They have been hewed on a projecting wall-foot which goes tolerably deep beneath the heavy ogive, now resting as a socle again on the surrounding outer-terrace that has been afterwards built all round the 36-angled basis of the temple, but only on 24 of the 40 panels. The two sides of each of the double fore-buildings of the four temple-fronts built towards the different zones of heaven, haven’t been adorned with any sculpture, but the staircases divide the four middle fore-buildings into two panels.
Each of the 24 hewed panels contains six or eight imageries one metre long by about 80 inches high. A system of flat frames might have separated the whole series from the mentioned ogive, so to say, a regular combination interrupted by the staircases only.
If the 160 scenes which form this combination are to represent a series of following events or legends we then must try to find the beginning (like on nearly all other hindu temples) to the south of the eastern staircase following it from there through the South, West and North till the starting-point in the East.
This didn’t happen and could not have happened when they were photographed because the temporary uncovering began and was continued at more than one place at the same time without knowing how many sculptures there would be found. They have been marked on the clichés with capital letters for the different panels, and with figures for the scenes of each panel (from 1 till 6 or 1 till 8), but these numbers have been occasionally noticed in a just direction, and from time to time in a reversed successive number. On a few copies we don’t see any letter and number; they may have been cut off with the margin of papier.
Fortunately, the figures in lead pencil on the back-side could assist me, though they sometimes started from quite a wrong point.
The Dutch Government ordered 15 pair of photos to be taken from these clichés, and presented them to special musea or societies. I, the schemer of the plan, do not belong to the favoured. But the afterwards wrecked Archaeological Society did, notwithstanding I, her president, sent this plan to the Government for about 25 years ago[82].
Those who desire to examine these photos will find here the letters and figures in the just successive number of the sculptures to begin with C 1 south of the eastern staircase.
C, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
B, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;
A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;