Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s5.3

v2.c8.s5.3

THE ceiling of the veranda of this cave is painted, and shows a large variety of decorative motifs, such as flowers, fruits, birds, fantastic and sportive figures, geometric patterns, and jewellery designs. Among flowers, the lotus is prominent, and several varieties are noticed, but the large white and the blue are the loveliest. The fruits include mangos, pomegranates, and pine-apples, and are painted either as separate bunches, or shown hanging from branches in the midst of very pretty surroundings. Among the birds, parrots, geese, ducks, and cranes may be mentioned, to which the artist, in the zeal of his decorative mood, has sometimes given fanciful forms. The sportive figures include dwarfs, buffoons, jugglers, wine-bibbers, foreigners in quaint dresses, and many similar characters, all admirably portraying the artist's sense of light humour.