Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c14.15

c14.15

To the west of Peshawar on the main Uttarapatha route was the important site of Nagarhar (modern Jalalabad) where a gold reliquary was found inside a Stūpa at Bimran, which was contained in an inscribed steatite vase of the 1st cent. A. D. The most important site was Hadda where Stūpas with sculptures in schist and in stucco have been discovered and where on Gandhāra art strong Hellenistic influences have been observed. Here the Stūpas in brick or stone are very ancient followed by such of them as were later on encased by stucco work. Bartho has classified them as firstly cylindrical Stūpas with the lower cubical portion surmounted by a dome; secondly the Stūpa constituted solely by two or three cylindrical portions and finally two octagonal bodies are joined to a cylindrical portion. In the decoration of the Stūpa the lotus flower is a frequent motif as well as bas-relief and freizes. In the building of the Stūpas schist was used, as a matter of course on the basis of continued tradition as well as brick, both of which were ancient. Stūpas in schist reveted by bricks show campaniform and Corinthian capitals with a single terrace, and also Stūpas in schist with rough ashlar masonry faced with stucco work and having several terraces with a cylindrical form. The Stūpas solely in schist recall by their forms those of Sanchi, but they are gradually replaced by those which have a slender form and receding lines of several stages, which show a Hellenistic interpretation of Indian Stūpas. Bartho has observed several features of these Stūpas, viz. the elegance of lines in the receding superimposed work, sobriety of decorations, reminiscence of Persian order, predominance of the Greek order, mainly Corinthian, rapidity of execution, gradual introduction of the fantastic elements, bordering upon the grotesque in architectural decoration. There is difference of opinions about the chronology of this school, but it was flourishing from the second to the fifth century A. D. and the monuments seem to have been destroyed by the White Huns.