Unit-II, B.A.I Dr.Guneeta Chadha

 INTRODUCTION:  One of the most important examples of free standing Mauryan sculptures is the figure of Yakshi.  Yakshi means female earth spirit.  The yakshi from Didarganj in Patna is very beautifully rendered.

 Probably late Mauryan Period c.200 B.C.  Chunar Sandstone  Height- 5ft 4 inches  Patna Museum  It is also known as the Chauri Bearer.  It is estimated to be at least 2000 years old; and is carved out of a single piece of stone.  It looks life like, and has exquisite carvings.  Standing at nearly six feet tall, the Didarganj Chauri Bearer is widely viewed by archaeologists as one of the finest and most precious artefacts of ancient Indian sculptural art.

 The prominent breasts, the narrow waist, the creases on the lower abdomen, and broad hips, are classic features of feminine beauty of all ages. They show the painstaking attention to details by the artisan(s).  Equally striking is the depiction of clothes with which her body is draped. Elegantly folded and pleated in the front, held in place by exquisite waist ornaments (kamar-bund.).  Noteworthy also is the beauty of the ornaments that adorn this female figure from her head to toe.

 The slight bend in the left leg endows the statue with a subtle impression of graceful motion, which some observers have described as the "gait of a swan" or maralagimini.  Apart from folk representations in terracotta, this sculpture is one of the earliest visual statements of the Indian ideal of female beauty.  Wide hips and full breasts, physical attributes associated specifically with birth and fertility, are emphasized.

 The image is painstakingly burnished to create a glossy surface.  The lover garment, draped around the waist and clasped by a girdle, the upper garment pulled across the back and allowed to fall at the sides, and the jewellery at the ankles, forearm and neck are characteristic items of clothing and ornament which from then on were represented in all sculptures of women.  The confident rendering of the fleshiness of the body, the ease with which the weight is carried by the left leg, and the sensitive facial features all bespeak of the elegant naturalism associated with the sculpture of the Maurya period.

 Conclusion  With the Shungas, the court art died a natural death, while new life was given to folk art, an art which belonged to the people, and with which the people also identified.