History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s2.9

v1.c19.s2.9

The Indian or horizontal dome never can be made circular in section, except when used on the smallest scale, but almost always takes a form more or less pointed (Woodcut No. 171). From the time of the building of the Treasury of Mycenæ¹ to the birth of Christ, we have a tolerably complete series of arches and vaults constructed on this principle, but few domes properly so called. After the Christian Era the first example is found in a singular tomb at Mylassa,² near Halicarnassus in Caria,³ where the dome exhibits all the peculiarities of construction found in the Jaina temples of India. After this we almost lose the thread of its history till the form reappears in porches like those of the 11th century on Mount Âbû, where it is a perfectly established architectural feature, that must have been practised long before it could be used as we find it in that building. Whether we shall ever be able to recover the lost links in this chain is more than doubtful, but it would be deeply interesting to the history of art if it could be done. In the meantime, there is no difficulty in explaining the constructive steps by which the object is now attained in India. These may also throw some light on the history of the invention, though this is not, of course, capable of direct proof.