In Dr. Mitra's Catalogue this sculpture is described as Vishnu. It is probably one of the statues presented to the Asiatic Society of Bengal by Captain (now Major-General) A. Cunningham, between 1835-36. S. 39.-A block of sandstone measuring about 2 feet square above and below, but only 18 inches in height. It is hollowed out, on its upper surface, into a cup-shaped cavity, about 1 foot in diameter and with a depth of 10"-50. The surface of the stone is quite smooth, and the cavity was doubtless closed by a smooth slab. The sides bulge somewhat, and are slightly convex. This is probably the stone relic chamber discovered in the excavations at Sarnath in 1794, made by Jagat Singh, the Dewan of Raja Chait Singh, of Benares 1, for the purpose of obtaining bricks from the ruins of one of the large brick stūpas. It was discovered at a depth of 27 feet, and contained a marble box which, according to Jonathan Duncan 2, held a few human bones, some decayed pearls, gold leaves and other jewels of no value. The box that contained the relic casket was left in its original position by Jagat Singh, but the casket was removed and afterwards presented to the Asiatic Society of Bengal. It had disappeared, however, during the time of James Prinsep, as he mentions that he had not been able to find it. General Cunningham, in 1835, while engaged in excavating at Sarnath, resolved to make a search for this sandstone box, and, by the aid of an old man, who, while a boy, had assisted at Jagat Singh's excavations, succeeded in rediscovering it in its original position. General Cunningham has described the box as a circular block of common Chunar sandstone pierced with a rough cylindrical chamber in the centre, and covered with a flat 3 Arch. Surv. Rep., Vol. I, p. 113. 2 As. Res., Vol. V, p. 131. slab as a lid. The box, however, which I found lying in the garden attached to the Asiatic Society's premises, is quadrangular and not round, and on bringing this discrepancy to General Cunningham's notice, he replied, as follows, on the 2nd October, 1879 :-"The stone box which you enquire about was, according to my recollection, a square block of Chunar sandstone with a round (cylindrical) hole in it, in which the relics had been deposited. When I last saw it, it was standing outside the Asiatic Society's house, on one side of the compound. That box was the one that was found by Lieutenant Cunningham at Sarnath, no matter how it may have been described." Presented by Captain (now Major-General) A. Cunningham, 1835-36. 8. 40.-A Bodhisatwa, 2' 1" 50 high, seated cross-legged on a cushion, but wanting the head, arms, and half of the left leg. The figure is well-carved, and of all the foregoing statues it is the only one in which an attempt has been made to show the clavicles, and to indicate some other structural details. The Brahmanical cord is worn, and a very thin cloth over the left shoulder is tied by a loop knot in front. There are also short drawers tied round the waist. No history is attached to this figure, but from its general characters it is probably from Sarnath, and presented by Captain (now Major-General) A. Cunningham, 1835-36. S. 41.—A seated figure, probably of a Bodhisatwa, measuring 1'10" x 1′ 7′′-50. The head is broken off, also the greater part of the right arm. It is sculptured on a slab in altorelievo. The attitude is the same as that of the female figure 8. 25. The right shoulder is bared and the chaddar hangs down into the lap, exposing the navel and the Brahmanical thread. There is the usual jewelled torque necklace and armlets, also three bangles, and on the left arm there are the remains of a lotus stem. On the right side of the slab, there is a small four-armed S'āktī, and another female figure on the other side holding a lotus stem. Immediately below the seat there is an inscription. On the lowest portion of the pedestal, four small human figures occur in relief, to the right of the dependent limb of the statue, close to which is a kneeling figure with a goose's head. Behind the latter is a seated crowned male human figure, and again to the right of it a woman is kneeling in adoration with clasped bands holding up a lotus, and she is succeeded by a bearded man in a like attitude and similarly engaged. To the left of the dependent limb is a woman seated in adoration, probably the donor of the sculpture. The history of this specimen is unknown, but it is probably from Sarnath. S. 42.—A figure of Buddha seated on a chair, in the dharma chakra mudra, with the feet resting on the ground and the sela reaching to the ankles. Unfortunately the hands are broken off, but they have been brought forward in front of the chest in the attitude of teaching. The head also is gone. The sculpture is 2' 7" high and 1' 3" broad. This is doubtless also one of the numerous statues from Sarnath presented to the Asiatic Society of Bengal by Captain (now MajorGeneral) A. Cunningham, 1835-36. S. 43.-A fragment measuring 2′ 1′′ × 1′ 2′′-50, and probably part of a frieze like the similar sculptures described by Messrs. Sherring and Horne1 from Bakariya Kund, Benares. The frieze consisted of a series of circular recesses, each about 8 inches in diameter and containing a human figure. In the present instance, the figure in the recess is seated in native fashion with what appears to be a musical instrument reaching from knee to knee. The margins of the recess are boldly 1 Journ. As. Soc. Beng., Vol. XXXIV, Pt. I, Pl. III, p. 12. beaded. Over each medallion, there was a beaded band forming an arch and hanging down in a loop between each, so that they all appeared to be connected together. A beaded line also ran along the lower margin of the frieze. The history of this specimen is unknown, but it so closely resembles the similar sculptures found at Bakariya Kund, Benares, that it has been placed with the sculptures from Sarnath. S. 44.-A fragment, 11"-50 x 9" 50 in its widest part, much worn and containing two seated Buddhist human figures, with the head of a mythical object below them and part of a beaded arch to the left. The history of this specimen is unknown, but is supposed to be from Sārnāth. S. 45.-A figure of Buddha, 2' 2" 50 high, with the head, arms and feet broken off. It is erect, and represents Buddha in the āsīva mudrā, and it is sculptured in alto-relievo from the slab behind it, which has a floral outer border with a raised line internally, and has evidently borne a nimbus. There is a small chaitya 1 in relief on the left side of the slab. The fine folds of the sela which are not represented in any of the large Sarnath figures, are depicted in this specimen by regular concentric lines, those on the body being regularly curved from above downwards. 1 The history of this specimen is quite unknown, but the stone resembles that of other sculptures satisfactorily ascertained to be from Sarnath. S. 46.-A fragment of the decoration probably of a large ornamented Buddhist sculpture. It measures 1′ 6′′ and 10′′, and consists of a figure of Buddha seated in a recess with a ṣārdula on the right side of the sculpture. 1 Chaitya is derived from chita, " a funeral pile," "a heap," and hence it means "a monument." The history is unknown, but it is probably from Sarnath. S. 47. The pedestal of a Buddhist sculpture bearing an inscription in three and a half lines. There are the remains of two feet with bangles. Collected by Captain (now Major-General) A. Cunningham on his journey to Simla, and presented by him to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 2nd May 18381. S. 48.-The inscribed pedestal of a Buddhist figure, the feet of which, with bangles, remain along with the indications of other and smaller figures, each on a lotus throne. It measures 1' 7" 50 x 7"-75 x 10. Its history is unknown, but the sandstone is the same as that of other Sārnāth sculptures. S. 49.-A sculpture in relief, 2′ 6′′-25 x 2' 5", in sandstone. A seated figure of Buddha, the Teacher, in altorelievo, against a slab with a nimbus, and bearing a small erect attendant figure in relief, on each side, and standing on a lotus, the stalk of which is hidden in a conventional massive floral device resting on the pedestal of the main figure. Each attendant holds a chauri in his right hand, and the figure to the right a long stalked lotus in his left. The front of the pedestal is occupied by a somewhat rough bas-relief, representing the worship of the Wheel of the Law, with a blackbuck on either side of it, three adoring figures to the left, and a man and woman similarly engaged to the right. This sculpture had evidently been originally coloured red. Its history is unknown, but it has all the characters of a Sarnäth sculpture. S. 50.-A brick capital, 10 by 10" by 5", modelled somewhat in the Indo-Corinthian style. Presented to the Asiatic Society of Bengal by C. Horne, Esq., C.S., 6th September 1865. 1 Journ. As. Soc. Beng., Vol. VII, p. 365. |