India, Rajasthan, Tanesar-Mahadeva
circa 500-550
Sculpture
Foliated dark green schist
30 x 10 x 6 in. (76.2 x 25.4 x 15.24 cm)
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Mother Goddess, (31 x 9 inches)
Rajasthan, Northwestern India, Gupta Period, 5th-6th Century
Sets of seven or eight mother goddesses were installed in side chambers near the entrance to Hindu temples. From one of the most naturalistic and charming sets, this mother attentively grasps the wrist of her toddler to gently guide him, while smiling lovingly and patiently at him. The simplicity of garments and ornament is characteristic of sculpture of the 5th and 6th centuries, and the naturalistic qualities of this work from northwestern India suggest connections with the Greco-Roman styles of Gandhara, in present-day Pakistan.
Source: Cleveland Museum of Art
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Celestial Entertainer
India, Rajasthan or Uttar Pradesh; 10th century
An Indian text on temple art notes the auspicious importance of these figures: “As a house without a wife, as frolic without a woman, so, without the figure of a women the monument will be of inferior quality and will bear no fruit.”
Asia Society