Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 14. (Budapest, 1994)

RENNER Zsuzsanna: A Pála-korszak szobrászatának emlékei a Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum indiai gyűjteményében

vidyâdharas depicted on both sides above the deity's head, who hold the garlands in their hands as if offering them to Sürya. All these motives, conveying the feeling of motion of the Sun's burning chariot racing across the sky, form a fascinating contrast to the static representation of Sürya and his escort; through this contrast, the paradox of the illusory immobility of the Sun as a celestial body which appears to the observer as if nailed to a spot in the sky and its actual movement is excellently reflected in the work. The pedestal is of the saptaratha type, that is, divided into seven sections.

4 The ring surrounding the head of the horse shown frontally represents one of the wheels of the Sun's chariot. The style of the sculpture reveals the survival of several earlier sculptural traditions, as well as their amalgamation into a distinctly new school of sculpture. Sürya's figure, especially his trunk and legs, are accurately elaborated and delicately detailed. The full and fleshy figure reflects the Indian sculptural ideal of the body bursting with präna. And while the full lips, as well as the body which is stylized yet full of vitality, are faintly reminiscent of Gupta traditions, the powerful, stable, somewhat stocky body - and especially the torso and the legs - is more indicative of the Central Indian school of sculpture introduced to the region in the postGupta and pre-Päla period by Central Indian brahmana families invited to settle here. This sculptural tradition in the Päla period developed into a distinctive Hindu art style which was markedly different from the Buddhist art forms preserving the Sarnath traditions and which continued to survive during the earliest phase of the Päla period/ At the same time, the so-called gomukha shaping of the torso already indicates the emergence of the Päla school of sculpture, which combined the different earlier traditions into a homogeneous new style,

6 a familiar metaphor of which was the gomukha. The stylistic features listed here, together with the unique treatment of the thighs showing folds of flesh, form a distinctive combination, lending a typically local character to this sculpture, distinguishing it from works produced at other art centres of the Päla period and relating it to works of art

7 idenfitied as Monghyrian.

8 The back-slab is just as indicative as the shaping of the central figure. In a broad band along the edge, it is decorated with flatly carved, virtually simply engraved, flowers alternating with medallions featuring a network pattern. This band also serves to represent Sürya's prabhämandala. The engraved decoration of the back-slab was a familiar feature both east (Bengal) and west (for example, Bodh Gaya) of Monghyr, but this particular arrangement of the motifs, as well as the actual shape of the flowers, appears to be a Monghyr speciality.

4 Another typically Monghyrian feature is the form of the stele, which is rounded at the top and yet has a somewhat angular character.'" As to the dating of the stele, its rounded shape refers to an origin in the early Päla period. The presence of divergent stylistic traditions and their beginning fusion into a distinctly new style as outlined above, make a ninth century origin probable. This is also suggested by the medium degree of complexity of the composition, the number of accompanying figures and the degree of iconographical complexity, all of which help to distinguish it both from earlier and later Sürya representations." The concise, cylindrical shape of Sürya's crown, the height and the triangular decoration of which are typical of this period, are also in favour of the sculpture's ninth-century dating; they, however, also forecast the similar features of the late Päla period.

12 By contrast, the saptaratha pedestal might suggest a somewhat later origin, such as the early tenth century. The three fragmentary sculptures in our collection (plates 2,3 and 4) are too incomplete to provide a basis for defining their provenance or even for an approximate dating. In fact, we cannot even be sure of the identity of the figures represented. A brief discussion of the fragments would not be totally in vain, however, as they might have some iconographical interest.