Estampage
Estampage or stamping, is a term commonly used in Epigraphy to obtain the exact replica of an inscription that cannot be transported.
According to Jayanti Madhukar [1], it is defined as: Template:Quote The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as [2]: Template:Quote
Etymology
According to T.S. Ravishankar, former director of the Epigraphy branch of the Archaeological Survey of India, Estampage is a purely Indian term used by Epigraphists [1]. However, a more linguistically correct explanation would be that it originated from the French word estampage (by itself of Proto-Germanic etymology) that means stamping and can mean either of the two processes, namely industrial stamping of steel (forging) or the artistic stamping of various materials. The latter meaning seems to be have been adopted into epigraphy.
Popular usage
Within India, estampages have been made for numerous items and inscriptions of archaeological significance. Some of them include:
- Edicts of Ashoka and Estampages of Girnar Edicts in particular
- Madho Sarup Vats
- Works by Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department
- Works by M. G. S. Narayanan
See Also
- Fernand Courby, a French archaelogist
- Collection of over 10,000 estampages from Greece and Middle East at Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée, Lyon, France
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Madhukar, Jayanthi (2017-12-16). "What do the inscription stones of Bengaluru say?" (in en-IN). The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. http://www.thehindu.com/society/what-do-the-inscription-stones-of-bengaluru-say/article21670654.ece.
- ↑ "Definition of ESTAMPAGE" (in en). https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estampage.