Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c5.56

c5.56

More important specimens of the Benares School belong to the early Gupta period, i.e., to the 4th and 5th centuries A. D. It inherits, along with other specimens of early Gupta carving, that peculiarity, viz., the representation of scenes from Hindu classical literature in basreliefs, in a manner similar to the Buddha-charitras or the Jātakas in sculptures of Buddhist origin. Sarnath, however, being a Buddhist stronghold, Hindu sculptures and basreliefs are in a minority. The most important specimens of this school are Buddhist and they fall into two main divisions: (I) Images, (II) Basreliefs.