Does iconography really matter? Iconographical specification of Buddha images in pre-esoteric Buddhist art

Identifying a figure or character is a rudimentary step in reading a visual image, but it is an indispensable foundation for a variety of more sophisticated investigations and interpretations. For Buddhist art specialists as well, identifying various divinities represented in visual images has been a major preoccupation. This task, commonly referred to as ‘iconography’, is sometimes quite straightforward but sometimes not so simple, owing to the inconsistency of visual evidence or its incongruence with literary stipulations, or the lack of sufficient specificity. Its difficulty also often varies in different classes of divinities. Minor deities are in general more easily identifiable from their idiosyncratic appearances. Bodhisattvas are often distinguishable from their special attributes but equally often pose problems, as I argued in a recent publication (Rhi 2018b). However, Buddhas are more difficult or more confusing in identification because of the lack of complexity in their appearance. They generally look alike despite minor differences, which are rarely indicative of separate identities. Art history students may be taught the possibility of distinguishing Buddhas according to hand gestures (mudrā) or attendant figures, but this method in fact works only in a limited range of instances. In reality, Buddhas were made in indistinguishable shapes throughout most regions in the Buddhist world at least in the pre-esoteric period. This paper will explore this phenomenon in India, especially focusing on Gandhāra, and attempt to seek its ramifications for understanding the significance of Buddha images in India and other parts of Asia in the pre-esoteric phase.