Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c13.s6.30

c13.s6.30

What has been said above for Vema applies more graphically to the portrait of Kanishka. A startling discovery made in the Devakula at Māṭ by RB Pt Radhakrishna in 1911 was the standing statue of Kanishka (ht. 5' 7½" including base but exclusive of the tenon 14"), bearing the epigraph Mahārāja Rājātirāja Devaputro Kānishko. The king is clad in a tunic reaching down to the knees and held round the loin by means of a gridle, of which only two square plaques are visible in front, indicating a belt consisting of a series of such plaques similar to the belt we find on the torso of Shastana. The remainder of the belt is concealed by another long upper-garment an over-coat, chogā, which falls below the knees and is consequently somewhat longer than the under-garment. Both garments are plain, only the seam being shown. The fold of the robes are indicated by slightly engraved lines. Most conspicuous are the heavy boots with straps round the ankles, similar to those worn nowadays in Turkestan. The plain dress contrasts with the elaborate weapons. The sword has a long hilt decorated on the top with a hamsa's head. The sheath is decorated with three plaques (Skt. padaka) similar to those of the belt. The point of the sheath is broken. It is curious that the sheath is not attached to the belt, but is fastened by means of two straps to the upper garment. The other weapon is a mace, 3' 5" long including its handle. It is strengthened with fine metal bands which are clearly shown in the sculpture; the fifth and the lowermost band is decorated with a fish-tailed makara head which like the bands must have originally been of metal. [Fig. 158].