Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c18.s5.5

v1.c18.s5.5

Swarna Kamal (1978) has reported a pure copper figure belonging to Gujarat and the pre-Gupta early centuries of the Christian era. This figure of fasting Śākyamuni in meditative posture is of solid cast having a height of 18 cms and width of 13 cms at the basal end. The metal consists of highly pure copper (99 %) with silicon (0.52 %) and iron (0.36 %) as the only two major impurities. Absence of sulphur and copper oxide in the metal led Swarna Kamal to postulate that this was made of native copper as in Taxila Zanskar Valley samples (reported by Sana Ullah) and not smelted copper. The metal ‘is so soft that depressions are formed when pressed by finger nails’. The Hellenistic influence in this wonderful work of art is quite apparent.