Review: The Development of Hindu Iconography
By P. C. Bagchi
Summary
Reviewing Jitendra Nath Banerjea’s book The Development of Hindu Iconography, the article notes that previous works focused mainly on textual descriptions of images and neglected archaeological evidence. Banerjea’s study seeks to integrate textual and archaeological approaches. It contains eight chapters covering topics such as the study of Hindu iconography, the antiquity of image worship, the origin and development of image worship, Brahmanical divinities and their emblems on early Indian coins and seals, iconoplastic art in India, iconographic terminology and canons of iconometry. Appendices include notes on image worship, a critical edition of the Pratimā‑māna‑lakṣaṇam (a rare iconographic text from Nepal), extracts from the Bṛhatsaṃhitā and tables of measurements. The reviewer points out that Banerjea critically examines theories about the antiquity of image worship and argues that early Vedic religion lacked image worship. The book demonstrates how numismatic and epigraphic evidence can clarify the early iconographic types of Hindu deities. Banerjea compares Indian canons of iconometry with those from other traditions and provides an exhaustive discussion of iconographic terminology. The reviewer praises the author’s erudition and the comprehensive nature of the work, noting that every page bears the stamp of critical scholarship. Although the chapters are continuous, the book may give the impression of a collection of articles; however, this does not detract from its value. The reviewer suggests that a future volume might evaluate the iconographic data from an art‑historical perspective. Overall, the book is hailed as a valuable contribution that coordinates textual and archaeological evidence and will be indispensable for students of Indian art and iconography.
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
The review concludes that Banerjea’s The Development of Hindu Iconography fills a long‑felt need by synthesising textual analysis with archaeological and numismatic evidence. Its detailed chapters and critical appendices provide researchers with reliable data and methods, while its discussions of image worship and iconometry challenge earlier assumptions. The reviewer commends the work as a major contribution to the study of Indian art.