Sanchi: North Gate, seen from Stupa, detail of animal sculpture at the end of lintel
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Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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Familiar to us by this time are the rider figures, Yakshis and spirals comprising the terminal decorations of the architraves at each of the Sanchi gates, The peacock appears somewhat infrequently, however, and it is thought to be a reference to King Asoka who began the work on the stupa, Asoka's royal medallion, we remember, was the figure of the peacock, We know, in any case, that the Indians admired the bird for its beauty, therefore, its appearance as mere decoration is acceptable, Floral motifs intermingle with the figured scenes and also appear as separate panels which are always tastefully handled by the Indian artists, Some scholars, such as Marshall, suggest that this naturally beautiful handling is inherent in the Indian artist's taste, We can see by this example why one would think so,
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Sanchi, architecture, stone sculpture, mounted transparency set
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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.