Cultural advice

The Australian National University acknowledges, celebrates and pays our respects to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people of the Canberra region and to all First Nations Australians on whose traditional lands we meet and work, and whose cultures are among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that ANU Library collections may include images, names, voices, and other representations of deceased persons.

Material in the collection may contain terms, language or views that reflect the period in which the item was created and may be considered inappropriate today.

Delhi: Humayun's Tomb. Detail of arcading

Date

Authors

Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Description

The arcade in front of Humayan's tomb does not permit one to walk through it laterally as one might expect. It acts, rather, as a screen - as many Hindu temples employed - where smaller doors at the back of each niche allow the visitor to pass through to the inner court before the tomb proper. Paneling in this instance is additive and not subtractive, as was the case in the assembly halls and side portals of the Taj Mahal. Lighter colored stone was inset into the red standstone
the design so produced looks as if one had scratched away the patina of living rock to leave an image. The character of the decoration is not brought out of the surface of the stone, however, but is applied to it. Uncluttered shapes comprise the patterns used, and no organic motifs are intermingled with them.

Citation

Source

Type

Archives Series

Basham Collection

Date created

circa 1970s

Access Statement

License Rights

This item is provided for research purposes. Contact the Australian National University Archives at butlin.archives@anu.edu.au for permission to use.

DOI

Restricted until

Downloads