels in Threshold Situations 85 Angels as Psychopomps for the Deceased 85 Angels, the Tabernacle, and the Ark of the Covenant 86 The Angels as Role Models for the Vita Angelica 89 References 90 The Dragon in Transcultural Skies: Its Celestial Aspect in the Medieval Islamic World 93 References 116 Primary Sources 116 Secondary Sources 116 Winged Immortals and Heavenly Beings Across the East Asian Skies 120 Introduction 120 Feathered Men and Winged Immortal Beings of the Han Dynasty 122 Heavenly Beings in China 125 Indian-Type Heavenly Beings 128 Southern-Type Heavenly Beings 129 Winged Immortals and Southern-Type Heavenly Beings in Northern Monuments 134 Concluding Remarks About Chinese Winged Immortals and Heavenly Beings 136 Heavenly Beings in Korea and Japan 137 Conclusion 141 References 142 How Celestial Spirits Became Winged in the Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Sixth to Nineteenth Century) 145 The Urban Culture of the Kathmandu Valley 145 Notes About Transcultural Flows 147 Aerial Spirits: Wisdom-Bearers, Celestial Musicians, and Angels 148 Genii of Roman and Sasanian Provenance 148 The Background of Aerial Spirits: Gupta-Period Origins 148 The Arrival of Gupta-Period Wisdom-Bearers and Bird Men in Nepal 149 Wisdom Bearers and Bird Men on Portals and Lintels, Eleventh to Sixteenth Century 152 Wingless Wisdom-Bearers and Bird Men 153 Winged Spirits: Diverse Roman, Sasanian, Islamic and Christian Sources 156 Angels (Pari) or Genii of Persian Provenance 156 Christian Angels at Mughal Courts 157 Winged Spirits in Newar Architecture 158 Bird Men and Cloud Foliage 158 The Emergence of Winged Wisdom Bearers: Seventeenth Century 159 The Dominance of Winged Spirits (Vidyādharas, Gandharvas and Kīrtimukhas) in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries 163 Celestial Musicians, Wisdom Bearers, Bird Men, Faces of Glory, and Angels in Perspective 168 References 169 Solomonic Angels in a Mughal Sky: The Wall Paintings of the Kala Burj at the Lahore Fort Revisited and Their Reception in Late... 171 The Angels of the Kala Burj, Lahore Fort 171 Transcultural Iconography 171 The Angels of the Lahore Fort as Actors in a Solomonic Program 177 Post-Jahangiri ``Solomonic ́ ́ Iconographies 183 Wider Echoes of Jahangir ́s Solomonic Vaults 186 References 190 Ethereal Imagery: Symbolic Attributes in the Art and Architecture of India 192 Belief in Ethereal Existence 192 Regional Concepts of Art and Architecture in Ahmadabad 193 Ethereal Imagery in Jaina Temple Architecture 195 Winged Celestial Figures in Svāminārāyaa Temple Architecture 205 The Sacred and The Mundane 209 Religious Beliefs and Camouflaged Imagery 209 References 211 Entangled Visualities: Celestial Beings in Early Twentieth Century Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal 212 The Newar Neoclassical 212 Re-imagining the Divine 213 Winged Spirits at Rana Palaces 218 Celestial Figures of the Newar Neoclassical Style 220 Deities of the Gaze: Scantily Clad Angels and Aspects of Eroticism 224 Negotiating the Local and the Global 229 References 231 Epilogue 232 Front Matter....Pages i-xxii The Goddess of Victory in Greek and Roman Art....Pages 1-18 The Iconography of Zoroastrian Angelology in Sasanian Art and Architecture....Pages 19-41 Angels as Agents of Transfer Between Hebrew Origins, Byzantium, and Western Europe: Marienberg in South Tyrol as a Case Study....Pages 43-70 The Dragon in Transcultural Skies: Its Celestial Aspect in the Medieval Islamic World....Pages 71-97 Winged Immortals and Heavenly Beings Across the East Asian Skies....Pages 99-123 How Celestial Spirits Became Winged in the Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Sixth to Nineteenth Century)....Pages 125-150 Solomonic Angels in a Mughal Sky: The Wall Paintings of the Kala Burj at the Lahore Fort Revisited and Their Reception in Later South Asian and Qajar Art....Pages 151-171 Ethereal Imagery: Symbolic Attributes in the Art and Architecture of India....Pages 173-192 Entangled Visualities: Celestial Beings in Early Twentieth Century Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal....Pages 193-212 Epilogue....Pages 213-221