[Photo.34/(001)] Amaravati (no. 9 and 30)

View of two excavated pieces. The reference numbers allocated to the pieces refer to Robert Sewell’s ‘Report on the Amaravati Tope, and Excavations on its site in 1877’ (London, 1880) in which the pieces are described.

‘No. 9. (2 ft. 8 in. by 2 ft.) Right hand lower half of one of those curious vases or bowl-like figures which Mr Fergusson places at the base of the centre dagoba…Back broken off, or never smoothed…These vases appear to represent some large earthenware vessels, out of which grow a number of lotuses and other flowers. They were evidently placed at the base of some panelled wall, for the dividing ring is seen in each case. The vases were decorated richly with wreathes similar to those seen in the dagobas represented in these sculptures. The base is covered with an elegant and flowing design, possibly intended to represent water…’ ‘No. 30. (3 ft. 3 in. by 1 ft. 6 in.) (Photographed with No. 9.) This is part of one of the flower-vases assigned by Mr Fergusson to the base of the sculpture adorning the wall of the central building…’

Robert Sewell
‘Report on the Amaravati Tope, and excavations on its site in 1877’ (London, 1880, pp. 33-4 and 43)

Faded print. Original negative not held. Part of a collection of twenty albumen prints mounted on card, with captions written in ink beneath the prints and all signed ‘R. Sewell’.