All too often, modern scholarship limits its scope according to the boundaries of contemporary nations and current geopolitical borders. Academic expertise frequently ties itself artificially to these pre-defined spaces and in so doing often does a disservice to the past. It is no great revelation to point out that people of the past defined the limits of their political and cultural reach in ways that were very different from those found on modern maps. Ancient rulers, merchants, and priests understood the reach of their influence and defined foreignness in ways that would be deeply unfamiliar to those only knowledgeable of the modern world. Yet, despite the well-recognized truth in these observations, it is still relatively rare for scholars to research in ways that transcend modern boundaries. This collection of essays invites readers to take a broad view of South Asian art and culture by providing a wide geographic and chronological scope. The articles are united only by their focus on art – historical and archaeological concerns and their concentration on South Asia – ranging from Afghanistan to the island kingdoms of Indonesia. Each essay on its own constitutes a solid, well-grounded academic study, but taken collectively they provide a wide and inclusive view of issues of art and material culture that span the region and invite comparison. By taking this approach, this volume is a tribute to Prof. Robert L. Brown whose lifetime of teaching has always emphasized connections as well as differences. Over his professional career, he has trained a large cohort of students (many of whom are contributors to this volume) whose expertise truly does reach across the south of Asia. CONTENTS Foreword vii — Tushara Bindu Gude Preface xiii Works of Prof. Robert L. Brown xix List of figures xxv Part I South Asia before 1400 ce 1. Heat and Hunger: The Emaciated Buddha and 3 the Significance of Fasting — Robert DeCaroli 2. An Unrecognized Sculpture of the Ham?sa? J?taka 23 from Na?landa? Site No. 2 — Nicolas Morrissey 3. ??ntideva’s Buddhism of the P?la Period: 49 Poetics of Voice and Image — Mary Storm 4. The Iconographic Distribution of Ninth to Twelfth 73 Century Buddhist Imagery from Bihar and Odisha — Kurt Behrendt 5. Rasa and Dar?ana in Indian Temple Sculpture 91 — Debashish Banerji Part II South Asia after 1400 ce 6. Relics, Icons, and Portraits in Hindu Institutions: 121 An Examination of the Worship of the Teacher — Nalini Rao 7. A Little More Faki?r and A Little Less Fanatic: 133 Putting Aurangzeb’s Deccani Architecture into a Sufi Context — Santhi Kavuri-Bauer 8. Kutch Silver: A Study of Stylistic Sources 153 — Stephen Markel 9. Ka?s?i?ra?j: The Presentation Album of the Maha?ra?ja? 169 of Benares — Tushara Bindu Gude 10. Circuits of Exchange: Muraqqa?s and Illustrated Gift 185 Books in the Early Twentieth Century — Saleema Waraich Part III Southeast Asia 11. Early Vai??ava Sculpture in Southeast Asia and 213 the Question of Pallava Influence — Paul A. Lavy 12. Central Javanese Statues of Hindu Deities 251 and Their Anthropomorphic Vehicles — Bokyung Kim 13. Making Merit by Making Buddhist Tablets: 277 Inscribed Dedicatory Inscriptions on King Aniruddha’s Clay Tablets — M.L. Pattaratorn Chirapravati 14. The Origins of the Emerald Buddha Icon 297 (Phra Kaew Morokot) — Melody Rod-ari 15. Representing Heaven in Thai Painting 321 — Rebecca S. Hall Contributors 343 Index 347