Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 172

144
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(AUGUST, 1931
however, that at the moment the term "Indo-Sumerian " has very little reality for us and that this figure is not exactly parallelled by anything as yet extracted from the complicated stratigraphy of the two sites in question. Coomaraswamy so ascribes a high antiquity, under the title of Pre-Mauryan, to a group of terracottas which are distinguished by the fact that the faces are moulded, and from kindred, if not identical, moulds, and that much of the decoration is applied. Detailed descriptions of other figures of this group are given below. As has been said, Salmony points out that they have a close parallel in one of the many terracotta figurines from Basarh, which are all definitely of the Early Period (third-first century B.C.), being found in association with numerous seals. Just as Coomaraswamy's “Indo-Sumerian " figurine wears the iconographical channavira, Bo the dressing of the hair of these figures is directly comparable to the double and treble plaits of the Sanchi bracket figures; the likeness is undeniable.16 Moreover, the moulded features are typically Indian, approaching to the Kushan model rather than to that of the early Yaksha figures.
Dr. Coomaraswamy attributes certain of these figurines to Taxila and Mathura, but, it would seem, upon no very certain evidence. They are certainly from northern India, and probably from north-western India. There is a small fragment of the upper part of a figurine in the British Museum which closely resembles them: this was found in the Bannu district. The following five figurines have been recently woquired by the India Museum, South Kensington -
FEMALE FIGURINE. H. 57 in. W. 21 in. I.M. 161-1929. . The material is a hard grey stoneware which has been well-fired, but in this case is very weathered. As with the following six figurines the technique nised is threefold. The face has been moulded. The jewellery, head-dress (here missing), and hair have been modelled separately and applied. The features have then been worked over with a pointed instrument, and also certain details of the jewellery, which are further embellished with circular impressed dots. The figure is represented standing, but has been broken at knee-level. In front it holds in both hands what seems to be a bowl of fruit or rice balls (pinda). It wears heavy bangles, & wide and massive belt, a long neck-chain and two necklaces. The applied details of the head-dress have fallen away, but the hair is dressed in three plaits tied at the bottom and ornamented with flowers or perhaps jewelled studs. This form of hairdressing is directly comparable with the fashions portrayed on the Sanchi gateways. The jewellery also accords with the known Indian styles of the Early Period (third-first century B.C.). In spite of the rather childish overlaying of the applied details, which are put on very much 88 clothes are put on a doll, the moulded features have nothing primitive about them. FEMALE HEAD. H. 21 in. W.24 in. I.M. 162–1929.
The fabric of this head is of a closer texture than that of I.M. 161-1929. There are also traces of a black metallic looking "slip," or rather paint of an oily nature. The head-drese and the final working-up is very much more complicated than in the last figure. The hair seems to be dressed in bicorn fashion, a head-cloth being draped over it, considerable care having been devoted to the representation of its decorated border and of its folds on either side. Some sort of frontlet worn above the forehead seems to be intended, although its appearance rather suggests negro curls. The figure seems to have been clothed in a highly decorative garment, which came up to the neck, and wore large disc earrings of a type common in the sculptures of the Early Period. The borders of the head-drees have been im pressed with a reed-like tubular instrument, which leaves deep-cut rings with slightly depressed centres, a row of these having been made on two stripe of clay, which have then been applied to the head. In the same way each of the larger circles has been cut and
15 The same dotail of multiple plaita seems to be preserved in two crude terracottas from made ground on the Sootforth Estato in Salem District. These are Noe. 192 K and 192 L of Foote's Catalogue, and are illustrated on Platos 21 and 22. The fabric is reported as "palo rod.... Dare and very friable."