Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s16.5

v2.c8.s16.5

Among the designs of the concentric belts, one represents a lotus-vine in which flowers of various types are shown. The skill of the artist in the representation of the flowers with all the beauty of their form, the delicacy of their petals and stalks, and the charm of their colours, is worthy of great admiration. As the design is so full of richness and colour, the artist has painted a band of simple devices in black and white, apparently to give rest to the eye. Among these motifs some may be symbolical, such as, for example, the four conches joined by a *svastika*-like mark, which represented the esoteric doctrine of the Buddha and was adopted by several sects. Another device represents a pair of posts or a gateway, which may also be symbolical.