68 H. Rivett-Carnac — Figure of Buddha fi^om Sarndth. [Feb. 



of the seated figure, so as to assist in determining whether this is one of 

 the missing figures belonging to the niches. 



At first sight the figure will, doubtless, be pronounced somewhat small, 

 and it will suggest itself that, as each niche was provided with a large 

 pedestal, the carved base below the figure, as shewn in the drawing, would 

 be unnecessary. Then, too, it will suggest itself that the figures on the 

 lower pedestal are small for a piece of sculpture to be placed on a niche at 

 a height of 24 feet from the ground. 



General Cunningham, as the following extract will shew, expected that 

 the figures of the niches would be of life size. He wrote in the Volume of 

 the Society's Journal above quoted. 



" The lower part of the monument has 8 projecting faces, each 21 feet, 

 6 inches in width, with intervals of 15 feet between them. In each of . the 

 faces, at a height of 24 feet above the ground, there is a semi-circular head- 

 ed niche, 5| feet in width and the same in height. In each of the niches 

 there is a pedestal, one foot in height, and slightly hollowed on the top, to 

 receive the base of a statue, but the statues themselves have long disappear- 

 ed, and I did not find a fragment. There can be little doubt, however, that 

 all the 8 statues represented Buddha the preacher in the usual form, with 

 his hands raised before his breast, and the thumb and forefinger of the right 

 hand placed on the little finger of the left hand, for the purpose of enforc- 

 ing his argument. Judging by the dimensions of the niches the statues 

 must have been of life size." 



Although the figure now found is smaller than might be expected, still 

 the following points are in favour of its having once occupied one of the 

 niches. It was found in the position indicated by General Cunningham, 

 i. e., amongst the debris at the base of the stupa almost immediately be- 

 low a niche, and in just the position in which one might expect to find a 

 figure which had been thrown down from the niche and broken by Mahome- 

 dan iconoclasts, or hostile Brahmans. 



The stone is of the same description as that with which the other por- 

 tions of the structure are ornamented. Although the carving on the head 

 and base of the figure is somewhat minute for an ornament to be placed at 

 a height of 24 feet from the ground, still, equally delicate treatment of 

 detail is sometimes met with in similar positions on Buddhist buildings. 

 Again it is not improbable that the head was surrounded by an aureole, 

 which would bring the total height of the carving up to 3^ feet. This 

 added to another foot, the height of the pedestal, (which is still to be seen 

 in position) would bring the sculpture within 1 foot of the top of the 

 niche. At the same time it must be admitted, that the breadth of the 

 figure is hardly in proportion to the size of the niche. 



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