A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day c11.s3.1

c11.s3.1

The sculptures from the *stūpa* of Amarāvatī and its surrounding railing or screen of marble may claim the distinction of being the best known specimens of early Indian art. No visitor to the British Museum, however indifferent to Indian curiosities, can help seeing the spoils of the *stūpa* and railing displayed on the walls of the grand staircase, and everybody at all interested in Indian antiquities is more or less familiar with Fergusson's *Tree and Serpent Worship* and other works treating of the sculptures. Objects so comparatively hackneyed and familiar do not call for prolonged discussion or extensive illustration in this volume.