Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c8.37

c8.37

Fergusson's judgment in this matter, though disputed by some archæologists, seems to me to be perfectly sound. We must found our theories on the style as a whole, taking into consideration the esoteric elements, not the external accretions, as those which determine the character and origin of it. The ordinary archæological method is rather like trying to ascertain the nature and growth of an oyster by analysing the crust outside its shell, ignoring the living organism, and perhaps a pearl, within.