Statue of the sacrificial horse

[Yaroslav V. Vassilkov]

Dear colleagues,
        can anybody give me any information or references on the origin
of the custom to erect a statue of the sacrifitial horse after performing
of the ashvamedha? What are the earliest examples of such custom, what
text mentions it for the first time; were there any earlier forms of this
practice such as making a wooden image of the horse, or something like that?
       Thanks in advance
                                        Ya.V.

______________________________

Yaroslav V.Vassilkov, Ph.D.
Department of South and SE Asian Studies
Institute of Oriental Studies
Dvortsovaya nab., 18,
St Petersburg, 191186,
Russia

Home address: Fontanka, 2,
kv. 617, St Petersburg,
191187, Russia
tel. +7 (812) 275 8179
e-mail: yavass at YV1041.spb.edu
        vassilkov at hotmail.com