476 



SCIENCES AND SOCIAL ARTS. 



[Part IV 



an extent were tliese multiplied, and with an adherence 

 so rigid to the same recognised models, that the Rajavali 

 ventures to ascribe to one king tlie erection of " seventy- 

 two thousand statues of Buddha," an obvious error \ but 

 indicative, nevertheless, that tlie real amount must have 

 been prodigious, in order to obtain credence for the 

 exaggeration. Many other sovereigns are extolled in 

 the national annals, who rendered their reigns iUustrious 

 by the multiphcity of statues which they placed in the 

 temples. It was doubtless from this incessant study of 

 one and the same figure, that the artists of Ceylon 

 attained to a facihty and superiority in producing statues 

 of Buddha, that rendered them famous throughout the 

 countries of Asia, in which his religion prevailed. The 

 early historians of China speak in raptures of w^orks of 

 this kind, obtained from Singhalese sculptors in the fourth 

 and lifth centuries ; they were eagerly sought after by 

 all the surrounding nations ; and one peculiarity in then- 

 execution consisted in so treating the featm-es, that 

 " on standing at about ten paces distant they appeared 

 truly brilhant, but tlie lineaments gradually disappeared 

 on a nearer approach."- 



The labours of the sculptor and painter were com- 

 bined in producing these images of Buddha, which are 

 always coloured in imitation of hfe, each tint of his 

 complexion and hair being in rehgious conformity Avitli 

 divine authority, and the ceremony of " painting of the 

 eyes,"^ is always observed by the devout Buddhists as 

 a solemn festival. 



Many of the works ^vhich were tlius executed were 

 either golden^ or gilt, wdth brilliants inserted in the 



tures ascribed to the Singhalese by 

 the early Greek writers was the 

 possession of pendulous ears, possibly 

 occasioned by their heavy ear-rings. 

 1 jRaJavali, p. 255. ISIost of these 

 were built of teiTa-cotta and cement 

 covered with chunam, preparatory 

 to being painted. See p. 478. 



2 Wei shoo, a " History of the Wei 

 Tai'tar Dynasty," written a.d 590. 

 B. cxiv. p. 9. 



2 3Ia]iawanso, ch. Ixxii. ; Upham's 

 version, vol. i. p. 275. 



^ 3Iahmv(mso, ch. xxx. pp. 180, 

 182 ; Majaratnacari, pp. 47, 48 ; lia- 

 javali, p. 237. 



