DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0345
LATEST CAVES AT AJANTA. 323
his back, and beside it a man leading a saddled horse, behind which
stands another man holding an umbrella, probably the attendants of
the kneeling woman. Another small compartment to the right of
this represents a raja and his wife seated together attended by two
female servants. The next contains six wild elephants, the first
two fighting and the next dragging a huge snake in his trunk ; then
a sard/da terminates the front.
Over the right side chapel the continuation begins as usual with
the sdrdula, in front of a group of cattle, behind which are two
figures seated, and beyond them is seen the head of a bearded old
man. Then, under trees, are two more men with beards and their hair
done up in the jatd style of devotees ; behind them a third head is
seen. One has a bottle, and beside the other the same vessel is hung
in the tripod stand represented in front of the dying Buddha in Cave
XXVI. (Plate L.), and elsewhere. Another bearded ascetic is leaving
these, -with something like a club in his right hand and a bent rod over
his left shoulder. He is meeting a man who appears to address him,
but to the right is another with an uplifted sword as if about to
strike this last. To the right is a plantain tree and a saddled horse
led by a man. The second compartment is a small interior scene
m which a man sits listening to a lady attended by two female
servants. The last compartment is broken, but began with a
kneeling figure offering some present to a portly man seated.
Above the entablature is a projecting band, carved with represen-
tations of the Chaitya window, each containing a human head; then
comes a frieze, ornamented with compartments, containing human
pairs in different attitudes, attended by female servants. These are
separated by spaces filled with figures of the sacred goose {hansa),
ln varieties of position, with the wings extended into elaborate
,°nated tracery so as to fill the spaces, a device well known
"! Vorks of about the sixth cenfoiry in Northern India and in
'^ghalese art 5 and on the Buddhist carvings of Ceylon we find the
- ephant and the hansa constantly occurring, whilst the latter also
oWes on the standard of Burma. Above this frieze is a line of
tIgers' heads, then a dentilated fillet, then another with a line of
1ng tracery, surmounted by a belt, containing human heads within
'Matures of the Chaitya window, each with the hair represented as
^asortof heavy wig. The specimen given in Plate XII., being
eft-half of the facade, will illustrate the style of these sculptures.
x 2
his back, and beside it a man leading a saddled horse, behind which
stands another man holding an umbrella, probably the attendants of
the kneeling woman. Another small compartment to the right of
this represents a raja and his wife seated together attended by two
female servants. The next contains six wild elephants, the first
two fighting and the next dragging a huge snake in his trunk ; then
a sard/da terminates the front.
Over the right side chapel the continuation begins as usual with
the sdrdula, in front of a group of cattle, behind which are two
figures seated, and beyond them is seen the head of a bearded old
man. Then, under trees, are two more men with beards and their hair
done up in the jatd style of devotees ; behind them a third head is
seen. One has a bottle, and beside the other the same vessel is hung
in the tripod stand represented in front of the dying Buddha in Cave
XXVI. (Plate L.), and elsewhere. Another bearded ascetic is leaving
these, -with something like a club in his right hand and a bent rod over
his left shoulder. He is meeting a man who appears to address him,
but to the right is another with an uplifted sword as if about to
strike this last. To the right is a plantain tree and a saddled horse
led by a man. The second compartment is a small interior scene
m which a man sits listening to a lady attended by two female
servants. The last compartment is broken, but began with a
kneeling figure offering some present to a portly man seated.
Above the entablature is a projecting band, carved with represen-
tations of the Chaitya window, each containing a human head; then
comes a frieze, ornamented with compartments, containing human
pairs in different attitudes, attended by female servants. These are
separated by spaces filled with figures of the sacred goose {hansa),
ln varieties of position, with the wings extended into elaborate
,°nated tracery so as to fill the spaces, a device well known
"! Vorks of about the sixth cenfoiry in Northern India and in
'^ghalese art 5 and on the Buddhist carvings of Ceylon we find the
- ephant and the hansa constantly occurring, whilst the latter also
oWes on the standard of Burma. Above this frieze is a line of
tIgers' heads, then a dentilated fillet, then another with a line of
1ng tracery, surmounted by a belt, containing human heads within
'Matures of the Chaitya window, each with the hair represented as
^asortof heavy wig. The specimen given in Plate XII., being
eft-half of the facade, will illustrate the style of these sculptures.
x 2