Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c5.11

c5.11

The same polish has also been observed on some of the rocks, on which the Rock Edicts of Aśoka have been inscribed. In each and every case, where this great Emperor caused his edicts to be engraved on the living rock, the mason fashioned out a sunken panel of the requisite size, inside which the edict was incised. Before the actual incision of the letters this panel was very highly polished and in some cases, where the rock surface has been under shelter, it has preserved its polish quite intact, rendering the preparation of impressions a somewhat difficult task. Such is the case with the rock Edict at Jaugada and with parts of the Dhauli Edict. The best specimen of early Mauryan art is the Dedarganj image, now in the Patna Museum. In naturalism, symmetry and expression, this specimen is much better than any other image or statue discovered anywhere in India.¹