Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c5.2

c5.2

The earliest specimens of sculpture, found in the eastern provinces of northern India, belong, as is to be expected, to the Mauryan period. Specimens earlier in date, may exist, but, either their early date has not been recognised or is still a matter of controversy.¹ The earliest specimens of Indian sculpture, recognised as such by a consensus of opinion among scholars, are the specimens of Mauryan art e.g. the caves at Barabar in the Gaya District and the inscribed pillars of Aśoka in the northern districts of the modern province of Bihar. The single pillar discovered in the excavations of Pāṭaliputra with certain other fragments, which also are undoubtedly Mauryan in date may be slightly earlier than Aśoka, but in the absence of any corroborative evidence it is not possible to pronounce any opinion on them. In spite of the long controversy about them, the Pāṭaliputra images or statues in the Indian Museum at Calcutta have generally been accepted as specimens of Mauryan art, though it has not been decided whether they are images of Yakshas or statues of emperors of the Śaiśunāka dynasty. It may be stated without hesitation that in spite of the inscriptions of a later date incised on their backs, they are fine specimens of sculpture, slightly later in date than the period of Aśoka. The principal characteristics of Mauryan sculpture are its boldness, its naturalism and its fine polish.