Durga between Ganesha and Karttikeya. From Pala. 10th-11th Century. London, British Museum.
Date
Authors
Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Description
The region of Bengal where the Pala and Sena Dynasties were located was late to be taken into the Hindu culture, and the original matriarchal population clung tenaciously to their existing mother-goddess cults (especially to that of Kali, another of Siva's consort's manifestations). From the Pala and Sena Periods, then, a strong tradition of mother-goddess images emanates - first in the form of the snake-goddess Manasa and then to the most popular cult even today in Bengal, the veneration of Kali. Pala sculpture first grew from Gupta roots and attempted to imitate its gracefulness but only succeeded in becoming a clumsy, boneless half-likeness. In the 10th and 11th centuries, the trend became more auspicious and the result was the slender yet powerful forms characteristic of Pala art at its best. Such a work is represented in our illustration showing Durga (Siva's consort) between her two sons Ganesha and Karttikeya - the spirits of spiritual and material power respectively. A rich, brocade-like background enhances the decorative quality of this piece.
Keywords
Bengal & Bihar-- Sculpture - Bengal & Bihar - Hindu etc., stone sculpture, slide set
Citation
Collections
Source
Type
Image
Archives Series
Basham Collection
Date created
circa 1970s
Access Statement
License Rights
This item is provided for research purposes. Contact the Australian National University Archives at butlin.archives@anu.edu.au for permission to use.
DOI
Restricted until
Downloads
File
Description