Leogryph. From Orissa. 11th-12th Centuries. London, British Museum.
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Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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Sculpture from Orissa shows a strong dependence on Haihaya art, which was one of the feudatories of the Chandellas and which overthrew the Chandella overlords in the 11th century. The styles Orissa imitated were modest variations on the elegance typical of the Chandellas, where rhythm and movement were most important. The leogryph, a fantastic beast partly lion and partly ox, is just a portion of a larger temple decoration and serves as a typical guardian figure in conjunction with the familiar 'caryatid' elephant who supports him. A sinuous line describes the body of the leogryph who could easily be an elaboration on the more geometric volute patterns common to Indian architectural decoration. As a whole, the sculpted stone would have been part of a supportive element in the temple though probably not a column proper.
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Basham Collection
Date created
circa 1970s
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This item is provided for research purposes. Contact the Australian National University Archives at butlin.archives@anu.edu.au for permission to use.
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