Art of Champā

The first works which reached us of the art of the Champa, kingdom of Indo-China which covered the Means and the South Annam and the northern part of the Cochinchine, seem to be able to be dated from the reign of Prakâsàdharma in second half of the 7th century; one grouped them under the name of style of My His E1, his capital; they are stylistiquement close to Indian art post- Gupta. There remains about it especially a Piédestal surmounted of a linga, admirably decorated ( used of Da Nang). Towards the end of the 10th century, the king Indra Varman II construitsit the great whole of Dong Duong; art will remain the privilege of kings who will multiply their effigies while the temple remained faithful to the initial model of the turn-sanctuary sheltering the idol.

The Chams restènent faithful to the brick; carved decoration has as an element characteristics a polylobée blind arcade surmounting the openings, the statuary of Dong Duong shows a very marked originality, especially in the faces whose characteristic ethnic are almost caricatural. Starting from 910 approximately, a new style appears, influenced by Khmer art and the classic art of central Java; a1 tower of My Its (second quarter of the 10th century), one of the most beautiful monuments cham, is particularly important; the buildings of this site take a monumental aspect, carved, harmonious and elegant decoration, present impressed faces of softness, lit of an end smile. Style of the Binh Dinh (XIe 12th century) mark the beginning of the decline of art cham; influenced by Angkor, it is characterized by several tower of the capital, Vijaya, which is nothing any more but cubic masses without much plastic interest. As from the 14th century, art cham does not exist practically any more.

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