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second group consisted of marbles diametrically opposed in style to “these. The figures were the smallest, the carving the most delicate, and the ornamenta- tion more elaborate than in any of the others. They were in fact more like ivory carvings than things to’ be executed in stone. These I discovered belonged to the inner Rail. They will be found in Plates LXXV. ‘to LXXXV. There only then remained the principal group, which there was ‘no difficulty in recognizing as fragments of the great. outer’ Rail. They occupy Plates XLVIII. to LXXIV. There only then remained a few fragments, Plates LXXXVI. to XCIL.,_ which were of no architectural importance, and may have ‘been placed anywhere. Once this assortment was completed, there was, no great difficulty in restoring the great Rail. Many of the pillars were entire for their whole height, and some were sculptured both on the back and front; ‘so that, with a little familiarity, that distine- ‘ tion could be easily recognized. In addition to this, each was. furnished at the sides with three lentil-shaped mortices, like those, at ‘Sanchi, as shown, in the frontispiece and in ‘woodeuts 8 and 10. Some also of the intermediate’ discs still retained _ their flanges, which fitted into these mortices, though the, greater number had beer trimmed into circles, apparently for convenience of carriage, There could, however, be no mistake as to their position. The upper Rail was easily recognized. by the rounded and weather-worn top, but the animal frieze at the bottom ‘of Plate XLVITT. for a long time puzzled me. Eventually, however, I found fragments which represented the Rail in its complete state. Such, for instance, as Figs. 1. and 2., Platé LXXXVIIL., represent the external appearance of the Rail with minute accuracy. They have the waving roll at top, the Zoophorus at bottom, the octagonal pillars, with one central disc and two half discs at top and bottom; and their inter- mediate Rails with their circular discs andthe open spaces between:* With these aids and the sculptures themselves, as I became familiar with ‘them, the task became easy, and the restorations were made which are shown on a reduced scale in 4 t * Compare these with Woodcuts 11 and 12, from Nasick and Kenlieri+ 166 THE TOPE AT AMRAVATI Plates XLVITI. and XLIX., and so perfectly do all the: parts fit together that I do not think there can be any doubt as to their correctness. . Plate XLVIII. represents the outer face of the great Rail, and is plainer than the inner face, as shown in the next Plate. This was an ‘arrangenient singularly consistent with good taste and architectural propriety, as it is evident that those who wished to study the sculptures could do it with more*facility in the quiet and seclusion of the interior than from the outside. The only additional ornament on the exterior was the lower animal frieze, hick ‘forms a base to the whole. As that -was raised two feet. above the level of. the country outside, something was neces- sary to hide its external face, while it would be difficult: to design anything more elegant or better adapted to its purpose than this frieze of animals. This was not wanted internally, as the pillars there rose from the pes stones of the Procession path. Plate XLIX., Fig. 1. staesaites the inner face of six pillars of the great Rail, ae their intermediate dies and the upper frieze; the whole, as will be observed, were elaborately covered with sculptures. The lower range of sculpture is omitted, _as it apparently represented on the outside the height of the solid pavement in the interior. Fig. 2. represents a portion of a frieze of the same dimensions, but from a different part, probably one of the gateways or projections. There were apparently twenty-four pillars in each quadrant, and eight at least in each Gateway, say 112 to 120 in all. This involves 230 to 240 central discs, all of which were sculptured; and as each of these contains from twenty to thirty figures | ‘at least, there must have been in them alone from 6,000 to 7,000 figures. If we add to these the continuous frieze above and the sculptures above and below the discs on the pillars, there probably were not less than 120 to 140 figures, for each inter- ‘columniation, say 12,000 to. 14,000 in all. The inner Rail contains probably even a greater number of figures than this, but they are so small as more to resemble ivory carving, but except, perhaps, the great frieze at Nakhon Vat.* There is not, perhaps, éven in India, and certainly notin any other part of the world, a storied page of sculpture equal in extent to what this must have been when complete. If not quite it must have been nearly perfect, in all probability less than a century ago. * History of Architecture, vol. II. p. 718, et seqq. SC Ce OMe 6 eh - pee oe i : ; ' 2. ia : 4 ~ SEE EREEEneeeemeeee - x — = SS Ss r at = Aes 5. $ == SS at eee . . " . o + - : F I oe, t F ES : ot 3 VY YY YOY CY TIL YG YOY HY KY | YO FN Fe PYENYZ) DVY Y YOO PW Py ay WerpAy YY VOMACR) UG Bah Ox AKA VIRAGO ae GG ERCHS O% A KK A LOG ahte OF Ov Aaa MNCLOS UU [ Hor ia Wolves TO 1 Foor. EEO FORE ¥ Wy - PILUERS 0 * Q Sogn nny a EDO) Aad YYMIYIYD YY QU AAA NC a. yi ay VY YY aAl SURE. GE) x it ous OF THO x ASK A N BS AKAM MK ARMED YY MY YY YAIMNYYD KY A\ _Scarz I IncH To 1 Foor. it - oe Vy ane y Buvevul x MTaAY A\¥yY ARAAVIAN A WoO Ye. Vy om AR AA AL aR X Die A e PLATE LI. BET Ft eae ae ae SS geet oe we 3 F; 3 a fT BETERNAL FACES OF TWO PILLARS OF OUTES ENCLOSURE AKANA KAARAKARBAN ARAL KAR S ScALE 1 INGH TO 1 Foor. s AMRAY ATI, PLATE Lill, 2 é — aS ~e Pr w ——— FIG,1. FIG 2. at an 4 ee = ~ —- z i art nates = 2 mt i a _ iro . * , ¥ * : P 1 . - * 7 OVPRI MB AK. AG ‘3 hd en OLy Or cone a axe FBC ens OF TYO° PILLS RS OF SMALLER BAL AW A WAIALAAL Séanm 1 INGH TO 1. Foor. matg DISCS O YY yrymy AY KAY AA: Xe VV ¥. ef R &K ve aA —se > YYYY\yY my yy WAI TE BATES S OF OY SCALE 1 INCH TO 1 Foor. mM ¥ AAs BX MNCLO ak AN hase + eh Aas bA) - dae PLATE LIV. Mbss a, L mp oi. ' 4 yw ¥ ° % \ SE. Y ‘ € 2s M atk eee Ve TT: - . % Ps % DISCS ONSNTERMEDILTE BAILS, ScaLz } INCH To 1 Foor. = aoe vase os hanna. Toa Sinden at a a ae ERE ste DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 167 PLATES L. ro LY. THE six Plates contain all the fragments representing the outer face of the great Rail which exist in the India House collection—with the exception of the friezes (Plates LVI., LVII.),—and are all photographed to the same scale, 1 inch to 1 foot. ‘The left-hand pillar (Plate L.) is dedicated to the five-headed Naga, who occu- pies the place of honour in front; on either side of him are two female figures bearing offerings, and standing on two reptilian monsters, apparently dead. Above are elephants worshipping the Dagoba. On the right-hand pillar the Dagoba occu- pies the principal position, crowned by eleven Chattas. On either side a male and a female figure are represented in attitudes of ecstatic devotion ; and beyond, on the outside faces of the octagon, a man in Hindu costume and his wife on each side, approaching the Dagoba, bearing offerings apparently of flowers. Above are elephants worshipping the Tree. On both these pillars, on the octagonal Saecetae below the central dise, are Gana or dwarfs, playihg and laughing: and throwing themselves into y protean attitudes. The left-hand pillar in Plate XLI. is so much weather-worn that it is extremely. ‘difficult to make out what the story of the sculptures may be. In the upper com- partment two figures appear to be upholding a tray, on which a relic or some precious object is placed; and six other figures, floating in the air, appear as wor- | shipping the object, whatever it may be. In the lower compartment -two. men seem to be seizing something that is descending to them from what might be’ called a shoot or vessel of some sort.* The story evidently refers to some relic or gift received miraculously below, and exalted and worshipped above, but what the precious object may be there is nothing to show. The three following pillars (Plates XLI. and XLIL) contain no novelty, but are interesting as exhibiting the endless variety of detail with which these pillars are executed, and the grotesque form of the dwarfs with whom they are adorned. The drum, it will be observed, is here beaten with two crooked sticks; at Sanchi ‘only one was employed. - The two pillars (Plate LIII.) belong to a somewhat smaller Rail, and the patterns upon them are of a somewhat. purer and. less exuberant style of art. Possibly they may be older, but hardly materially so; and I am clearly of opinion that they are only parts of the great outer Rail, perhaps the old Noart, or perhaps — some detached portion or projection. Both are inscribed. The ih Seiption on the . left-hand pillar, according to General Cunningham, is to the effect fiat the pillar on which it is engraved was the pious gift of a householder—whose name is partly * There is a drawing.of this pillar in the Mackenzie Cotleston, Plate XXXI., but. it does not help us to an explanation of the meaning. 168 THE TOPE AT AMRAVATL obliterated—together with his wife and son. The other inscription, on the right- hand pillar, is longer, but to the same effect. It records the pious gift of two pillars by Tunulauraka the householder, son of Pusili, together with other members of his family.* . ee ee Oe . - I have before had occasion to point out, (page-84) the similarity that exists between the arrangements of the Rail in front of the Gotamiputra Cave at Nasick ‘and that at Amravati.