Gupta Sculpture

This is the first comprehensive survey of the sculpture of the Gupta period in India (4th, 5th and 6th centuries). The Gupta age is the classical period of Indian civilization, still regarded as a golden age, when many of the elements of Indian civilization which have endured to this day assumed their present form. More than 140 examples of Gupta sculpture, in both stone and terracotta, are illustrated. These include well-known masterpieces like the Sarnath Buddhas as well as numerous works discovered in the past thirty years before its publication, both Hindu and Jain. terracottas, in which the Gupta modellers reached heights rarely if ever surpassed and which have been hitherto grossly neglected, are here for the first time given proper attention. An introduction briefly describes the historical and social background of Gupta art, and its development, and suggests some of its most salient characteristics. While Gupta art is remarkably homogeneous in style, the Gupta dominion stretched across the whole of north India, and separate sections are devoted to the various regions. More detailed descriptions of individual pieces, with other relevant information and bibliographical references, are contained in the notes to the plates.