Anand Coomarswamy classified Mauryan Art into two groups:
1.
Royal/ Court Art : The Royal Palace of
Chandragupta Maurya (kumharar, Patna) and City of Patliputra , Ashokan Pillars,
Caves, Stupas etc.
2.
Folk /popular Art :(i) Figure Sculpture of
Yaksha- Yakshini etc, e.g. Yaksha of Parkham (Mathura), Yakshini of Besanagar /
Vidisha (M.P.), chanwar – bearer Yakshini of Didarganj (patna) .(ii) Yerracotta
objects.
The Mauryas as
introduced stone masonry on large scale during
Ashoka.
Fragements of scone pillars and wooden floor and ceiling
indicating the existence of an 80- pillared hall have been discovered at
Kumhrar on outskirts of patna. Seeing this Fahien remarks as follows. ‘These Palaces are so beautiful and excellent
that they appear to be the creation of
God rather than of men ‘.
The pillars represent the masterpieces of Mauryan sculpture
. Each pillar is made of single piece of sandstone , only their capitals, which
are beautiful pieces of sculpture in form of lion or bulls, are joined with
pillar on the top.
Four lion capital at sarnath
and Sanchi. Lioned capital of sarnath was adopted as ‘ Natioinla Emblem
‘ of India o n26 Jan., 1950.
Single lion capital at Rampurva and Lauriya Nandangarh .
Single bull capital at rampurva.
A carved elephant at
Dhuli and engraved elephant at kalsi.
The Mauryan artisans
who started the practice of hewing out caves from rocks for monks to live in.
The earliest example are Barabar caves ( Sudama, World Hut, Chaupada of Karna,
Rishi Lomesh) in Gaya ( Ashokan). The other examples are Nagarjuni caves in Gaya
(Dasharath).
Stupas were built throughout the
empire to enshrine the relics of Buddha. Of these ,the most famous are at
Sanchi and Bharhuta.
‘At all times, whether I am eating , or am in the women ‘s
apartments ,or in my inner apartment ,or
at the cattleshed , or in my
carriage , or in my gardens – wherever I may be- my Mahamattar should keep me in touch with public business’ .
_Rock Edict VI
‘All men are my children’ _ Kalinga Rock Edict I (Dhauli)