A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day c9.s2.96

c9.s2.96

Ceylon is rich in sculpture of many kinds, beginning probably, as in India, from the third century before Christ. Fergusson's belief that the 'almost total absence of sculpture' was one of the most striking peculiarities of Ceylonese art has been disproved abundantly by the fruitful researches of the Archaeological Commissioner and his staff.⁴ But it is extremely difficult to affix dates, even approximate, to the numerous specimens of the Ceylonese sculptors' skill. Dated dedicatory inscriptions, so common in India, are rare in the island, and the principal monuments have been subject to such extensive alterations at various times that it is almost impossible to distinguish the sculptures of different periods. It is possible that when systematic study shall be applied to the local styles of art closer discrimination will be feasible,