Ajanta: Cave 17, Mural in veranda
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Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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We now examine a detail from the second major cycle of murals in the Cave 17 porch: Indra's entourage coming to meet the Buddha, One of the loveliest single heads in this mural is that of a flying Asparas [sic] (Heavenly Maiden) in Indra's train, She is holding tiny brass cymbals in her hands, and around her neck is a necklace of diamonds, sapphires, and pearls which sway with her dancing movements, A matching string of jewels adorns her hair, Her graceful swing to the left is reiterated in the sweep of the ribbons of her turban (behind her left shoulder) to the right, Her face is the prescribed oval called for in the sastras (Indian counterparts to the European medieval artists' sketchbooks of physical types), with her narrow eyes and small mouth suggesting the delicacy of her kind, A mannerist grace is evident in her hands, In both beauty and lyrical quality, these Ajanta paintings are akin to the ruined monuments of Bagh, located about 150 miles away, for the two are similar in style,
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Archives Series
Basham Collection
Date created
circa 1970s
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This image is provided for research purposes only and must not be reproduced without the prior permission of the Archives Program, Australian National University.
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