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________________ JAINA ART IN THE NORTH in a more conventional manner, like the winged figures on the Assyrian and Persian sculptures Among Brahmanical representations those of Garuda, the king of Suparnas, on the Gupta seals 1 are worthy of comparison, Centaurs have been discovered on the Buddhist monuments in Gaya and elsewhere, and in all probability they go back to Greek models. What is particularly remarkable in those on our slab is the branch which hides the place where the human body is united with the rump of the horse 2 As far as I have been able to ascertain from my colleagues versed in classical archaeology there are no Greek sculptures showing this particular." 3 As to the figures on its reverse, the Torana beam retains a fragment of a procession, apparently about to visit some sacred place. The cart closely resembles a modern Shighram, and the driver, who lifts bis goad, is seated, as is still the custom, on the pole. The trappings of the several animals are exactly like those represented on the Sanchi sculptures. But similar carts are not traceable on the latter, where very Greek-looking chariots 4 drawn by horses appear instead.5 Taking last the ornamental slab, the obverse of which represents Nemesa's feat of transferring the embryo of Mahavira, and the reverse showing female dancers and musicians rejoicing at the great feat, once again we realise that the religious stories and moral lessons which the Indian artist was employed to advertise did not interfere with his freedom to perfection. The Mathura carver seems to have succeeded in creating the most satisfying aesthetic forms precisely at the periods when their services were in the greatest request for purposes of propaganda among the priestly and royal patrons. Especially when he was employed to illustrate some wellknown story or legend he could, to an unusual degree, use traditional canons of proportion and gesture, and reconcile these with a demonic energy. Besides this slab representing the popular tradition of the transfer of Mahavira's embryo there are four mutilated statues lithographed by Cunningham Two of these figures represent seated females Each of them has a small child lying in a dish 1 Cr Feet, C.I.I,m , Plate XXXVII , Smrth, JASB , lvi , pp 85 ff, Plate VI No other example is known of a leaf being used to mask the junction between the human ond equme bodies in the centaurs"-Smith, History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, P 82 Buhler, op at, 319 * Fergusson, op cat, Plate XXXIII, rond, Plate XXXIV, Fig 1. Buhler, op and loc al 259
| SR No. | 011067 |
| Book Title | Jainism in North India |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Chimanlal J Shah |
| Publisher | Longmans Green and Compny London |
| Publication Year | 1932 |
| Total Pages | 66 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 3 MB |