1841.] Description of some Ancient Gems and Seals, Sfc. 153i 



"best tests for ascertaining the age of a Sanskrit inscription, and therefore 

 1 feel inclined to believe that this seal is of the age of the Guptas. If 

 the name may be considered as a title declaratory of the religion of the 

 owner of the seal, we shall have a direct proof that Kesava Das (the 

 servant of Vishnu) was of the Braminical faith ; which, coupled with 

 the probable age which I have already assigned to this seal, would fix. 

 the period of its execution to the reign of one of the earlier Vaishnava* 

 Guptas, and before the date of the Saiva Skanda Gupta. In the same 

 way, taking the name as a deelaration of the faith of Kesava Das, we have 

 a clue to the owner of the beautiful face engraved upon this seal, who- 

 can be no other than Sai or Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, and the 

 goddess of wealth, beauty, and prosperity, who is usually represented 

 with a lotus in her hand. It is even possible that this seal may have be- 

 longed to Chandra Gupta himself ; for the small copper coins of that 

 Prince (vide vol. 5. pi. 38. Fig. 13 and 14. J.A.S. of Bengal) bear a 

 similar bust with the hand raised before the face, and holding a lotus 

 blossom ; beneath which is the Prince's name. This remarkable coinci- 

 dence of subject between the seal and the coins, coupled with the simi- 

 larity of the characters of the inscription to those of the age of the Guptas, 

 still further strengthens the opinion which I have expressed above, that 

 this seal was engraved during the reign of one of the earlier Vaishnava 

 Guptas, towards the end of the fourth century after Christ. 



The lithographer has completely failed in copying my sketch of this 

 beautiful seal : for, instead of a frowning elderly lady, the original re- 

 presents a young and lovely girl with a gentle smile upon her face. In 

 beauty and excellence of workmanship this gem rivals the finest coins 

 of the Bactrian Mint ; the face is exquisitely delineated, and the position 

 of the hand peeping out from the loose robe or Hindu chadr, is graceful 

 and easy. Unfortunately on the gold coins of the Guptas there are no 

 busts with which we may compare the delicate engraving of this seal ; in 

 my opinion, however, it is far superior to many of the Gupta coins, and 

 is perhaps even superior to the best of them ; with the. small copper coins 

 no just comparison can be made, for they are few in number, and are all 

 deficient in preservation. 



No. 16. A brooch set round with turquoises, presented to Mr. James 

 Prinsep by General Ventura. The engraving is from a rough pen- 

 and-ink sketch by Mr. Prinsep — Below the head is an inscription 

 in ancient Sanskrit, Sri Kodbharasya '(Seal) of Sri Kodbhara, the 

 upholder or supporter of the fortress'. The initial Sri of this seal, which 

 is of a later form than we find in the Gupta inscriptions, proves that 



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