Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/459

 CHAP. II. TEMPLE OF ANGKOR VAT. 383 appearance will be understood from the Woodcut No. 462 ; that of the interior from Woodcut No. 463 ; though these illustrations are on too small a scale to do justice to their magnificence. Its appearance in elevation may be gathered from Woodcut No. 460, which shows it to be a pyramid more than 600 ft. in breadth across its shortest width north and south, and rising to 1 80 ft. at the summit of the central tower. It is, consequently, both larger and higher than Boro-Budur, and notwithstanding the extraordinary elaboration of that temple it is probably -sur- passed by this one, both in the extent of its ornamentation as well as in the delicacy of its carvings. There may have been as much, or nearly as much, labour bestowed on the colonnades at Rame^varam as on this temple ; but otherwise the Indian example cannot compare with either of these two. It has liter- ally no outline and practically no design ; while both Angkor Vat and Boro-Budur are as remarkable for their architectural designs as for their sculptural decorations. The mechanical arrangements of the galleries or colonnades above referred to are as perfect as their artistic design. These will be understood from the diagram, Woodcut No. 461. On one side is a solid wall of the most exquisite masonry, support- ing the inner terrace of the temple. It is built of large stones without cement, and so beautifully fitted that it is difficult to detect the joints between two stones. In front of this are two rows of square piers, with capitals also similar to the classi- cal examples, but more ornamented. These piers have no bases, but on each face is carved a figure of a devotee or worshipper, surmounted by a canopy of incised ornament, which is also carried along the edge of the shafts. The piers carry an architrave and a deep frieze, which, in the inner part of the temple, is ornamented with bas-reliefs of the most elaborate char- acter, and above this is a cornice of very classical outline. Above the cor- nices is a pointed arch, not formed with voussoirs, but of stones projecting one beyond the other, as with the old Pelasgi and with the Hindus to the present day. This is quite plain, and was probably originally intended to be hidden by a wooden ceiling, as indicated in the diagram ; at least Mr. Thomson discovered the mortises which were 461. Diagram Section of Corridor, Angkor Vat.