Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Maheshvara)

COLLECTION NAME:

The AMICA Library

mediaCollectionId

AMICO~1~1

The AMICA Library

Collection

true

AMICA ID:

ASIA.1994.002

amicoid

ASIA.1994.002

AMICA ID

false

AMICA Library Year:

1999

aly

1999

AMICA Library Year

false

Object Type:

Sculpture

oty

Sculpture

Object Type

false

Creator Nationality:

Asian; Indian Sub-Continent; Indian

crc

Asian; Indian Sub-Continent; Indian

Creator Nationality

false

Creator Dates/Places:

Eastern Indian

cdt

Eastern Indian

Creator Dates/Places

false

Creator Name-CRT:

Eastern Indian

crt

Eastern Indian

Creator Name-CRT

false

Title:

Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Maheshvara)

otn

Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Maheshvara)

Title

false

View:

Full view

rid

Full view

View

false

Creation Date:

Pala period, late 10th-11th century

oct

Pala period, late 10th-11th century

Creation Date

false

Creation Start Date:

967

ocs

967

Creation Start Date

false

Creation End Date:

1099

oce

1099

Creation End Date

false

Materials and Techniques:

Copper alloy

omd

Copper alloy

Materials and Techniques

false

Classification Term:

Bronzes

clt

Bronzes

Classification Term

false

Creation Place:

India, Bihar or Bengal

ocp

India, Bihar or Bengal

Creation Place

false

Dimensions:

H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)

met

H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)

Dimensions

false

AMICA Contributor:

Asia Society

oon

Asia Society

AMICA Contributor

false

Owner Location:

New York, New York, USA

oop

New York, New York, USA

Owner Location

false

ID Number:

1994.002

ooa

1994.002

ID Number

false

Credit Line:

Asia Society: Gift from the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund

ooc

Asia Society: Gift from the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund

Credit Line

false

Rights:

http://www.asiasociety.org

orl

<a href="http://www.asiasociety.org"target="_new">http://www.asiasociety.org</a>

Rights

false

Context:

Although Buddhism was an important religion in the Pala kingdom, Hinduism was also practiced in eastern India. This small bronze sculpture depicting the god Shiva and his wife Parvati illustrate the stylistic similarities between Pala Hindu and Buddhist art. Shiva and Parvati are seated on a lotus pedestal placed above a high tiered base. They are accompanied by their two sons, the elephant-headed Ganesha seated to Parvati's left, and Karttikeya (also known as Skanda or Kumara) seated to Shiva's right. Shiva has four arms and is identified by the bull Nandi, the crescent moon in his hair, and the trident and skull that he holds in his back left hand. Parvati embraces Shiva with her right hand and holds a mirror in her left; her left foot rests on a lion, an attribute of the goddess. The detail of the garments, jewelry, and coiffures, along with the somewhat rigid poses, help date this work to the late 10th or 11th century.

Sculptures of this theme--which is commonly called Uma Maheshvara after two other names for Parvati and Shiva--emphasize the more benign and playful aspects of Shiva as well as his loving relationship with his wife and children. It is interesting that, as in this bronze, images of female donors are included in numerous Pala-period representations of this theme. Moreover, small bronze Shiva-Parvati images appear to have been more common than larger works in bronze or stone. Although little is known about the practice of Hinduism in eastern India during the Pala period, the predominance of female donors on small bronzes of this type suggest that the theme of Shiva and his family may have held some special significance for women and may have been a focus of private devotion rather than of temple worship.

cxd

Although Buddhism was an important religion in the Pala kingdom, Hinduism was also practiced in eastern India. This small bronze sculpture depicting the god Shiva and his wife Parvati illustrate the stylistic similarities between Pala Hindu and Buddhist art. Shiva and Parvati are seated on a lotus pedestal placed above a high tiered base. They are accompanied by their two sons, the elephant-headed Ganesha seated to Parvati's left, and Karttikeya (also known as Skanda or Kumara) seated to Shiva's right. Shiva has four arms and is identified by the bull Nandi, the crescent moon in his hair, and the trident and skull that he holds in his back left hand. Parvati embraces Shiva with her right hand and holds a mirror in her left; her left foot rests on a lion, an attribute of the goddess. The detail of the garments, jewelry, and coiffures, along with the somewhat rigid poses, help date this work to the late 10th or 11th century.<P>Sculptures of this theme--which is commonly called Uma Maheshvara after two other names for Parvati and Shiva--emphasize the more benign and playful aspects of Shiva as well as his loving relationship with his wife and children. It is interesting that, as in this bronze, images of female donors are included in numerous Pala-period representations of this theme. Moreover, small bronze Shiva-Parvati images appear to have been more common than larger works in bronze or stone. Although little is known about the practice of Hinduism in eastern India during the Pala period, the predominance of female donors on small bronzes of this type suggest that the theme of Shiva and his family may have held some special significance for women and may have been a focus of private devotion rather than of temple worship.</P>

Context

false

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Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Maheshvara)