Iconography: Buddhist Iconography Main Page

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Iconography Main Page

Deities: Categories & Divisions:
- Terminology
- Visual Categories
- Conceptual Categories
- Three Iconographic Topics:
--- Iconographic Details (textual description/iconography)
---- Iconography Text Based
---- Iconographic Convention Over Time
--- Non-iconographic Details (stylistic interpretation/art history)
--- Symbolic Meanings (religious context)

Videos:
- Iconography (all videos)
- Conflation of Deities: Part 1
- Iconography Publications (Book Reviews)

Principal Study Topics:
- Source Texts
- Oral Instructions
- Regional Styles
- Examples

Appearance:
- Buddhist Iconography Introduction
- Three Moods
- The Three Basic Figurative Forms Outline
- Five Styles of Iconographic Subjects
- Figurative Art Outline Page
- Appearance (Physical Forms)
- Gender & Iconography
- Colours
- Iconometry
- Iconic & Non-iconic Figures

Figurative Subjects, Class & Function:
- Traditional Hierarchy
- Appearance (above)
- Class & Function
- Iconography Subjects Outline
- Major & Minor Deities

Sources & Study Materials:
- Sutrayana & Tantrayana Iconography
- Iconography Collections (Literature)
- Iconography Sources & Texts Outline
- Study Guides
- Complex Specific Subjects
- Aphorisms for Iconography
- Symbols
- Confusions
- Others...

Introduction: In Himalayan and Tibetan style art the study of Tantric Buddhist iconography involves the combination of ten subjects under the three categories of [1] Hierarchy (1), [2] Appearance (2-5), and [3] Class & Function (6-8). The category of Hierarchy is the traditional manner in which the figures and deities are arranged and understood according to importance within the religious tradition. The category of Appearance is based on objective observation mixed with religious tradition and the terminology of the indigenous artistic traditions. The category of Class & Function is based on the theoretical and abstract categorizations within the various Tantric Buddhist traditions.

Jeff Watt, February 27th, 2010 [updated 2-2016, 5-2017, 2-2020]

(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).