Vasudhara


 * Vasudhara**

Title: //Vasudhara, Goddess of Abundance// Artist(s): Nepalese Date: 12th Century Period: Country of Origin: Nepal Cultural/Ethnic Affiliation: Nepal Medium: Copper with gilding and gem stones Dimensions:object: 6 x 5 3/8 x 4 in. (15.2 x 13.7 x 10.2 cm) object with mount: 7 1/4 x 5 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. (18.4 x 14.6 x 12.1 cm) Museum/Collection: Detroit Institute of Art (Founders Society Purchase, General Membership Fund) Accession Number: 42.1 Current Location and Manner of Display: Provenance: //Vasudhara, Goddess of Abundance//, Artist unknown. 12th century, Nepal. Detroit Institute of Arts. Accession number: 42.1
 * Artwork Identification**

Vasudhara is the goddess of wealth and abundance in Buddhist theology. Often referred to as the "Bearer of Treasure," she is the Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu goddess Shri-Lakshmi. Vasudhara belongs to a category of Buddhist female deities called buddha-matas, or "Mother of All Buddhas." In Buddhism, she is considered the embodiment of the divine female, as well as being the personification of transcendental wisdom. People of the Buddhist faith appeal to Vasudhara for earthly riches as well as for fertility of the fields (crops) and womb (pregnancy).
 * Introduction**

This bronze representation of Vasudhara was acquired by The Detroit Institute of Arts in 1942 through a purchase by the Founders Society using its General Membership Fund.¹ At a height of only six inches, this small, yet detailed image is situated on a mount and encased with other small objects associated with Mahayana Buddhism. Created by the lost wax method, the copper sculpture is gilded and inlaid with turquoise and another type of gemstone, most likely a type of zircon called jacinth.² The figure is portrayed seated with one foot slightly extended, known as the lalitasana pose, or royal pose of ease. The statue is identifiable as Vasudhara by the combination of hand gestures, or mudras, and items she holds. In her right hands, starting with the top hand, she displays the gesture of salutation, a jeweled lotus bud, and the varada mudra, or boon-granting gesture. In her left hands, from top to bottom, she holds the Prajnaparamita manuscript, also known as the “Perfection of Wisdom” sutra, a sheaf of grain, and an overflowing jeweled vase. To reflect her abundant nature, she is highly adorned with jewelry. The inlaid stones on her crown, necklace, and bracelets accentuate her adornments. The stones on the vase and lotus bud signify that it is not only Vasudhara, but, additionally, the items associated with her were considered of great wealth.
 * Vasudhara, Goddess of Abundance. 12th century, Nepal.**

This piece is distinguishably Nepalese, as the six-armed form of Vasudhara is almost exclusively found in Nepal.³ Though this form originated in India, very few images of the six-armed Vasudhara have been found in India.⁴ In other areas where Vasudhara is worshiped, it is more common to find her represented with either two or four arms. In her two-armed form, which is the dominant form in Tibetan art, her signature water vase and sheaf of grain are still present.

Two-armed form of Vasudhara.

Additionally, small images of Vasudhara such as this one are common in Nepal, where she is more appropriately regarded as a household deity than a central temple figure. In Nepal, she is commemorated during the harvest moon, where she is associated with the goddess Kumari, who is actually a girl living today.

The style of Nepalese art between the 9th and 13th century is reminiscent of works the Gupta period of the 5th and 6th century. However, this period is considered a transitional time in Nepalese art and there are some differences between the styles. The art of the Gupta period was more masculine and monumental in scale, whereas Nepali artists of this time preferred miniature manuscripts and small-scale bronzes with softer, more feminine appearances.⁵
 * Cultural and Societal Influences**

Additionally, though there was political instability, artwork in Nepal flourished during this time. Increased trade on the India-Tibet trade route through the Kathmandu Valley resulted in the commissioning of art and monasteries by wealthy merchants. After raids on Indian monasteries in the 12th century, Tibetan artists and scholars lost their ties to India and, in turn, looked to Nepal for inspiration. As a result, Tibetan art and religious thought after the 12th century took on characteristics similar to those found in Nepal.⁶

Map of Nepal.

The story of Vasudhara appears in the //Vasudhara Dharani//, also known as //The Inquiry of Layman Sucandra//. In this story, an impoverished layman named Sucandra approaches Shakyamuni Buddha for help. Sucandra explains that he has many mouths to feed and asks the Buddha if he knows a method to accumulate stores of grain, precious metals, and gems. Shakyamuni tells him about a mantra, or magical incantation, he learned from a Buddha of the distant past, explaining to Sucandra that Vasudhara will appear and bring good fortune to anyone who recites or hears the sacred words. Sucandra happily thanks the Buddha and promises to share the teachings he has revealed. Shortly after, Shakyamuni sends his disciple Ananda to visit Sucandra. Ananda is surprised to see that Sucandra’s storehouses are overflowing. On his return, Ananda asks the Buddha how Sucandra could prosper so quickly. The Buddha discloses the //Vasudhara Dharani//, explaining that not only he, but all Buddhas share in this teaching “for the well-being of all the poor people and for the removal of all fears, obstructions and calamites.”⁷
 * The Origin of Vasudhara**

** " Vasudhara, Goddess of Abundance"
 * More Images of Vasudhara

//Vasudhara//, Nepal; Early Malla

¹ Sherman E. Lee, “A Manuscript and a Bronze from Nepal.” //The Detroit Institute of Arts of the City of Detroit Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 8// (1942), 67. ² Lee, 70. ³ “Himalayan Art: Buddhist Deity: Vasudhara (Main Page),”  (accessed 19 November, 2008). ⁴ Miranda Shaw, //Buddhist Goddesses of India// (Princeton University Press, 2006), 255. ⁵ Lee, 67. ⁶ Ian Alsop, et al. " Nepal ." In //Grove Art Online//. //Oxford Art Online//, < http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T061708pg4> (accessed 23 November, 2008 ). ⁷ Shaw, 248.
 * Footnotes:**


 * Image References:** "Map of Nepal." Accessed on 10 November, 2008 from University of Texas Libraries website- http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia08/nepal_sm_2008.gif

"Two-armed form of Vasudhara." Accessed on 22 November 2008 from the Dharmapala Thangka Centre website - http://www2.bremen.de/info/nepal/Statues/female/vasudhara-1.htm

"Vasudhara, Goddess of Abundance." Accessed on 3 March 2009 from http://nmazca.com/3142857/2007/04/strollin-through-sackler.htm

"Vasudhara." Accessed on 3 March 2009 from the Marcel Nies website - http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/nies/10.html

Links:
The Detroit Institute of Arts - http://dia.org/ The Detroit Institute of Arts: //Vasudhara – Goddess of Abundance// - http://dia.org/the_collection/overview/viewobject.asp?objectid=24833 Himalayan Art Resources - http://www.himalayanart.org/home.cfm South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): Nepal - http://nepal.saarctourism.org/ Smithsonian //Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery -// http://www.asia.si.edu/ Vasudhara on Marcel Nies - http://www.asianart.com/nies/17.html Buddhist Goddesses of India - [|[[http://books.google.com/books?id=MvDKOK1h3zMC&pg=PA260&lpg=PA260&dq=buddhism vasudhara&source=bl&ots=Q1Bwex8mcl&sig=Cq8HgvM10Q4KuRjinhQD78BDgpU&hl=en&ei=d_WtSfGIL9CQngf3v-3ABg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA33,M1|http://books.google.com/]]]


 * Art Lesson 1**
 * Title:** Cultural Differences
 * Level and Grades:** High School
 * Time:** 2 Days (4 days with paper)

This lesson meets the following [|National Standards for Arts Education]: VA 9-12.4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and culture. (1 & 3) VA 9-12.6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines (2).
 * Standards:**

This Lesson meets the following [|National Education Technology Standards for Students]: 1. Creativity and Innovation (a) 3. Research and Information Fluency (b, c, & d) 5. Digital Citizenship (a, b, c, & d)

 //Activity 1: Symbol Exploration//, Day 1 This day is going to begin with a trip to the media center at the school. The entire class period will be held in the media center, and it will serve as a workday for the students.  //Activity 2: Powerpoint Presentation//, Day 2 Before class begins, have a projector and computer set up for students’ presentations. Have the Powerpoint presentations retrieved from your email and ready on the desktop for easy access.
 * Significant Key Concepts:**
 * Vasudhara in Nepalese culture: Certain symbols such as the lotus flower and conch shell are used to represent Buddhist faith.
 * Culture and Seeing: Different cultures view similar objects differently. What may be seen in our culture as simply a plant or animal could be seen (and treated) very differently by people of a different culture.
 * Teaching and Learning Activities:**
 * At the beginning of class, ask the students to write about what they think of when they think of a conch shell and lotus flower. Have them type up a paragraph on each one, and then print it out.
 * Take the students to this exact page and allow them 10 minutes to read through the information. Walk around the room to answer questions and make sure students are doing the required reading. As they go, have them fill out the attached worksheet, which contains five questions based on the reading.
 * Once the students are done reading, divide the class up into 8 equal (or as close to equal) groups.
 * Introduce the assignment by mentioning the fact that Vasudhara always holds certain objects in her hands that symbolize something to the people of the Buddhist faith. There are 8 main symbols associated with the Buddhist faith. They are: Lotus Flower, Mandala, Golden Fish, Victory Banner, Wheel of Dharma, Treasure Vase, Parasol, and Conch Shell.
 * Assign each group one of the 8 symbols. Students will use the internet to research what their symbol means. Each group must cite information from 3 different online sources using proper APA format. None of the sources may be from a .com website, though .com search engines may be used.
 * Each group is responsible to prepare and submit to the teacher via email by next class a short, 5-slide PowerPoint presentation on their symbol to the rest of the class.
 * Criteria for Slideshow
 * Title Slide: Group members' names and symbol researched. You must include an image of your symbol.
 * Second Slide: What does this symbol represent in the Buddhist faith?
 * Third Slide: What does this symbol represent to American culture?
 * Fourth Slide: What does this symbol represent to each of the group members, and what is the cultural background of each member?
 * Fifth Slide: Works Cited.
 * Allow the students the remainder of class to work on their PowerPoint presentations. Answer questions about PowerPoint. Make sure students stay on task and are not browsing the web for other purposes (remind them that this is the only day to work on the assignment, it is going to be presented next class)

End of Lesson
 * Each group will present their slideshow to the rest of the class.
 * Each presentation needs to last 5 minutes. If the students finish their slideshow before 5 minutes, the rest of the time turns into a question and answer session between the group members and the rest of the class, with no point deductions because the slideshow didn’t last all 5 minutes.
 * Once all of the groups have presented, assign the homework. The assignment is to write a 250 word essay reflecting on //the importance of understanding// how other cultures view objects and symbols compared to our own. This paper will be due in two class periods from today.


 * Assessment:**
 * Assignment || Grade ||
 * Worksheet and Symbol Paragraphs || /5 ||
 * Slideshow (Contains all components, 5 points; Information is accurate, 5 points; Slideshow runs smoothly and is engaging for audience (pictures, sound, etc.), 5 points.) || /15 ||
 * Essay (Grammar/Punctuation/Length, 5 points; Well written and shows good reflection on cultural differences, resulting in different ways of seeing, 10 points) || /15 ||
 * > Total || /35 ||