INDIAN SCULPTURE.
The earliest known examples of Indian sculpture—the decorated rails surrounding the topes at Buddh Gaya and Bharhut—date, according to Mr. Fergusson, from 250 to 200 I3.C. and are of a purely national character.
General of animals, especially the elephant, the deer, and the monkey, are well represented. During the first five cen turies of the Christian era Greek influences make themselves felt, and a Gmco-Buddhistic style is developed culminating in the elaborate sculp tures at Amravati. The progress of Mohammedanism checked this devel opment in the North of India; in the South it continued down to the middle of the last century. Of a fantastic religious character, the sculptures of India carry us into a dreamland which the European does not yet under stand. It is highly to be desired that a systematic historical study of these monuments should be undertaken.
Examples: Dhumnar Lena first illustration (p. 2,
fig. r5) is taken from the Dhumnar Lena cave at Ellora, and dates from the eighth century of our era. It represents Rama, the hero of the epic poem Ramayana, fondling his wife Sita. The pair and their attendants are sustained by the five-headed, ten-armed giant Rawan.
16 presents ns with a figure of Buddha, founder of the religion which bears his name. It is taken from a remarkable pyramidal temple on the island of Java, the external decoration of which contains four hundred similar figures of Buddha, each in an architectural niche, in dreamlike contemplation. The sculp tures of the interior are of an exceedingly interesting character, portray ing the whole life of Sakya Mnni in a series of elaborate bas-reliefs. Mr. Fergusson places these sculptures at the end of the seventh cen tury of our era. (See ARCHITECTURE, fir. is, fig. 4.)