The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c13.s3.1

c13.s3.1

The Lion-slayer type of Chandragupta II was continued by his son Kumāragupta I, but it does show neither the striking variety nor high artistic merit, which is the characteristic of the coins of this type issued by the father. The king generally faces to right; on only one coin discovered in the Bayana hoard, we find him facing left. That pleasing and interesting variety, which we saw on the reverse of this type of Chandragupta II, is altogether absent here; the mount of the goddess is always couchant; it is never walking. The goddess also is invariably seated facing, with one leg folded up and the other hanging down; she does not sit astride the lion, nor does she face to right or left. The legends are usually indistinct; only in two varieties we have succeeded in deciphering them. Neither the body of the king nor that of the lion shows any artistic beauty. There is thus a distinct artistic deterioration in this type. It must be, however, added that the reclining posture of the goddess in variety A of class I (Pl. XII. 1) is graceful.