A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day c16.s7.1

c16.s7.1

The art of wood-carving in India unquestionably goes back to time immemorial, but specimens of works of ancient date executed in a material which is specially perishable in a country infested by white ants and other destructive pests, naturally must be exceedingly rare. The oldest extant examples of considerable artistic merit probably are the weird carvings from Kashmīr-Smats. The most beautiful are the exquisite modern sandalwood relief pictures of Mysore and Travancore, which display exact observation of nature, pleasing fancy, and admirable composition, in addition to high manual skill. In wood-carving the roughly-drawn division between works of fine art and the productions of industrial art almost disappears, and, if space permitted, examples of beautiful artistic compositions in both India and Ceylon might be multiplied indefinitely. It is not practicable for me to give more than a few illustrations of Indian pieces which appear to deserve prominence for one reason or another.