Fergusson, James: History of Indian and Eastern architecture (Band 2) (London, 1910)

398

FURTHER INDIA.

Book VIII.

goddesses, the richly sculptured cornices with cresting, and the
roofs carved in imitation of tile construction, though all built in
stone in horizontal courses. Some idea may also be conceived,

471. Carved Lintel of the Temple at Bassak.

as shown in Plate XLV., of the terrible ruin which is overtaking
all the Cambodian temples owing to the overgrowth of the
trees. The preservation of this building, constructed nearly
nine centuries ago, is very remarkable, and this is borne out
better in Plate XLIV., where, owing to the magnificent con-
struction, the tower still stands erect, having lost only its two
upper storeys and lotus cresting.

Pyramid Temples.

The finest example of the pyramid temples is that of
Bapuon, immediately south of the palace in Angkor Thom.
It bears considerable resemblance to the temple of Bayon, but
the height of the second and third platforms is much greater
than in the latter; thus whilst the first and second platforms
of Bayon are respectively 10 and 26 ft. in height, those of
Bapuon are 21 and 37, and the third platform is 48 ft. high.
The Brahma masks were not carved on the twenty-eight towers
of Bapuon, nor are the walls of the corridor enriched with the
bas-relief sculpture of Bayon and Angkor Vat. The richness
in beauty of the carving, however, is quite as fine as that of
Bayon, and the arabesque scrolls of the architrave at Bassak
(Woodcut No. 471), and of the pilasters and vertical panels
elsewhere bear much resemblance to 12th century work French
Gothic. The Chinese traveller of the 13th century already