Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages c7.s5.t2.2

c7.s5.t2.2

As with the general quality of the inscriptions, the degree of care in the preparation of the surfaces to be inscribed varies widely. In early records particularly, the inscriptions might be written directly on the intended surface with little or no preparation thereof; such is the case, for example, with many of the Aśokan rock inscriptions.²¹¹ As time went on, however, more sophisticated techniques were developed, culminating in the very skillfully dressed and prepared polished stone slabs, often of large dimensions, used for many inscriptions of the medieval period (cf. SIE 70). Similarly, inscribed copper plates were frequently prepared with considerable skill and artistry, especially in later centuries, though cruder examples are also by no means rare.