Maurya and Shunga Art c18.9

c18.9

9. Other architectural and sculptural remains that are generally ascribed to the Maurya period, on either stylistic or traditional grounds include (1) a railing (?) pillar with inscription from the Arjunapura site, Mathura, now lost; (2) the oldest parts, subsequently enclosed by later additions, of stūpa; (3) foundations of chaitya-halls at Sanchi and Sonari (4) two Patna Yaksha Statues, now in the Indian Museum; (5) a few fragments of grey polished stone-sculptures from Sarnath; (6) a few fragments of sculptures in red spotted sand stone from Mathura; (7) a fragmentary relief from Bhita; (8) fragments of a ribbed polished stone umbrella from Sanchi; (9) two carved perforated circular stone plaques from the Bhir mound site, Taxila; (10) a considerable number of terracottas from such widely separated sites as Sarnath, Basarh, Bulandibagh, Kumrahar and other places round about the old site of Pāṭaliputra, Bhita, Nagri, Mathura, Kosam, Sāṅkāsya and Taxila; (11) a *chauri*-bearing yakshī statue from Didarganj; (12) a more than life-size statue from Parkham; (13) a torso of a yaksha or king from Baroda, Mathura; (14) a seated image now worshipped as Manasā from near Parkham; (15) two polished stone images with legs and heads broken off, of naked Jaina Tīrthaṅkaras from Lohanipur, near Patna, and now in the Patna Museum and (16) a hooded serpent canopy from Rajgir. About nos. 1, 2, and 3 we are not in a position to make any definite assertion; the only argument that labels no. 8 as Mauryan is the glossy polish of the stone; it is difficult to say anything about the date of no. 9; here too the main argument rests on the glossy polish of the stone To try to date terracottas on stylistic grounds alone is often dangerous as has so convincingly been shown by Kramrisch and Gordon; item no. 10 and nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, I shall have occasion to refer to and discuss at a later stage.