India. The Hoysala dynasty ruled the southern Deccan from about 1100-1350. This temple represents the climax of the Hoysala architectural style. It is built from chloritic schist, a stone which is soft when first quarried, therefore enabling detailed carvings such as this to be made, before turning hard on exposure to the air. It was only with the arrival of photography in India during the 1840s that the intricacy of these sculptures could be reproduced accurately.
