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bodily form. It seems that it belongs to a period co-terminus with the end of the eleventh or the beginning of the twelfth century A.D.
The standing Rsabhanatha image (No. 2 supra) with a pronounced jațāmukuța is singular in the most expressive beauty of its modelling. It is true here the torso is not refined or sophisticated like the Parsvanatha figure (No. 3 supra) described above but otherwise it is both supple and forceful in its total aesthetic effect. The region of the face though partly damaged convincingly reveals a compassionate but inwardly resolute mind absorbed in its own realisation visually made clear by a masterly depiction of the upper-face and eyes. Whatever it lacks in respect of a finely modelled neck and a elongated and sophisticated treatment of the body is amply compensated by the artists' attempt to conceive and represent a superman based on his experience of a highly sensitive men of the world. On the ground of style this piece of sculpture may well be assigned to the middle of the tenth century A.D.
As is well known in the indegenous technique of icon carving the highest planes to be modelled are traditionally carved at the first instance. From this standpoint the sculpture of standing Candraprabha (No. 5 supra) is an unfinished one. In it we see the central figure flanked by twin Vidyādhara on the upper corners and similar cauri-bearers on the lower corners—all four placed on raised backgrounds which were to be carved by the artist at a subsequent stage. Stylistically speaking, this piece of sculpture, though not fully finished, unmistakably reveals a work of comparatively later date as pronounced in the more or less simplistic treatment of the body which is correct only in respect of iconic details like kāyotsarga posture, the uşnişa, the stylized curls of hair, the elongated ears, etc., but otherwise not attempting either at aesthetic beauty or spiritual quality. Evidently it belongs to a late period, later than the seated Candraprabha image (No. 1 supra) discussed above. The date in this case will probably come down to the end of the twelfth or well into the thirteenth century A.D.
The sculptural wealth of South-West Bengal as represented or expressed in by the examples of early mediaeval sculptures10 recovered from this area requires to be treated as a separate entity.11 The region roughly covering the erstwhile district of Manbhum,12 the district of Bankura,
10 Dating roughly between 800 A.D. and 1200 A.D. 11 Paresh Chandra Dasgupta, "Pasaner Phul" (in Bengali), Sraman, 7th year, 2nd
number, Calcutta, 1386 B.S., pp. 35-41. 12 Presently divided into the districts of Purulia (West Bengal), and Dhanbad
(Bihar).
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