476 



SCIENCES AND SOCIAL ARTS. 



[PART IV. 



an extent were these multiplied, and with an adherence 

 so rigid to the same recognised models, that the Kajavali 

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

 two thousand statues of Buddha," an obvious error 1 , but 

 indicating, nevertheless, that the 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 illustrious 

 by the multiplicity 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 at- 

 tained to a facility 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 works of 

 this kind, obtained from Singhalese sculptors in the fourth 

 and fifth centuries ; they were eagerly sought after by 

 all the surrounding nations ; and one peculiarity in their 

 execution consisted in so treating the features, that 

 " on standing at about ten paces distant they appeared 

 truly brilliant, but the lineaments gradually disappeared 

 on a nearer approach." 2 The labours of the sculptor 

 and painter were combined in producing these images 

 of Buddha, that are always coloured in imitation of life, 

 each tint of his complexion and hair being in religious 

 conformity with divine authority, and the ceremony of 

 " painting of the eyes," 3 is always observed by the devout 

 Buddhists as a solemn festival. 



Many of the works which were thus executed were 

 either golden 4 or gilt, with brilliants inserted in the 



the early Greek writers was the 

 possession of pendulous ears, possibly 

 occasioned by their heavy ear-rings. 

 1 Rajavali, p. 255. Most of these 

 were built of terra-cotta and cement 

 covered with chunam, preparatory 

 to being painted. See p. 478. 



2 Wei shoo, a " History of the Wei 

 Tartar Dynasty," written A.D 590. 

 B. cxiv. p. 9. 



3 Mahawanso, ch. Ixxii. ; UPHAM'S 

 version, vol. i. p. 275. 



* Mahawanso, ch. xxx. pp. 180, 

 182 ; Rajaratnacari, pp. 47, 48 ; Ra- 

 javali, p. 237. 



