Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c5.10

c5.10

It has now been generally recognised that this wonderful polish is one of the principal characteristics of all sculptures of the Mauryan period. In well preserved specimens this polish is so very fine that it reflects the image of the spectator and in some cases has deceived some antiquarians into a belief that the Mauryan sculptors coated the surface of stone with a preparation of molten glass or something allied to it, which, in Sanskrit, would be represented by the term vajralepa (adamantine plaster). Not only do we see this polish on pillars capitals and images or statues; but we find it also on the walls of the cave-temples, which were excavated during the reign of the Mauryan Emperors. All the caves on the Barabar and Nagarjuni Hills have their walls so well polished, that at first sight they look like walls of plate glass and reflect light so very effectively that at the proper moment, there is little necessity of having a torch or other artificial light to guide the footsteps of visitors. Some of these caves are unfinished and the unfinished portions of their walls prove that this polish was produced by the simple processes of grinding and rubbing without the application of any kind of chemicals or other substances.