Nepalese / Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Maheshvara) / Thakuri period, 10th centuryNepalese
Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Maheshvara)
Thakuri period, 10th century

View Larger Image

View Full Catalog Record Below



This image is one of over 108,000 from the AMICA Library (formerly The Art Museum Image Consortium Library- The AMICO Library™), a growing online collection of high-quality, digital art images from over 20 museums around the world. www.davidrumsey.com/amica offers subscriptions to this collection, the finest art image database available on the internet. EVERY image has full curatorial text and can be studied in depth by zooming into the smallest details from within the Image Workspace.
 
Preview the AMICA Library™ Public Collection in Luna Browser Now

  • Cultures and time periods represented range from contemporary art, to ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian works.
  • Types of works include paintings, drawings, watercolors, sculptures, costumes, jewelry, furniture, prints, photographs, textiles, decorative art, books and manuscripts.

Gain access to this incredible resource through either a monthly or a yearly subscription and search the entire collection from your desktop, compare multiple images side by side and zoom into the minute details of the images. Visit www.davidrumsey.com/amica for more information on the collection, click on the link below the revolving thumbnail to the right, or email us at amica@luna-img.com .



Creator Nationality: Asian; Indian Sub-Continent; Nepalese
Creator Name-CRT: Nepalese
Title: Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Maheshvara)
View: Full View
Creation Start Date: 900
Creation End Date: 999
Creation Date: Thakuri period, 10th century
Creation Place: Nepal
Object Type: Sculpture
Classification Term: Reliefs
Materials and Techniques: Stone with traces of gold leaf
Dimensions: H. 16 in. (40.6 cm)
AMICA Contributor: Asia Society
Owner Location: New York, New York, USA
ID Number: 1992.002
Credit Line: Asia Society: Estate of Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller
Rights: http://www.asiasociety.org
Context: Buddhism and Hinduism were both practiced in Nepal, and the same artists made sculptures for both religions. This striking 10th-century stone sculpture provides a comparatively more complicated image of Shiva and his family relaxing in their heavenly home on Mount Kailasa. The rocky ledges depicted above and below the primary images symbolize the mountain abode. Parvati leans lovingly against Shiva's left leg in the center of the composition; her smaller size is typical of Uma-Maheshvara iconography. Thefour-armed Shiva holds a trident with one of his left hands and with a right hand lifts a lock of his hair, which is being offered to the goddess Ganga flying above his right shoulder. This is a reference to the tale in which Shiva allows the mighty river Ganga to flow from the heavens onto the earth through his hair to soften the cascade's destructive potential.

The divine couple is attended by several family members. The young boy seated on Shiva's bull is their son Karttikeya. Ganesha, their elephant-headed son, is depicted at the bottom of the relief dancing with the ganas, a host of benevolent dwarfs associated with Shiva and his family. A cow-headed gana is also shown offering food to Karttikeya. The two figures at the relief's top corners represent Shiva's attendants, known as pratiharas, who are depicted in his likeness and as personifications of his powers. Parvati is attended by a four-armed goddess named Vijaya and by another figure who supports her right foot.

Striking family tableaux such as this one were very popular in Nepal, and the earliest stone examples date from the 6th century. The iconography of this and related sculptures has been identified as a scene of the birth of Karttikeya, when in delight Shiva andParvati commanded their heavenly hosts to sing and dance in celebration of their new son.


Related Document Description: Asia Society. Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection. New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 111.
AMICA ID: ASIA.1992.002
AMICA Library Year: 1999
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright, Asia Society

AMICA PUBLIC RIGHTS: a) Access to the materials is granted for personal and non-commercial use. b) A full educational license for non-commercial use is available from Cartography Associates at www.davidrumsey.com/amica/institution_subscribe.html c) Licensed users may continue their examination of additional materials provided by Cartography Associates, and d) commercial rights are available from the rights holder.

Home | Subscribe | Preview | Benefits | About | Help | Contact
Copyright © 2007 Cartography Associates.
All rights reserved.