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Mauryan and Shunga sculptures represent two significant phases in the early history of Indian art, each reflecting distinct socio-political conditions, religious influences, and aesthetic ideals. The Mauryan period (c. 322–185 BCE) marked the first major empire in India under the rule of Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara, and Ashoka. This era saw the rise of monumental architecture and sculpture supported by royal patronage, particularly under Emperor Ashoka, whose patronage of Buddhism profoundly shaped the artistic production of the time. Mauryan art can be broadly divided into two categories – court art and popular art. Court art refers to the highly polished and sophisticated sculptures and monuments commissioned by the Mauryan rulers, while popular art refers to the terracotta and wooden sculptures produced for the masses, which reflected popular religious and social themes. The most striking feature of Mauryan court art is the use of highly polished sandstone, known as the Mauryan polish, which gives the sculptures a mirror-like finish. The Ashokan pillars are the finest examples of Mauryan sculpture. These monolithic pillars, often over 40 feet in height, were carved out of a single block of stone and erected across the empire at important sites related to Buddhism. The most famous among them is the Lion Capital of the Sarnath pillar, which is now the national emblem of India. The capital consists of four back-to-back lions standing on a circular abacus, which is decorated with reliefs of a bull, horse, elephant, and lion separated by wheels (chakras). The entire capital rests on an inverted lotus. The lions symbolize power, courage, and pride, while the chakra represents dharma and the spread of Ashoka’s message. Other notable pillar capitals include those with bull and lion motifs found at Rampurva, _____ ________ ____ ______ _____ ____.
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