Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c16.69

c16.69

With the advent of the Gupta period fresh artistic activity bloomed forth at many centres in North India. Mathurā, Ahichchhatrā, Pawāyā, Śrāvastī, Bhītā, Rājghāt, etc. participated in the revival of terracotta art. The modeller's art received a new status in the Gupta period that it had not known before. Clay-figurines were employed as a popular medium to broadcast the message of art and beautiy to the masses. Such figures were now used equally for religious and secular purposes, and served as poorman's sculpture, contributing much to democratise aesthetic culture. Besides smaller figurines, big plaques depicting mythical and religious scenes were fixed as an integral part of brick architecture both in temples and secular buildings. At times, images and plaques were made of considerable size, e.g. the life-size figures of Gaṅgā and Yamunā, fixed as entrance jambs to the Śiva temple at Ahichchhatrā¹. Terracotta plaques served like stone slabs to decorate huge dimensions. We find a large group of Gupta brick temples conceived from top to bottom in terms of terracotta friezes and mouldings. A remarkable example is preserved at Bhitargaon in Kanpur district (circa fifth-sixth century A.D.). Of the same period a large brick Stūpa consisting of a series of beautiful mouldings and plaque-friezes, was found at Mirpur Khas in Sind, marking the western-most extension of Gupta sculpture. The Lakshmaṇa temple at Sirpur is a magnificent example of brick architecture with plenty of fine moulded decoration of about the seventh century A. D.