Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s3.t1: Sculptures
Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s3.t1
- Language
- English
Sculptures
c12.s3.t1.1
These may be divided into two classes, firstly scenes which are of elaborate composition and differ considerably on the four gateways, secondly simple decorative devices or symbolical objects and figures repeated many times; the latter fall into four categories: 1 Four great events in the life of the Buddha, 2 Figures of Yakshas, 3 Figures of animals or birds, 4 Floral designs.
c12.s3.t1.2
The reliefs relating to Buddha's life show his birth (Jāti), enlightenment (Sambodhi), first sermon (Dharma-Chakra-pravartana) and death (Mahāparinirvāna). The representation of the Buddha's birth takes the form of a lotus or a bunch of lotuses coming out of a Pūrṇaghaṭa; in others the figure of Māyā is seen seated on a full blown lotus; in others Māyādevī is shown standing ready for birth. Foucher identifies the figure of Śrī-Lakshmī bathed by the two Nāgas (here in the form of two elephants) with Māyādevī. The Sambodhi is represented by a throne under a Pipal tree or by the tree alone, with worshippers bringing offerings in some scenes, or in more elaborate reliefs with Māra and his hosts of demons. The turning of the Whel-of-the-Law in the Deer Park of Vārāṇasī is shown by the symbol of the Wheel sometimes placed on a throne or on the top of a pillar, the Mrigadāva being shown by the presence of two deer. The symbol of Mahāparinirvāṇa is a Stūpa attended by worshippers. The Stūpas as well as trees are shown as emblems of the seven previous Buddhas in Sanchi art also as at Bharhut.
c12.s3.t1.3
We have seen at Bharhut the fourfold scheme of the Chāturmahārājika gods carved in the gateways. They were rulers of the four quarters, and are depicted in high relief at Sanchi also. Smaller figures of Yakshas are shown on the narrow uprights between the architraves.
c12.s3.t1.4
Figures of animals or birds are as a rule arranged schematically in pairs (Saṅghāṭa). The most conspicuous positions for the animals are the faces of the "false capitals" separating the architraves. The animals are both real and legendary, sometimes with riders and sometimes without them. They include goats, horses, bulls, camels, elephants, lions and leogriffs. On the east gateway (lowest architrave inner face, north end) the riders come from a cold climate as shown by their wearing the northern dress (udīchya veśa). Winged lions (Sapaksha Siṃha) and leogriff (Siṃhavyāla) formed part of wide canvas of motifs common to India and Western Asia. The floral designs have a unique richness and exuberance which are among the greatest beauties of this monument. According to Marshall motifs taken from the plant world have at all times been handled with exquisite taste by the Indian artists, but never more exquisitely than by the sculptors of Sanchi with the exception of the honeysuckle pattern on the south gateway and the grapevine on the west gateway. Most of the plant designs are purely Indian in character and based, as they are, on the most careful and faithful observation of nature par excellence anything of which Assyrian or Persian art was capable. Lotus representing the birth of the individual and the cosmos which was the commonly accepted symbol of fertility, abundance and blooming life, is a most favourite among all floral subjects. Some of the best examples are to be seeen on the outer sides of the pillars of the gateways. Sometimes the lotus takes form of kalpalatā, the like of which we have seen at Bharhut. At others the lotus is treated as a repeat motif and worked into the form of the Tree of Life (Śrī-vriksha), made much more gorgeous by pairs of riders on lions or leogriffs as carved on the right pillar of the West Gateway. The grapevine border and the horned leonine figures point to Western Asiatic intimations in the making of this form of the Tree of Life which seems to have been adapted to accord with the Indian conception of Śrī-vriksha. The footprints of the Buddha and the *Triratna* emblem find a natural place in the reliefs on the pillars as parts of Buddhist symbolical iconography.