Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v4.c16.s19.19

v4.c16.s19.19

Below the pair of white horses are four guards, all holding naked swords which are of a curved shape. The features, the styles of dressing the hair, and the clothes of these guards differ, showing the artist's love of variety. Of these guards two in front are armed with shields as well, but these also are not of uniform design, one of them being oval in shape and the other rectangular. In front of the guards is the group of princes, comprising five elderly personages and one boy, who may be the son (*yuvarāja*) of the king who has been identified as Bimbisāra in the group (*ante*, p. 68). The boy's young face expresses both innocence and religious ardour. The chief above the young prince is again a foreigner, as is indicated by his features, cap, and dress. People of such features may still be seen on the borders of Baluchistan and Afghanistan. The remaining four princes are all wearing crowns, but designs of these differ, and the style of hair-dressing also varies in each case.