Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 7. (Budapest, 1964)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Tóth, Edit: Terracottas from the Gupta Period

they they were ornaments on the front of buildings.

12 O. C. Gangoly supports this stand, adding that they decorated columns with terracotta reliefs. The clay lingams and the statues of gods and goclesses from Bengal indicate their cultic use, but it is also possible that toys, especially the figures of animals, were made of clay.

13 Vessels dating to 100—200 A. D. show that they could have been votive objects. According to V. S. Agrawala similar objects are still made in Bengal.

14 Among the finds of Maurya-S'unga there is a terracotta relief to be hung on the wall, as a painting.

15 H. Goetz holds that the terracottas were made for small temples and household shrines.

16 K. M. Varma's study rejects their cultic use. He classifies the different types of statues related to religious cults on the basis of the scriptures of the Vajkhanasa sect and states that only unburnt clay was considered suitable for cultic purposes in the temples. Terracotta was not: ,,For reason, which we can not yet explain the texts strictly prohibit terracotta (päkvamrnmaya-pratimä = lit. baked clay statue) for worship in temples, stating that it will bring total destruction when it is worshipped."

17 Such strong prohibition makes us believe that terracotta statues of divinities for cultic use were still made in certain places. The various opinions indicate that we cannot find a definite solution to the problem. I believe the objects published were likely to be secular representations which the rather realistic modelling and individuality of the faces denote. These contrast to the representation of divinities which are modelled according to the criteria of an abstract idea of beauty. Traces of dye found on the statues indicated that they were probably very colourful when first made. They are elegantly modelled to set standards, proving the high level of sculpture characterizing the entire period and evident even on the smaller pieces. 12 Coomaraswamy, A. K. : op. cit. p. 94. 13 Gangoly, O. C. : Indian terracotta art. Calcutta 1959. pp. 14 —15. 17, 18. 14 Agrawala, V. S. : Terracotta figurines, p. 133. 15 Gangoly, 0. .0 : Indian terracotta art, p. 16. 16 Goetz, H. : India. Five thousand years of Indian art. London 1959, p. 107. 17 Varma, K. M. : The role of polychromy in Indian statuary. Artibus Asiae. XXIV (1961) p. 120.