ThoughtGallery.org > Picturing Indian Spells in Medieval China

Picturing Indian Spells in Medieval China

The Buddhist mantra or spell (dharani) is to be chanted, but it was a common practice for the medieval Chinese to illustrate this verbal formula. What visual form could possibly capture the imagined efficacy of a dharani? The matter became more complicated when the Indian mantra met the Chinese spell. Were they visualized or pictured differently? Could they work together? What was the division of labor between them? To make the matter even more complicated, there were many cases when the visual renditions of verbal spells were hidden in places where they could not be seen. Why bother to make pictures that have no audience?











When: Wed., Jul. 31, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Where: Rubin Museum of Art
150 W. 17th St.
212-620-5000
Price: $15
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The Buddhist mantra or spell (dharani) is to be chanted, but it was a common practice for the medieval Chinese to illustrate this verbal formula. What visual form could possibly capture the imagined efficacy of a dharani? The matter became more complicated when the Indian mantra met the Chinese spell. Were they visualized or pictured differently? Could they work together? What was the division of labor between them? To make the matter even more complicated, there were many cases when the visual renditions of verbal spells were hidden in places where they could not be seen. Why bother to make pictures that have no audience?

Buy tickets/get more info now