The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c9.81

v1.c9.81

**Daedalian school:** The different ancient schools with which Orissan art may be compared are the Daedalian, the Aeginetan, the Etruscan, the Egyptian, and the Assyrian. They all show manifest marks of an early state of art—of an art which had risen above the rude imitation of primitive races—of mere ingenious carving,—and fully assumed its position as an art, but was still wanting the genius of a great master—of a Phidias—who could emancipate it from its archaic and hieratic fetters, and may, therefore, be fairly put in juxtaposition with the Uriyā school, notwithstanding the fact of there being great differences in their ages. The general character of the school of Daedalus is well exemplified in "the self-same face, figure and action of Jupiter, Neptune, Hercules, and several heroic characters": their "narrow eyes, their thin lips with the corners of the mouth turned upwards, their pointed chin, narrow loins, and turgid muscles",²⁹ all bespeak of a primitive age of art.