The Art of Champa

Jean-François Hubert

Description

In the 5th century, the Champa kingdom held sway over a large area of today’s Vietnam. Several magnificent structures still testify to their former presence in the Nha Trang region. Cham sculpture was worked in a variety of materials, principally sandstone, but also gold, silver and bronze. It was primarily used to illustrate themes from Indian mythology. The kingdom was gradually eroded during the 15th century by the inexorable descent of the people towards the south (“Nam Tiên”) from their original base in the Red River region. The author explores, describes, and comments on the various styles of Cham sculpture, drawing on a rich and, as yet, largely unpublished iconographic vein.

Sujets

• Religion
• Vietnamese
• Buddhism
• Iconography
• Brahmanism
• Champa
• Royaume de Champ?
• Sculpture

Informations

• Publié par: Parkstone International
• Date de parution: 04 juillet 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783107391
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

T ext : Jean-Françoi s Hube r t
T ranslation: Anna Allanet

Layout:
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Distric t 3 , Ho Ch i Minh City

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François Devos for all photographs.

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Acknowledgments

M y thank s g o firs t o f al l t o m y edito r , Jean-Pau l Manz o wh o enthusiasticall y accepte d my p r oject , an d t o Elian e d e Sérési n wh o ha d th e tas k o f seein g i t ge t done . Ma y the y fin d he r e the exp r essio n o f m y dee p gratitude.
Pa r ticula r mentio n i s du e t o Françoi s Devos , photographe r , wh o ag r ee d t o accompan y m e to place s tha t we r e ofte n pictu r esque , t o tak e magnificen t photos.

Thank s als o t o al l thos e withou t whom , fo r on e r easo n o r anothe r , thi s wor k woul d no t have com e int o existence:

Sophi e Alla r d-Latour
Philipp e Damas
Jean-Lu c Engueha r d
Miche l Inguimbe r ty
Jean-Pau l Morin
Can g Nguyen
Eri c Pouillot
Richa r d P r evost
Nichola s Schee r es
Ma r c V a r tabedian
Ann a Zweede.

Finall y , m y ve r y specia l thank s g o t o Joëll e Loi r et , whos e p r ofessiona l ey e an d sens e o f for m and conten t a r e onl y equalle d b y he r patienc e an d tenacit y .
Jean-François Hubert



The Art of Champa
Contents


Introduction
The History of Champa
Cham Architecture
Gods and their representation
Styles and the dating of sculptures
Cyclotron analysis of Champa metals a n d jewellery
Conclusion
Glossary
Brief Chronology of Champa
Chronology of the reigns of Cham sovereigns, the construction of temples and their schools of sculpture
Bibliography
List of Illustrations
1. Sandstone Garuda in the Thâp-Mam style (1 2 th Century) standing in f r ont of the V ietnam History Museum (Hanoi) (detail).
Introduction


2. Sandstone Garuda in the Thâp-Mam style (1 2 th Century), standing in f r ont of the V ietnam History Museum (Hanoi).


Evokin g Champ a mean s glorifyin g death , sanctifying r emnants , magnifyin g clues , singin g th e praise s of mourning , an d r econstructin g histo r y . Champ a onl y exists no w i n th e memorie s o f a diminishin g collectio n o f livin g people wh o desi r e eterna l life , i n a half-audibl e melod y – necessaril y exotic – tha t i s humme d b y a fe w disquiete d spirits.
Y et , i n defianc e o f time , hel d i n compassio n b y it , w r eaking r eveng e o n th e injustic e o f th e inevitable … Cha m statue s bear witnes s t o thi s civilisatio n tha t wa s swallowe d u p i n th e meanders o f histo r y , p r ofan e chil d o f th e divin e wor k o f destruction.
Civilisation s die , bu t al l a r e fecund . The y leav e i n ou r collective memory those fundamental notions, impossible to a r ticulate, which a r e ir r esolutel y infinit e an d unattainabl y absolute.
Pe r haps , howeve r , th e Cha m civilisatio n i s a littl e mo r e los t t o us tha n others : deat h i s no t a stat e o f bein g bu t a discourse , and Champ a ha s lon g lacke d orator s an d a n audience . Still , wha t a gestu r e ! A mysteriou s bi r th , a stateles s ideal , a gloriou s decadence, a deat h announce d i n th e nam e o f impossibl e otherness . Champ a is five hund r ed years of myster y , a thousand of destruction, and th r ee hund r e d o f bein g fo r gotten.
Th e mos t e f ficien t app r oac h t o it s r ediscove r y wa s t o captu r e its vestiges , it s abandone d towers , it s fo r gotte n sculptu r es , it s sublime site s whe r e th e divin e wanders ; a pleasan t tas k fo r th e willing travelle r , arme d wit h th e learne d indication s o f th e g r ea t ancients an d attentiv e t o th e unbiase d attractio n o f discove r y . Examinin g a statue, carrying out an authentication, is to inter r ogate condensed histor y . Al l the statue s illustrate d in thi s boo k we r e closely examined , measu r ed , inspected , an d authenticated . Al l f r o m private collections , ofte n he r etofo r e unpublished , the y brin g ne w bloo d to th e obse r vation : i n a r t , nothin g i s mo r e dange r ou s tha n inb r ed model s an d limite d field s o f vision.
Cham a r t in general and Cham sculptu r e in pa r ticular is p r ofoundl y original . I t wa s r ediscove r e d b y th e F r enc h an d ha s now bee n r epossesse d b y th e V ietnames e a t th e beginnin g o f th e twenty- first centur y .
P r ofoundl y origina l becaus e eve n i f a fe w stylisti c comparisons ca n b e made , origin s r efer r e d to , o r influence s noted , Cha m sculptu r e di f fer s f r o m al l othe r school s o f sculptu r e – pas t o r p r esent.
Rediscove r e d b y th e F r enc h durin g th e perio d o f F r ench administratio n i n Indochin a (whic h include d V ietnam ) i n the secon d hal f o f th e nineteent h centur y , it s scientist s an d explo r ers suppo r te d b y th e governmen t o f th e da y . Explo r ers , suppo r te d by a r chitects , epigraphist s an d a r chaeologist s no t onl y garne r e d a uniqu e fun d o f knowledge , combinin g documentatio n and commentar y , bu t als o carrie d ou t th e majo r wor k o f conse r ving Cha m sites . I n a worl d whe r e th e us e o f F r enc h i s declining , i t is no t insignifican t t o not e tha t F r enc h r emain s th e languag e of r efe r enc e fo r th e stud y o f Cha m a r t : n o p r ecis e r efe r ence , no seriou s stud y coul d – eve n toda y – escap e f r o m th e detailed examinatio n an d attentiv e r eadin g o f document s draw n f r o m the bes t sou r ces , al l writte n i n F r ench , ove r th e las t fiv e hund r ed years.
3. V o-Canh Inscription Standing in front of the V ietnam Histo r y Museum (Hanoi ) . Date d f r o m th e 3 rd and 4 th Centur y , it r emainins pivotal in much r esea r ch although its being of Cham origin is uncertain.


Thes e document s hav e bee n r epossesse d toda y b y the V ietnames e becaus e the y hav e bee n able , afte r the demand s o f years o f wa r , to inte r es t themselve s in a n a r t that, fo r man y , r emains fo r eign . Afte r all , in the collectiv e conscienc e that cement s a nation, the Cham s we r e , consciousl y , the enem y to the south, thos e who pillage d the no r th, an d who , afte r Chines e occupatio n until the tenth centu r y , appea r e d a s the obstacl e to a n “ expansio n to the south ” (Na m T ien) that the no r th ’ s demographi c g r owt h r ende r ed inevitable . Subconsciousl y , the Cham s we r e als o a sou r c e o f guilt fo r the majorit y Kinh , havin g ir r eversibl y dest r oye d a loca l cultu r e tha t wa s ove r a thousan d year s old , r educin g a peopl e to assimilation . Roughl y 100,00 0 Cham s stil l liv e in V ietnam , liste d in the invento r y o f fifty-fou r minoritie s in the count r y , livin g mainly nea r Pha n Ran g an d Pha n Ri , o r nea r Cha u Doc , al l in the southern pa r t o f moder n V ietnam.
Th e r epossessio n o f Cha m cultu r e i s no w flourishing : th e ca r e give n t o ne w publications , th e valorisin g an d r estoratio n o f sites, an d th e e f ficien t a r chaeologica l digs , a r e al l indication s o f a national r ealisatio n an d o f a tru e wil l t o r eclai m Cha m heritag e which , toda y , i s incontestabl y V ietnamese.
Howeve r , i t woul d b e incor r ec t t o inscrib e Cha m a r t i n general an d Cha m sculptu r e i n pa r ticula r i n a n exclusivel y Franco- V ietnames e historica l r elationshi p o r i n a n isolate d national polic y . Cha m sculptu r e ha s lon g wo n ove r a n international audience . Ce r tainl y , th e firs t museum s t o exhibi t i t we r e founded i n V ietna m unde r F r enc h influence . I t i s essentiall y th e Ecole français e d’Ext r eme-Orien t (EFEO ) (F r enc h Schoo l o f th e Far East ) t o whic h th e missio n t o conse r v e histori c monument s in Indochin a wa s confer r ed , an d th e c r eatio n o f th e firs t museum s is due . Th e school ’ s building s firs t housed , a s earl y a s 189 9 in Saigon , a fe w stone s b r ough t bac k f r o m th e ruin s i n M y Son . Then a fe w sculptu r e s lef t fo r Hano i betwee n 190 0 an d 190 5 and , little b y little , th r oug h piece s gathe r e d fo r tuitousl y o r durin g o r ganised digs , tru e museu m collection s we r e constituted . Th e date s o f the actua l c r eatio n o f thes e museum s a r e earlie r bu t w e hav e chosen t o lis t he r e thei r definitiv e installation : th e Loui s Fino t Museum i n Hano i (inaugurate d i n 1933) , th e Henr i Parmentie r Museum (1936 ) i n T ourane-Danang , th e Kha i Din h Museu m i n Hue (1923) , th e Blancha r d d e l a B r oss e Museu m i n Saigo n (1929) . Bit b y bi t fo r eig n museum s foun d i t possibl e t o assembl e collections o f qualit y , fo r example , th e Clevelan d Museu m o f A r t , Cleveland, th e Met r opolita n Museu m i n Ne w Y or k an d B r ookly n i n th e USA, Museu m Rietbe r g i n Switzerland , Guime t i n Paris , an d Labi t in T oulouse.
4. V o-Canh Inscription , standing in f r ont of the V ietnam History Museum (Hanoi). (detail).
5. Cham a r cheological Thâp-Mam digs, 1933.
6. Portrait of Philippe Ste r n, 1953.


No t onl y epigraphists , a r chitects , a r chaeologists , an d transl