Architectural Relief with Figures (Fragment of a Column)

Gallery Text

The figures on these panels appear to represent divine couples (mithuna), celestial females (apsarases), and women making offerings to a male ascetic figure or demigod. These divine beings are considered auspicious, and their presence on the exterior walls of temples is said to secure blessings and protection for the sacred space inside.

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 1974.56
Title: Architectural Relief with Figures (Fragment of a Column)
Classification: Sculpture
Work Type: sculpture, relief
Date: 9th century-10th century
Places: Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan
Culture: Indian
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/202414

Location

Location: Level 2, Room 2590, South Asian Art, South Asia in the Medieval and Early Modern Eras

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Physical Descriptions

Medium: Red sandstone; from Rajasthan
Dimensions: H. 80 x W. 30.8 x D. 11.2 cm (31 1/2 x 12 1/8 x 4 7/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: Mr. and Mrs. Howard E. Houston, (by 1974), gift; to Fogg Art Museum, 1974.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Howard E. Houston
Accession Year: 1974
Object Number: 1974.56
Division: Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact: am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Commentary: Label text from exhibition “Re-View,” an overview of objects drawn from the collections of Harvard Art Museums, 26 April 2008 – 1 July 2013; label text written by Kim Masteller, Assistant Curator of Islamic and Later Indian Art, Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art:

Architectural Relief with Figures (Fragment of a Column)
India, Rajasthan, 9th–10th century
Red sandstone
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Howard E. Houston, 1974.56

Upon crossing the threshold into an Indian temple, worshippers are greeted by a myriad of deities. From the Gupta period (third–early sixth century) onward, the jambs on either side of the door have often been decorated with groups of figures set into stacks of architecturally ornamented registers. These groups frequently depict divine couples, known as mithuna, which are represented in the smaller panel to the right. The figures on the left panel appear to include combinations of mithuna, apsaras (celestial females), and a donative scene of two women making offerings to a male ascetic figure, possibly a form of the god Shiva or one of his devotees. These divine beings are considered auspicious, and their presence on doorways is said to secure blessings and protection for the sacred space inside.

Exhibition History

S424: Indian and Southeast Asian Sculpture, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 10/20/1985 - 08/01/2008
Re-View: Arts of India & the Islamic Lands, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 04/26/2008 - 06/01/2013
32Q: 2590 South and Southeast Asia, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

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Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

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1974.56: Architectural Relief with Figures (Fragment of a Column)