For thousands of years, Indian artists have sought to create sculpture that portrays a higher spiritual truth. The land of India itself is dotted with temples and shrines,  More »

For thousands of years, Indian artists have sought to create sculpture that portrays a higher spiritual truth. The land of India itself is dotted with temples and shrines, some elaborate, others simple, whose art celebrates the life of the spirit. Sculpted in the robust medieval style, this statue depicts a figure in an attitude of prayer and meditation. Calm and serene, she appears to focus on some inner vision. In her presence, one cannot help but feel peaceful as well. - (PF.1398)   « Less

This evocative sandstone female figure wears the traditional Indian dhoti, her neck adorned with a thick necklace, her face framed with long and exquisitely curled and  More »

This evocative sandstone female figure wears the traditional Indian dhoti, her neck adorned with a thick necklace, her face framed with long and exquisitely curled and spiral-braided hair. No one could deny the immense artistic and human appeal of this sculpture as we gaze upon her soft almond-shaped eyes, and her sweetly compelling expression. We delight in envisioning how her curvilinear lines must have extended down from her slightly tilted head to posed arms and swaying torso, and finally to her softly sculpted legs. This Indian deity continues to captivate and beckon, her timeless beauty a tribute to the artistic craftsmanship of the period. - (PF.1993)   « Less

This beautiful painted marble head is in the image of Krishna, one of the incarnations of the ancient Hindu god Vishnu. Krishna first appears in India in the great epic, the  More »

This beautiful painted marble head is in the image of Krishna, one of the incarnations of the ancient Hindu god Vishnu. Krishna first appears in India in the great epic, the Mahabharata, and in the most remarkable of devotional and mystical hymns, the Bhagavad-Gita, in which Krishna offers salvation to mortal man through union with the world soul or Brahma. The legends of the Hindu gods youthful exploits rival those of the Greek god Herakles, and in Krishna’s amours with Radha and the milkmaids he surpasses even the amorous prowess of the Greek god Zeus. These loves of Krishna are generally interpreted as an allegory of the souls yearning for union with the divine. More than any other member of the Hindu pantheon, Krishna extends to his devotees the possibility of salvation through devotion to him. Here we experience his striking image sculpted in marble, the hints of original paint further dramatizing his radiant presence. Delicately carved rosette patterns on his headdress contrast subtly with the smoothly sculpted contours of Krishna’s face, adding visual and tactile qualities that serve to enhance his aesthetic beauty. A deeper spiritual beauty also radiates from within this sculpted Krishna, a quality that surely befits the image of this most revered of Hindu gods. - (PF.2264)   « Less

Two particularly striking features of this bust are the fine coiffure and heavy necklace. The hair is coiled like rope, building upwards in a twisting spiral to the bun at  More »

Two particularly striking features of this bust are the fine coiffure and heavy necklace. The hair is coiled like rope, building upwards in a twisting spiral to the bun at the top; tilted to the left side. Facial features are carefully modelled with a large moustache extending to the middle of the cheeks. The eyes are almond shaped and very expressive, as are the creases in the forehead; indicating either age, or perhaps a touch of mirth. The necklace is quite elaborate consisting of two separate bands and a rosette in the center. This man was most likely an important official who appears noble and dignified, and also someone who possessed a gentle sense of humor. - (PF.2268)   « Less

To our modern persuasion and sensibilities, the worship of the cow seems odd. It is not a Particularly strong or intelligent animal, nor is it stunningly beautiful. Yet the  More »

To our modern persuasion and sensibilities, the worship of the cow seems odd. It is not a Particularly strong or intelligent animal, nor is it stunningly beautiful. Yet the sacred cow is a religious icon that has remained intact for over four-thousand years. The absolutely picturesque piece before us is a fantastic example of the talent and love that has been put into the worship of the cow. This piece, wrought of fine silver- one of the softest and most difficult mediums of metal with which to work, exemplifies at once the grandeur and the gentleness of the era that produced it. The Gupta Empire, commonly thought of as the Golden Age of Indian civilization, stretched itself across one of the largest land-masses an empire has ever occupied. Under the hand of its rulers, Indian art, science, and culture reached a dazzling apex that is every bit comparable to the great renaissances of Athens, Rome, and Europe. But the Gupta Empire was not inoculated with the egotism and individualism that thrived through the western ages of greatness. The master-artist of this piece dedicated his time and energy to immortalizing the pastoral, the benign, the natural, and the motherly. The cow- so carefully detailed with its doleful eyes, its wide-set hips, and placid smile represents what India and its people set in silver, prized and worshipped. This cow is representative of a people who, despite every aspect of refinement and every trapping of culture, manage to continue their love and worship of what is rustic and what is feminine. In a world of conquest, capitalism, and material progress, the gentle, nurturing nature of the milk-provider may have its significance overlooked. But upon staring a this magnificent piece, upon being reminded of the homage once paid to the great matriarchal creature, we might catch our breath, and remember to be grateful for the pastoral pleasures life has to offer- and the beauty and sacredness of our own inner-cow. - (SP.466)   « Less

The Gupta Empire was one of the largest political and military empires in ancient India. It was ruled by the Gupta dynasty from around 240 to 550 CE and covered most of  More »

The Gupta Empire was one of the largest political and military empires in ancient India. It was ruled by the Gupta dynasty from around 240 to 550 CE and covered most of northern India and what is now eastern Pakistan and Bangladesh. The time of the Gupta Empire was an Indian "Golden Age" in science, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors. The decimal numeral system, including the concept of zero, was invented in India during the reign of the Guptas. At the time of its maximum extent, the Gupta empire was considered a Great power. Historians place the Gupta dynasty alongside with the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and Rome as a model of a classical civilization. - (SP.625)   « Less

Nandi the bull-calf is the mount or vehicle of Lord Shiva. As Shiva’s most devoted disciple, his image is often placed directly opposite Shiva’s shrine in Hindu  More »

Nandi the bull-calf is the mount or vehicle of Lord Shiva. As Shiva’s most devoted disciple, his image is often placed directly opposite Shiva’s shrine in Hindu temples. Regularly honoured by worshippers with offerings of flowers and incense, sculptures of Nandi are often touched in the hope that devotees will be able to imitate the strength of his devotion to Shiva. It is not known when these two deities first came to be associated but there is a long history of devotion to bulls in Asia. The early civilisation of the Indus Valley in particular (c. 3000-2000 BC) clearly held the bull in high veneration- producing images in stone and terracotta. In Sanskrit Nandi means ‘joyfulness’ or ‘He who gives joy.’ This refers to the emotions experienced by the devotee in the presence of Shiva.Depicted in a recumbent pose on a rectangular plinth, this cast bronze image is highly decorative. Strings of bells are hung around the neck and rear of the animal. A jewel or bead encrusted quadrangular rug is placed across the back and the ornaments adorn the legs. A variety of methods have been used to create different textures on the surface. In addition to the cast decoration, there are areas of punching around the nostrils and small stamped coils on the left cheek and legs. This is a charming and evocative image of the popular bull deity. (AM) - (PF.1507DC)   « Less

Gupta art flourished in Northern India from the 4th to the 6th century. Its aesthetic canons and iconographic models influenced the artistic traditions of neighboring  More »

Gupta art flourished in Northern India from the 4th to the 6th century. Its aesthetic canons and iconographic models influenced the artistic traditions of neighboring countries, in Nepal, South East Asia and even Central Asia. The peace and stability of this era was propitious to the development of religious thought, sciences, literature and theatre, and made the Gupta period a golden age in Indian history. This period was a time of sophisticated urbanity. The essential features of Gupta aesthetics can be succinctly summed up as follows.The figurine depicts Buddha on a horse. The sculptor has conveyed a sense of powerfulness thanks to the robust modeled torso and the sturdy shoulders of the Buddha, and gracefulness in the clothing of Buddha as well as his facial expressions. Gupta artists did not deviate fundamentally from the styles they had inherited. Rather, they combined the plasticity of Sanchi and Mathura with the linear elegance of Amaravati to create a new form that is vibrant, suave, full, but buoyant, spiritually moving, although not devoid of sensuous appeal. - (LO.1393)   « Less

This imposing stone bust of a multi-armed female deity dates from what many refer to as the Golden Age of India. At this date, what is now northern India, Bangladesh and  More »

This imposing stone bust of a multi-armed female deity dates from what many refer to as the Golden Age of India. At this date, what is now northern India, Bangladesh and parts of Pakistan were ruled by the emperors of the Gupta Empire, whose peaceful and prosperous rule saw a flowering of arts and sciences that ranks alongside the civilisations of the Han and Tang Dynasties and the Roman Empire. The achievements of the Gupta Empire are numerous and impressive. Their stable currency of gold dinars, combined with an effective administrative system, helped to fund major developments in architecture, medicine, art, drama, design, mathematics and literature. The western world learnt much of its expertise in pharmacopoeia, cesarean section, bone setting, and skin grafting from Indian medics of this period. The Indian numeral system – which we use today – was taken by the Arabs to Europe where it replaced the Roman system; seemingly western inventions such as the decimal system, algebra, geometry and astronomy – especially the description of heavenly bodies and their orbits, and the assertion that the earth is round rather than flat – were all either invented or refined in the Gupta period.The empire’s shadowy beginnings are generally agreed to have started with the reign of Sri- Gupta in around 250 AD, whose people may have come from the Bengal area. By the 4th century there were various small Gupta kingdoms scattered around the Magadha area. The early rulers of the Gupta Empire – and their followers – were firm believers in Hinduism, but were tolerant of other religions and permitted the construction of temples and shrines to the Buddhist faith. Interestingly, the Hindu cults of Saivism and Vaisnavism shared many characteristics of Buddhism, to the extent that Buddha was eventually accepted as an alter-ego of Vishnu. - (DE.022)   « Less

Once part of the decoration of the temple facade, this beautifully rendered sandstone sculpture represents two lovers in an energetic position which was made in ancient  More »

Once part of the decoration of the temple facade, this beautifully rendered sandstone sculpture represents two lovers in an energetic position which was made in ancient India, and is based upon the contents of the Kama Sutra (see below). The position – the man leaning back and pulling the woman onto him, their right legs wrapped around the others’ left legs – is known as Suspended Congress. The detailing of hair, faces and jewellery on arms, ears and in the coiffures is outstanding. The carving of the woman's back, and the curved tension of the negative spaces and positive forms is exceptional. Their full bodies and detailed features are characteristic of architectural sculpture produced in thirteenth century Orissa, an Indian region noted for its temples, particularly those built between the 10th and 13th centuries. Couples such as the pair represented are believed to have several meanings, ranging from an obvious celebration of life's pleasures to the more metaphorical symbolism of a human soul's longing for union with the divine. The Kama Sutra is commonly and mistakenly believed to be a lovers guide at best, pornography at worst. In fact, this epic work, written by Vatsyayana Mallanaga in the third century AD, is a very important work of scholarship that incorporates anthropology, sociology, psychology and philosophy as much as sexology. It is based upon standard philosophical principles. Many Indian philosophies are divided into the four main goals of life, to include Dharma (virtuous living), Artha (material prosperity), Kama (sensual pleasure) and Moksha (liberation). This holistic attitude towards life has stymied those who attempt to dismiss the Kama Sutra as indulgent pornography, although it is true that it is the somewhat graphic images that have seen the greatest exposure and public popularity. The Kama Sutra is divided into 1250 verses over 36 chapters. As stated above, many of these are comparatively mundane, featuring sections on personal motivation, manners, demeanour, business comportment, the importance of learning foreign languages and so forth. Further chapters include marriage and selection of a partner, civilities, appropriate social behaviour when with one’s spouse, and, eventually, sexual behaviour, fully illustrated to underline the practical issues and cosmological significances. Sex as part of the physicality that is a necessary part of life is underlined throughout, using parables from healthy and unhealthy social and sensual relationships to demonstrate the points made. Ancient Indian artists often carved and painted the 64 sexual positions shown in the Kama Sutra, as these were considered to be perfectly valid as subjects, both aesthetically and philosophically. They were often arranged around the courtyards of temples and other public spaces in a frieze, and this is the likely source of the current piece. Much of the relief works found on the outer walls of the Orissa temples has erotic sculptures. many are of opinion that such erotic sculptures are of indicative of the emergence of a phase the "tantrikism in Hinduism" at that time. The Maithuna ritual is depicted in the carvings of the temple. It is the most important of the five makara and constitutes the main part of the Grand Ritual of Tantra. - (DL.1008)   « Less