西印度佛教石窟艺术刍议

An Essential Study on the Art of Buddhist Grottoes in West India

西印度马哈拉施特拉邦分布着印度规模最大的佛教石窟群,起源于阿育王时期,最初为外道所用,后被佛教徒发展壮大。其形式可分为支提窟、僧房窟、方形窟,其建筑、雕塑和壁画见证了佛教艺术从"象征物时期"至佛像蓬勃发展时期的过渡,同犍陀罗、秣菟罗、阿玛拉瓦蒂的佛教艺术相比,具有浓郁的本土特色。西印度佛教石窟对中亚与中国的佛教石窟开凿观念与佛教艺术有着深远的影响。

India's largest Buddhist grottoes are located in the state of Maharashtra, west India. They originated from Ashoka period, and were firstly caved by other religions before the Buddhist. The form of the grottoes can be divided into three types, the Chaitya, the Vihara and the Mandapa, whose architectures, sculptures and murals witness the transition of Buddhist art from 'symbol period' to the booming of 'figure period'. The art from Buddhist grottoes in west India has strong local characteristics comparing with Gandhara, Mathura and Amaravati Buddhist arts. The Buddhist grottoes in west India have profound impacts to the grotto caving conception and art of Buddhism in central Asia and China.