Застинала музика в индийската колекция на Националната галерия за чуждестранно изкуство в София
Frozen Music in the Indian Collection at the National Gallery for Foreign Art in Sofia

Summary/Abstract: One of Sofia’s emblematic museums is the St. Cyril and Methodius National Gallery for Foreign Art (NGFA). It is the only one of its kind on the Balkan Peninsula. Its permanent collection displays art from several continents. This study focuses on examples of traditional Indian sculpture and miniatures, since many of them represent the specific connection between visual art and music in Indian culture. Many of the works contain a plethora of frozen music – a specific iconography and elements that radiate musical knowledge. This large percentage of musicality in the Indian collection at the NGFA in Sofia also gives an idea about concrete musical knowledge. The examples in it describe specific pan-Indian subjects and represent deities connected with the concept of the sacred role of music in Indian culture. This is achieved through illustrations of epics and myths, as well as in images of secular scenes from the life of the ruling aristocracy. Such descriptions also capture a geographic dimension, since the artistic examples contain local characteristics and document local culture. From the musical instruments, as well as the figures of dancers and musicians, various layers in Indian musical culture can be distinguished: north and south, classic and folkloric, old and new, local and pan-Indian. The music, which may seem frozen at first glance, comes alive. Through the use of relief, round sculpture and miniatures, through polychromy and monochromy, a dialogue is created between the viewer and the museum pieces. This dialogue leads to the deciphering of yet another musical layer from the images and meanings. This multi-layeredness is characteristic of knowledge in Asia, since there every piece of knowledge can be understood on at least three levels.

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