Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c12.18

c12.18

From the markings left on the walls of rock it is possible to realise the sensitive understanding of the master craftsman, and to discern his hand making that "feathering" movement of the chisel, as he feels his way trying to avoid flaws in the strata or twists in the grain that might ruin the effect. There are evidences of that strong delicacy required so as not to crack or splinter the rock, and also to finish its surface pleasingly. This fine finish was obtained by means of a chisel a little over a quarter of an inch in width. Except for the preliminary work with the pick the cutting was done entirely by the aid of hammers and chisels, as there are no signs of such expedients as the drill or wedge. It seems that the same workmen who performed the rough quarrying also chiselled the carving, for had these two operations been the work of separate hands, portions of the rock would have been left boasted in readiness for the finer manipulation of the sculptor. If such a division of labour was the practice, it has certainly left no trace, although several of the halls remain in an unfinished state, from which it is inferred that the man who worked the pick also handled the chisel—he was quarryman and sculptor combined. As to the kind of tool used in the work there are no records except a few discarded chisels which were unearthed when investigating the foundations of the Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar. These are made of iron, the working of which was well known in India at an early date and there is little doubt that the picks and chisels were of the same metal.