Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c5.6

c5.6

The same difficulty exists, to some extent, in the case of Mauryan sculpture. But though the material, at our disposal, is not very plentiful we have more authoritative data, viz. the pillars and capitals of the inscribed monoliths, images or sculptures in the round, those crowning the capitals e.g. the lions of Sarnath, the bull of Rampurva, etc. We have some specimens of architecture also i.e. the pillar and the fragments discovered by Dr. Spooner at Pāṭaliputra. Mauryan art, specimens of which have come down to us whatever be its origin and the influences, which caused its evolution, is the earliest known school of art of the Eastern Provinces of India and more particularly of Magadha. This is a fact which has been recognised by almost all authorities on the subject. The specimens of the Mauryan period which have come down to us, though limited in number, impress on us the vigour and the extreme naturalism of the carving. There is very little idealism in it. Witness for example the lion on the inscribed Aśoka pillar from Rampurva which was discovered by R. B. D. R. Sahni. Unfortunately part of the head of this magnificent lion is lost and the lower part has become slightly decayed, on account of the very long immersion in water;¹ but even so the natural pose and some of its anatomical details are very striking. The specimen shows the delineation of the muscles of the leg very realistically. There is a certain amount of convention in the portrayal of the mane, yet from a distance, or even at a closer view, there is nothing in it, which could strike one as being unnatural.