Mauryan art: polish and power
The Mauryan emperor Ashoka (about 268β232 BCE) set up stone pillars across his empire, many with his messages carved on them.
- Each shaft is one single piece of Chunar sandstone, often over 12 m tall.
- Mauryan polish: the surface was rubbed until it shone like glass. This shine is the easiest way to spot Mauryan work.
- Sarnath Lion Capital: four lions sit back to back, facing four directions. Below is a round band (the abacus) with four wheels (chakras) and four animals: elephant, bull, horse and lion. Under it is an upside-down lotus shaped like a bell. It marks the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon.
- Didarganj Yakshi (found near Patna): a life-size woman holding a fly-whisk (chauri), with a polished surface, rounded body and heavy ornaments. Yakshas and yakshis were popular nature spirits.
Kushana age: Gandhara and Mathura
Around the 1stβ3rd centuries CE, the Buddha began to be shown in human form. Two schools grew at the same time.
| Gandhara | Mathura | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | North-west (today's Pakistan, Afghanistan) | Around Mathura, north India |
| Stone | Grey-blue schist | Spotted red sandstone |
| Face and hair | Calm, wavy hair, Greek-Roman features | Round smiling face, small curls or shaved head with a spiral top-knot |
| Robe | Thick, with deep heavy folds, both shoulders | Thin, close to the body, often one shoulder bare |
| Halo | Plain or small | Large, with scalloped edge |
The Katra Buddha from Mathura sits cross-legged, right hand raised to say "do not fear", with two attendants holding fly-whisks and a large halo behind.
Gupta style, Jain images and Ajanta
- Gupta style (about 320β550 CE): the Buddha looks calm and inward; eyes look down; hair in small curls; the robe is so thin it looks wet or see-through; the halo is richly carved. Centres: Sarnath and Mathura.
- Jain Tirthankaras (the 24 great teachers of Jainism) are shown either seated in meditation or standing straight with arms hanging by the sides (the kayotsarga pose). The figures are simple, symmetrical and very still.
- Ajanta (Maharashtra): about 30 caves cut into a horseshoe-shaped rock cliff, from about the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE. Walls and ceilings are painted with Jataka stories (past lives of the Buddha) in earth colours.
How to tell styles apart
Look at four things: stone colour, surface shine, robe and face.
- Very shiny sandstone β Mauryan.
- Grey stone + deep folds β Gandhara.
- Red spotted stone + smile β Mathura.
- Calm face + see-through robe β Gupta.
Try it
Take a piece of soap and a blunt spoon. Carve a small face, then rub one half with a damp cloth for two minutes. Compare: the rubbed half shines, like Mauryan polish.
Key formulas and definitions
- Mauryan clue = glass-like polish on Chunar sandstone
- Lion Capital = 4 lions + 4 wheels + 4 animals + bell-shaped lotus
- Gandhara = grey schist + wavy hair + heavy folds
- Mathura = red spotted sandstone + smile + big halo
- Gupta = calm face + thin see-through robe + carved halo
- Kayotsarga = Jain standing pose, arms straight down
Worked examples
1. A standing Buddha in grey stone has wavy hair and a robe with many deep folds. Name the school and one reason.
Gandhara. Grey schist, wavy hair and heavy folds show Greek-Roman influence, typical of the north-west.
2. List the animals on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital.
Elephant, bull, horse and lion, separated by four wheels.
3. How is a Gupta Buddha different from a Mathura Buddha?
Both may use red sandstone, but the Gupta Buddha looks calmer and more inward, with lowered eyes, a see-through robe and a richly carved halo. The Mathura (Kushana) Buddha is more open and smiling, with a plainer, large halo.
Common mistakes
- Saying the Lion Capital has three lions. It has four; you only see three from the front.
- Mixing up Gandhara and Mathura. Remember: Grey = Gandhara, Red = Mathura.
- Thinking Mauryan shine is paint or metal. It is polished stone.
- Calling Ajanta a temple building. Ajanta is a set of caves cut into rock, with paintings and sculpture.