Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c18.18

c18.18

The first three units as thus tabulated apply to images of Buddha only. The ordinary architect’s cubit (vaḍu riyana), the foot (pada), and span (viyata) are scarcely mentioned. The angala or ‘inch’ is presumably the vaḍu angala, (distance from first to second joint of forefinger when bent), the twenty-fourth part of a vaḍu riyana, and measures 1 3/4 English inch (see p. 142). The ‘angala’ of the text, however, is not merely a fixed measure, but also may be translated ‘unit,’ as the instructions are intended to provide for the construction of images of all sizes, both large and small. But there has been much discussion as to the exact dimensions of the images in the case of images of Buddha,* and special books have been written on the measurement of his person, usually considered to be twelve cubits†; his span is usually considered much longer than the span on which calculations are at present based; but such views are purely mythical. The other units employed are technical and not in common use. The most important is the mukha, or ‘face.’ This is the equivalent of 13 1/2 inches when images of Buddha are spoken of. It is an unit corresponding to, but not identical with, the ‘head’ of European artists. It is measured from the base of the hair on the forehead to the chin and is thus less than a ‘head’ by the height of the crown of the head above the forehead. The standard height of an image of Buddha, including the crown of the head, is 124 angal, as stated in verse 22 of the canon, or more exactly 9 ‘faces’ and half a bhaga, making 123 3/4 inches (about E. 13 feet 4 inches). The detailed measurements given actually add up to 121 1/2 angal (9 ‘faces’) + 3 1/2 angal for the crown of the head. It will be seen that this canon of proportion corresponds to about 7 1/2 heads, in the terms of European art.